Community Forums

JMcG · 07-24-2021, 09:25 AM

Just general information here. There is a lot of road debris out there and in some cases can cause serious damage to your coach. I would like to specifically mention large pieces of tires especially when a big truck tire has been recapped and over time this recap comes loose and is deposited on major roadways especially interstates. Well I hit one of those recaps while traveling on US 259 N in Overton Tx. It went straight under the middle of the coach and I heard a bump but didn't think much about it at the time. Because another car was in front of me and I could not see the debris coming I was unable to avoid hitting it. About 30 seconds later alarms starting going off to shut down the engine immediately, high temperature. Well, after initial inspection by myself I could see several hoses hanging down and other damage under the engine section with coolant leaking all over. I was fortunate that I had a safe place to pull over very quickly. I was quick to find a towing service that could tow a motorhome. Then I located a freightliner business in Tyler, Texas to tow it to. LoneStar Truck Group, which i can say so far that they have been very helpful in moving things forward. Geico my insurance also has been very helpful in getting things started on the coverage end of things. What surprised me was the towing costs. To move the coach about 30 miles cost 900 Dollars. They didn't charge by the mile, it was by time taken for setup, towing, and drop off at freightliner. The driveshaft had to be removed to keep from damaging the transmission during the tow. They charged 350 dollars per hour which I thought was a little excessive but I was just happy to get my coach to a place that same day to a freighliner shop. LoneStar Truck Group estimated the repairs to be 2400 dollars all taxes, parts, shop supplies included. I thought this was very reasonable. My big surprise was the towing costs. Anybody out there think the towing costs was reasonable or that was pretty high for towing.
JMcG
2016 VTDP 3725

igave · 07-24-2021, 09:31 AM

I suspect if the cost of buying/maintaining a tow truck big enough to do the job plus insurance and other costs associated with that type business that the cost doesn’t seem out of line. It’s not cheap, that’s for sure but put in perspective may not be so bad.

**TonyDi** · 07-24-2021, 10:21 AM

A 50 ton wrecker costs upwards of 850k. That cost has to be figured into the cost of the tow. My LA was towed last summer and it took the wrecker crew 1 1/2 hrs. To prep it. Knowing that a tow job is not cheap was one of the reasons I got a good roadside assistance plan. CoachNet picked up the entire cost.

BobGed · 07-24-2021, 10:48 AM

I would suggest you check with Geico and see if you possibly have towing service included in your policy. They usually require prior approval, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

JMcG · 07-24-2021, 10:58 AM

BobGed,
Yes towing is covered, one tow per incidence. Since I had never had one towed, was just curious what others thought about the towing charge.
JMcG
2016 VTDP 3725

RVStitchy · 07-24-2021, 12:56 PM

Never had mine towed so no $$ comparison. But my initial gut reaction is - reasonable. It is obviously not a normal tow truck. To have that equipment, and employees on the clock standing by and waiting for your call costs money before you even make the call.

Now maybe if it was a business model that could handle more scheduling - "we can towed you at 3 pm next Tuesday" - the economics would be different.

Angie Morell · 07-24-2021, 02:13 PM

I wouldn’t drive a coach without Coachnet. You were lucky you didn’t have to be towed very far. If you requested to be towed on a lowboy like many RVers do, it would have been substantially more. Check into Coachnet before you get back on the road.

Angie

JMcG · 07-24-2021, 02:13 PM

Thanks all for the comments. After hearing all the comments and seeing first hand what was involved in getting one towed, I probably got a pretty good deal. Just hope I don’t have to do it again.
JMcG
2016 VTDP 3725

ArtJoyce · 07-24-2021, 02:25 PM

Only reason for years I have paid for RV towing insurance. When I need it its going to cost $$$$$

TripleGGG · 07-24-2021, 02:36 PM

I think that's very reasonable. To be honest I'm surprised it was that low.

PaulTNaples · 07-24-2021, 02:50 PM

Towing is expensive! Many comments on this forum related to the cost of a tow. It’s time and effort to to tow a coach. I added our coach to my AAA and have Good Sam and CoachNet. You just never know who may have availability in any give area. When you balance the cost against peace of mind, the investment is minimal.

36PFT · 07-24-2021, 02:51 PM

Our last tow was $1600 with a discount from $1800. It was about 72 miles.

jerry davis · 07-24-2021, 03:01 PM

A few months after purchasing our DS we blew a $3 clamp off our CAC and the coach immediately went to limp mode. We were 60 miles out of Boise in the middle of nowhere. After a few hours Freightliner finally found us a tow and had us towed 60 miles to the nearest Freightliner dealer. Freightliner pick up the tow charges…….$2100 for a $3 clamp that could have been installed on the side of the road.

Mr JP · 07-24-2021, 08:58 PM

A couple of years ago something happened to us. Ran over a large tire part kicked over my a car as it traveled under MH it took out the Oasis exhaust which in turn took out the lower radiator hose then exited out to take out the front lower light of the Escalade then it gave up and went off the road. This happened 20 miles from my house. Coachnet was great they got a tow truck to tow it 70 miles to a Freightliner dealer (right pass my house I went). the tow was $1200 paid for by coachnet the repair was $1000 to replace all coolant hoses and coolant and inspect for any other damage none found. So that's average tow price