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Old 09-02-2020, 09:14 AM   #1
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Damaged by being towed?

Damaged by being towed?
My wife and I recently had a breakdown in North Carolina in June I was wondering this is the first time we had to be towed since owning our Class A 2005 four winds /Thor infinity.
My question is has anybody else had problems afterwards with either the roof leaking door latch breaking and steps. All this occurred directly after being towed. What recourse is do I have on getting most of these things fixed by my insurance?
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Old 09-02-2020, 09:17 AM   #2
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Hi ! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined us!

I'm thinking it's gonna be hard to prove that those problems were caused by the towing, unless you can get an RV technician to give you a written statement that in his opinion that was the cause.l Hope you are successful.

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!
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Old 09-02-2020, 09:24 AM   #3
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I think it could be a stretch that they are related, do you have a specific reason as to why you think they are? Maybe any pictures of the damage?
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Old 09-02-2020, 02:07 PM   #4
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How was it towed? Was a wheel / axle lift used or was the older type tow sling with straps that the bumper rests against ? If the sling type was used check with the RV manuf. and see if it is possible to bend the motorhome that way. What does the owners manual say regarding towing ?
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Old 09-03-2020, 02:10 PM   #5
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Having run dispatch in the shop I worked in for towing I can tell you it could easily be damaged if towed from the front end of the chassis. We had a fire engine damaged years ago like this. I always requested a low boy trailer for tows like this.
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Old 09-03-2020, 08:35 PM   #6
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Are you saying that towing by lifting the front axle is somehow going to damage something?
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Old 09-04-2020, 03:26 AM   #7
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Is the latch a Trimark? If so the ones made prior to about 2018 have a 90+% failure rate eventually. The slide bolt breaks into two pieces. This common problem could have been aggravated by flexing while lifting the coach.



Step motor failure is common also. I have a bad habit of stepping on the steps before they have finished extending (like when getting fuel), this overloads the motor. If the step, while extending hits an obstruction (like a curb) it can damage the motor. I extended the step one time while parked in my storage building. The step just barely cleared a curb on the building foundation. I loaded the coach for a trip, the added weight was enough to cause the step to drag on the curb when I entered the coach to leave, damaging the motor. If the step mechanism is jammed this may be due to flexing from the tow or hitting an obstruction while in the care of the tow company.



So the two items above are would have been immediately obvious when you tried to enter the coach after being towed. If they showed up later my guess would be "not related".


The leak is another common item in coaches over 5 years old. Hard to say what the cause is without knowing where the leak is located. This could take some time to show up if tow related.This is the easiest of the items to ignore and possibly the most damaging.



May be worth a try with your insurance, as for me, I would just repair them and move on. My DW on the other hand would be willing to spend hours emailing and waiting on hold just for the principle of it.
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Old 09-04-2020, 03:32 AM   #8
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Quote:
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Having run dispatch in the shop I worked in for towing I can tell you it could easily be damaged if towed from the front end of the chassis. We had a fire engine damaged years ago like this. I always requested a low boy trailer for tows like this.

How do you get it on the low boy? Winch/ramps I guess.
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Old 09-04-2020, 04:44 AM   #9
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How do you get it on the low boy? Winch/ramps I guess.
Lowboy trailers break down at the hitch end, leaving a ramp to roll up on.

If the vehicle is disabled, a tow truck would be parked in the back of the trailer to pull it up the ramps.
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Old 09-04-2020, 05:25 AM   #10
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No, not by the front axle, although that has occurred. Towing by hooking to the frame crossmembers at the front of the vehicle is not good. Some tow drivers hook to the axle but the straps are bearing on the ends of the frame so when bumps are hit the coach can flex in the middle. Sometimes the frame can bend.

I can flex the frame of my coach with the leveling jacks enough to cause the side door to be hard to open. When we bought it the leveling device was not working.
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Old 09-04-2020, 05:34 AM   #11
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Thanks sounds exactly what happened.
And when I use my jacks my door jams as wall at times.
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Old 09-04-2020, 05:41 AM   #12
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Exactly on the door on the type of latch it was. Did replace it with parts that were made with metal instead of plastic. Step started working after a few times. The leak was right over the drivers seat right at the seamAt the front cap and roof..
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Old 09-05-2020, 04:31 AM   #13
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Exactly on the door on the type of latch it was. Did replace it with parts that were made with metal instead of plastic. Step started working after a few times. The leak was right over the drivers seat right at the seamAt the front cap and roof..



If the step started working my guess would be it was in a bind and then worked free. I doubt the motor/gears would start working if they were bad. (Maybe loose wire connection or low voltage are possible I guess.)


At least you found the source of the leak. That can be hard to do sometimes.


Overall sure sounds like issues were tow related to me.


Unfortunately my opinion and five bucks will only get you a small Latte at Starbucks.
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Old 09-06-2020, 07:06 AM   #14
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How does lifting it with a wheel lift change anything? It still has the weight on the same placed as when it is on the ground. The only problem I see is that the clearance on the back end is less so one has to be careful not to drag the hitch on curbs etc. but that happens even with the coach on all foru.
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