JOHN L. HAWKINS
MILLER INDUSTRIES – CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE
Breaking down is not an enjoyable experience and not knowing your coach and how to communicate the information with your service provided may make the situation frustrating. Here are a few basic pointers that can help you and your service provider during this time:
- Know Your Coach – This is the single most important part by far
- Make and Model
- How long is your coach?
- How much does your coach weigh?
- How much does the front axle weight
- How much does the rear-drive weight
- Know the measurement of the front bumper to the centerline of the steer axle in inches
- Know what type of front suspension your coach is equipped with
- ‘I’ Beam suspension, found on a truck chassis
- This suspension can be towed with a standard frame or axle fork attachment
- “A” frame suspension, either spring or airbag
- This suspension is found on almost all high-end coaches. If towed, it requires a “tire lift” attachment only.
- Some Prevost models can be towed with frame forks on the heavy-duty pull eye found forward of the “A” arm box – but this is for the last resort only.
- ‘I’ Beam suspension, found on a truck chassis
- Let your service provider know where the generator is
- If the generator is located at the front, the exhaust pipe and muffler may need to be removed for the proper clearance
- Know how tall the coach is at its highest point
- This included any attachments to your coach, for example, a satellite dish
- The vast majority of the time a coach must be towed by a tow truck or wrecker
- If a company shows up with a 48ft sliding axle trailer being pulled by a road tractor, that tilts to the ground allowing the coach to be winched up and on to the deck, it may be too tall to clear overpasses and other obstacles
- Sometimes a permit might have to be arranged to move a tall vehicle
- Make sure that the service provider communicates if there will be obstacles or if a permit will need to be arranged
- If a company shows up with a 48ft sliding axle trailer being pulled by a road tractor, that tilts to the ground allowing the coach to be winched up and on to the deck, it may be too tall to clear overpasses and other obstacles
- Know Your Service Provider
- Provide them with critical information about your coach
- Exchange contact information so if the call drops, you can reach back out
- If calling into a club, call center, or other third-party, ask them if the service provider can contact you directly
- Sometimes the call center that you might reach out to is law enforcement
- Towing companies are often on a rotation with law enforcement
- They will contact the company that is next in line on rotation, but that company might not have the proper equipment
- If this is the case, you may ask for a company with the proper equipment
- Sometimes the call center that you might reach out to is law enforcement
- Know Your Location
- It is very important to give an accurate location to where you are.
- For example, the coach is northbound on I-75 half-mile short of the off-ramp at exit number 80
- On turnpikes and interstates, there are exits and on-ramps. They can become obstacles for towers to properly locate you or access you quickly.
- If you are out in the country, give landmarks to your location and estimated mileage from a remembered known point.
- How your coach has come to rest. For example:
- Side of the interstate, one tire on the shoulder, the other on the grass about for inches below the tire on the shoulder.
- Downtown up against the concrete barrier with cars passing close by.
- If you are stuck, supply detailed information
- Snow, ice, mud, wet grass, and how far it is to solid ground.
- PLEASE NOTE: More tow truck drivers lose their life annually (per capita) than Law Enforcement and Firefighters. This happens when a vehicle strikes the tow truck driver or the vehicle they are trying to assist. It is a dangerous job and it is important to remain in a safe location when service is being provided.
- You cannot ride in the coach while it is in tow.
- Make transportation accommodations if anyone is traveling with you. Only one passenger will be able to sit in the tow truck.
- It is very important to give an accurate location to where you are.
- Know Key Mechanical Items on Your Coach
- Know the location for the tower to tie into your air connects
- Critical to releasing the brakes of the coach
- Critical to using the brakes of the coach
- Critical to airing up the air ride of the coach
- Know the transmission
- Make and model
- Know if your coach is a driveline and/or half shaft (these are the two items that disconnect the engine from the transmission).
- The automatic transmission cannot operate without the engine running. This is what supplies lubrication to the working components
- Drives lines on a motorcoach are short and sometimes difficult to get to because they may be low to the ground
- Thus, the operator will pull the half shafts (axel) out of the axle housing
- Chrome top hats have to come off
- If one side of the coach is up against the concrete barrier it might have to be moved to allow for the proper clearance.
- If the engine is running, it is possible to move the coach without the steps above
- This is only recommended if the coach is going a short distance and at a low speed.
- Thus, the operator will pull the half shafts (axel) out of the axle housing
- Know the location for the tower to tie into your air connects
- Your Paint Job
- The service provider will need to run electrical and/or airlines to the rear of the coach
- The paint on your coach can be protected by
- Running the lines under the coach
- Tying shop rags in knots down the line or by placing tennis balls along the line
- The paint on your coach can be protected by
- The service provider will need to run electrical and/or airlines to the rear of the coach
- The Cost of the Service
- The towing and recovery industry provides a 24/7 service, 365 days a year
- Ask upfront for the fees and costs that can occur
- Make sure that you understand the fee structure
- The cost of a tow will vary from state to state
- There is a cost for the call
- There can be mileage fees
- There can be time fees
- There can be a fee for the driveline or half shaft (axel)
- Night and weekends and holidays may also affect the cost
- Make sure that a payment structure is established with your service provider
- If you are being towed to a repair facility, the cost of the tow can be billed there and you in return will pay that charge as part of the required repair
The Towing and Recovery business is great, supplying a much-needed service to the automotive public. When it comes to high-end motor coaches, these operators must have experience and like all businesses, you have the right to have the job done responsibly and professionally. The information that you provide will be appreciated by them and allows them to know that you have a basic understanding of the service that is going to be provided. Please remember that they did not cause your breakdown, only providing a service to remedy the problem. Your frustration level, caused by the breakdown, can be greatly diminished, “if you know your coach.”