Towing a bus without a tow truck/landoll

[Len Silva]

This assumes the engine runs in the bus.  Without the engine, you could rig a generator and air compressor, but what about the power steering?  That could be a big problem.

[Damn Yankee]

Glenn,
Do you have a towing policy for your bus? If not I'd get one through coach-net for $110 and let them tow it. Lots of peace of mind for a little cost.

[belfert]

Buying a roadside assistance policy knowing you need to use it at the time of purchase is unethical and probably constitutes fraud.  Roadside assistance providers are counting on only a small percentage of customers ever using the assistance.

Coach Net can be picky on what they pay for, but a blown tranny shouldn't be an issue.  When I lost prime changing fuel filters they basically said tough luck as they wouldn't pay for it.  Luckily, I figured out there is a priming button before I had to call a mobile mechanic out.  The guy at Coach Net seemed to indicate they wouldn't pay for lack of maintenance items like siezed wheel bearings due to not repacking them.  I think they don't want to end like AAA where a lot of people buy the service instead of paying to keep up their vehicle.

[Tenor]

When I had AAA, they would not pick up a disabled vehicle that you just bought.  I would not expect any policy to do that, and like you say Belfert, it could constitue fraud and I don't want our community to get a bad rap!

Glenn

[belfert]

I believe Coach Net has a 24 hour waiting period, but that could be the Good Sam plan.  I don't know that there are any other restrictions on how long you have owned the vehicle.

I bought my Good Sam plan a day or two before I flew out to pick up my bus.  I wanted to make sure I was covered from day one and I already had all the information they needed on the vehicle.  I have since switched to Coach Net.

[buswarrior]

Well, what the heck...

I am somewhat torn as to a correct responce.

If there was a time of day/week that the 50 miles could be traveled under extremely light traffic conditions, and both drivers had some experience in these matters, I am supportive.

That being said, I would be traveling at a GREATLY reduced speed from the limit, the towing apparatus must not be in a configuration that will allow it to drag on the ground, and both vehicles must be able to stop themselves without incident or seat soiling, if they come apart. And they better be configured so that they do not come apart.

As for speed/tow mule, I'd be real temped to use the farm tractor, operating at an economical engine RPM.

And get out of the way at the earliest opportunity to allow the other road users to get on with their day.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Hartley]

The Towing policies usually have some limitations such as towing only to
an approved service provider or factory/dealer location.

There is also a limit on what they will pay the participating towing company and that is usually a negotiated rate well below regular retail. The tow drivers don't get very exited when their labor or distance exceeds the stated rates.

So, Generally it's $175 to $400 to hook up or load and $4.00 to $5.00 per loaded mile and/or hourly rates that can be from $30 and Hour to $75 an hour.

Rates do change if you have to get a second wrecker to help load or if you manage to aggravate the tow driver.

People Like CN are wise to the tricks that members try to pull and they can inflict some radical policy shifts if they think something doesn't sound just proper.

They like most providers may not have any tow companies within a reasonable distance or not at all. That happened to me on I-95 in Georgia one night. They simply had nobody within range so proceeded to do nothing at all but say sorry...

Buses and Large Coaches are special vehicles and take special equipment and trained operators. Any hack can drive a tow truck but only a pro can do it the right way most of the time.

If it don't run and has questionable running gear, brakes or other problems, Then the Landoll approach is the ONLY option short of calling the scrap yard.

You take your chances no matter what the situation and providing that you have an otherwise runnable/drivable coach with working brakes and lights you might get away with doing it the cheap way.

I pulled a 56 Dodge school bus with a 72 Pinto back in 1973 and that was a 40 mile tow through Orlando.. A really nice Nylon rope and lots of luck but never again.

That said, Just about any Superduty Ford or Dodge 3500 should be able to pull a bus fairly well at low speeds if you have good brakes and air to run the suspension. Power steering will only work if you have air assist or can run the engine. Otherwise it may take 2 people at the wheel to make turns the hard way.

...DUH....

[Tenor]

I'll know much more tomorrow when I call about the bus.  I am hopeful :
1. that they would just like to get it off the property 
2. It runs
3. it builds air and fills the suspension and brakes work.
4. My buddy with his F-250 with powerstroke diesel and duallies is willing to help pull using snatch straps

If all of these things come true, I'd use snatch straps, speeds at about 25mph (the route would be at most 55 posted with only 2 small towns, each a few blocks long)

Glenn

[Iceni John]

Don't know if this will inspire you to give it a try, or scare you completely off:

When I worked for an international moving company in England many moons ago one of our European trucks broke down in Germany with a bad transmission.   Because the engine ran and the brakes and steering still worked OK, the boss decided to tow it back to England with the company Range Rover (back when they only had 3.5 liter engines)!   The truck was a 2-axle DAF towing a 2-axle drawbar trailer, fully loaded and grossing about 25 tons.   I took about three days and nights, with the Range Rover in first gear the whole way, all through Germany, Holland, the overnight truck ferry across the North Sea, and 80 rolling miles in England.   He used a rigid tow bar, and used the truck's brakes to slow/stop.   The German Polizei weren't amused, and he needed help getting up the ramp off the ferry, but he made it safely but slowly.   Because CBs were illegal in Europe they had to use horn codes  -  one toot for stop, two for go.

