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Old 03-07-2016, 12:31 PM   #1
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Got to have the trailer towed. Now what?

Ok, so your cruising down the highway, life is good, brand new camper in tow, tunes on the radio, than boom! Tow vehicle goes south, needs a flat bed, what do you do with the camper? Do any of you have AAA, good SAMs club or what would you suggest?
It's never happened to me, but I have to admit that this is the thing I worry about most. And since we will be 3000 miles from home when we pick up our 21 next fall, just trying to have a plan.
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Old 03-07-2016, 12:42 PM   #2
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We've seen this situation a number of times while at campgrounds. The Tow Truck arrives pulling the dead TV and Trailer and backs them into a spot. They unhitch the TV from the trailer and the Tow Truck takes one or both of the owners to the repair center which the repair place then drops them back at the camper after the TV is checked in for repair. They hang out until the repair center picks them up to get their repaired vehicle and back to status quo.
This is the argument against Class A's as you lose your home when it needs to go in and be repaired. I have heard some dealers, etc. are allowing you to remain in your class A on their lots overnight until they can complete the repairs, but don't think that is widespread.
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Old 03-07-2016, 12:45 PM   #3
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I hope I never have to use it, but I have AAA with a trailer option that is good for 100 miles of towing...
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Old 03-07-2016, 12:47 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jake930 View Post
Ok, so your cruising down the highway, life is good, brand new camper in tow, tunes on the radio, than boom! Tow vehicle goes south, needs a flat bed, what do you do with the camper? Do any of you have AAA, good SAMs club or what would you suggest?
It's never happened to me, but I have to admit that this is the thing I worry about most. And since we will be 3000 miles from home when we pick up our 21 next fall, just trying to have a plan.
Hi: Jake930... We carry CAA/AAA RV Plus. Never used it!!! Having it is better than needing it. Alf
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Old 03-07-2016, 01:04 PM   #5
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Perhaps these two links will help.


RV.Net Open Roads Forum: Emergency Tow truck options with 5th wheel


https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/f...pging/1/page/1 (newer posts)
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Old 03-07-2016, 01:06 PM   #6
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Supposedly with our fifth wheel, GoodSam sends out 2 tow trucks.
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Old 03-07-2016, 02:13 PM   #7
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This was a big reason we never considered a motor home. If your engine goes in a motor home there goes your house. At least if you have a trailer you still have a home. And once or twice we were glad of that.
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Old 03-07-2016, 02:21 PM   #8
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We have the mid-level AAA, which is good to have one vehicle towed 100 mi. Our auto insurance (AARP Hartford) also has tow insurance up to 50 mi. Depending on the scenario, one tows the TV to repair and the other tows the trailer to a camp.

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Old 03-07-2016, 02:27 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by escape artist View Post
... We carry CAA/AAA RV Plus. Never used it!!! Having it is better than needing it.
Same here. Without RV Plus, CAA won't tow the trailer.

Quote:
Originally Posted by padlin View Post
Supposedly with our fifth wheel, GoodSam sends out 2 tow trucks.
I think that's a common practice, even with a conventional trailer. It is what I would expect from CAA.

Quote:
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Ok, so your cruising down the highway, life is good, brand new camper in tow, tunes on the radio, than boom! Tow vehicle goes south, needs a flat bed, what do you do with the camper?
Regardless of the company providing the service, there is equipment to address this. It is common for flat-deck tow trucks to be also equipped with a wheel lift, and the wheel lift can easily be equipped with a ball or fifth-wheel hitch. If the towing company uses two trucks, the one for the tug can be whatever is needed (wheel lift, flat deck, etc), and the one for the trailer can be any tow truck with a suitable hitch... it doesn't even need to be a tow truck.
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Old 03-07-2016, 02:28 PM   #10
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We have roadside assistance on our truck and trailer through our trailer insurance. Like everyone else just hope we never need it.
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Old 03-07-2016, 03:34 PM   #11
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The ones we have witnessed, which is about 3 now, come in on a standard tow truck with the TV front end lifted but the rear wheels on the ground and the trailer still hooked up to the dead TV. Don't know if that is proper or not, but when you're in small town/rural that may just be standard practice. They seem to tow fine that way and the tow truck driver backs the whole deal right into the campsite then unhooks the trailer from the tv and off they go. Don't need 2 tow trucks when Billy Joe is on the job!
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Old 03-07-2016, 08:26 PM   #12
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I got BCAA Premier RV Covers the tow and the trailer . Not cheap 152 bucks for 12 months.
@ $12.66 a month ....a bloody coffee cost $6.00
You never know .
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Old 03-07-2016, 08:45 PM   #13
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Tow truck drivers with a reasonable amount of experience have encountered a multitude of challenges and if they are any good at all, they'll know what to do. Can't live your life on what ifs, carry a credit card and some cash, it will all work out, that's my theory anyway.
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Old 03-07-2016, 09:05 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by Vermilye View Post
I hope I never have to use it, but I have AAA with a trailer option that is good for 100 miles of towing...
Didn't even think to ask for that....it would give us some peace of mind....going to AAA this week. Thanks
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Old 03-07-2016, 09:30 PM   #15
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[QUOTE=Iowa Dave;131300
Can't live your life on what ifs, carry a credit card and some cash, it will all work out, that's my theory anyway.
Dave[/QUOTE]

Pretty much the way I see it. I have BCAA coverage that will deal with the trailer but there's another issue beside that. I've been in plenty of areas far, far from any cell coverage so if a problem happened you'd still have to deal with it on your own.

You can try and mitigate problems but at the end of the day, things happen unpredictably and sometimes you just have to deal with it as best you can.

Ron
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Old 03-07-2016, 11:18 PM   #16
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Tow truck drivers with a reasonable amount of experience have encountered a multitude of challenges and if they are any good at all, they'll know what to do. Can't live your life on what ifs, carry a credit card and some cash, it will all work out, that's my theory anyway.
Dave
My outlook too, Dave. Like most things, I much prefer to not worry, then deal with it however I need to when the time comes. Things always work out in the end.
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Old 03-08-2016, 12:26 PM   #17
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I broke down in a remote area of southern Utah once. An older fellow happened by and we agreed I was seriously broke. He drove to a phone, described my rig and problem to a garage owner he knew. They sent a tow truck. We disconnected the driveshaft and towed the car and fold down about 60 miles. Once there (Loa Utah), they figured out the problem, let us stay in their back yard, took us about 80 miles to rent a car where we saw the sights for three days, fixed the car and we got home on Sunday night as planned. There are great Americans and Canadians in this world and it will all work out and you'll cherish the experience if you learn to go with the flow
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