Morale of the story:  anything's possible, and it can be safe if you think through all the eventualities.
John

[Sojourner]

Tenor...you have few choices as per posts.

If you want tow without the worrying of slacking & jerking such as tow rope or chain. Use a solid rod or thick wall pipe to connect both tow-err & tow vehicle. This method will make both vehicles into one train. Connection can be a chain at both ends of the pipe. Whatever you do...make sure you use at least 5/16 inch or heavier chain and largest diameter grade 5 bolts thorough link to bind the chain together with sae washer & double nuts. The bottom-line is to keep the slack to zero movement as much as possible to avoid jerking.

This rig works like a regular tow bar except it a single bar that need second driver to steer.

Now have your helper to keep watching for your brake light for stopping or slowing down.

Communication is vital so if anything go wrong such as no air pressure.

Sojourn for Christ, Gerald

[Damn Yankee]

when my starter died in Florida a couple of years ago they towed my mc-5 80 mi. to get fixed. my 4104 was listed on the policy. tow truck drivers don't care, they don't check vin #'s. I don't see a problem with fraud since their towing a bus you own cause that's what you pay them for. I'm pretty sure they limit you to 1 tow a year. Your home is probably a heck of a lot closer than a QUALIFIED repair shop if it's something you could normally repair yourself.
Either way you decide to go let me know if you need an extra set of hands, I'd be happy to help.

[John316]

I would be concerned about the truck pulling the bus. Calculate up the weight of the bus, and see if the truck could pull it uphill from a dead stop. If it is all down hill might be different .

Let us know what you do. I am sure you can do it without a tow truck.

God bless,

John

[Sojourner]

I would be concerned about the truck pulling the bus. Calculate up the weight of the bus, and see if the truck could pull it uphill from a dead stop. If it is all down hill might be different .

Let us know what you do. I am sure you can do it without a tow truck.

God bless,

John

Amen!

[belfert]

when my starter died in Florida a couple of years ago they towed my mc-5 80 mi. to get fixed. my 4104 was listed on the policy. tow truck drivers don't care, they don't check vin #'s. I don't see a problem with fraud since their towing a bus you own cause that's what you pay them for. I'm pretty sure they limit you to 1 tow a year. Your home is probably a heck of a lot closer than a QUALIFIED repair shop if it's something you could normally repair yourself.
Either way you decide to go let me know if you need an extra set of hands, I'd be happy to help.

The fraud is signing up for a roadside assistance policy knowing you already need to use the service.  It would be no different than your house burning down and then buying an insurance policy for the house without telling them the house is already gone and then trying to collect.

If you buy a roadside assistance policy and your vehicle breaks down the next day, no problem, but if the vehicle is already broken down, no dice.

I have heard of somone who was able to buy roadside assistance from Good Sam for a vehicle that was already broken down and Good Sam towed it, but they were up front about the vehicle needing a tow.  I hve no idea why Good Sam agreed to it.

[Sojourner]

I would be concerned about the truck pulling the bus. Calculate up the weight of the bus, and see if the truck could pull it uphill from a dead stop. If it is all down hill might be different .

Let us know what you do. I am sure you can do it without a tow truck.

God bless,

John

Amen!

Hopeful that F-250 is manual trans to avoid overheating.

Vehicle Drive Calculations

Example: Grade Resistance is the drawbar pull
needed to keep the vehicle in constant
motion up a grade. This is in addition to the
drawbar pull to overcome road resistance as
expressed by another formula.
F = GR × W
F is drawbar pull in pounds.
GR is grade resistance in percent
(20% is written as 0.20, etc.)
W is gross vehicle weight in pounds

PLUS Rolling resistant:

Drawbar Pull to keep the vehicle in steady
motion on level ground depends on the road
surface. The following figures are pounds of
drawbar pull per 1000 lbs. of vehicle weight.
Concrete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 to 20 lbs.
Asphalt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 to 22 lbs.
Macadam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 to 37 lbs.
Cobbles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 to 85 lbs.
Snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 to 37 lbs.
Dirt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 to 37 lbs.
Mud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 to 150 lbs.
Sand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 to 300 lbs.


Add gravel for payload to increase traction.

Wish you well.

Sojourn for Christ, Gerald