Towing a motor home

[bergmarkdale]

Sent: 3/19/2008


Does anyone have experience towing a Winnie up to 22' in length, whether by tow-bar, dolly, or flatbed?  I was looking at a 22' 1969 D22 that cannot be driven and was told by the seller that a flatbed trailer with a Winnie on top would exceed height regulations.  But a tow bar or dolly wouldn't seem quite safe to me...

[denisondc]

Sent: 3/19/2008


No experience here, cause the state in which I had to move a '72 D22 (Va. in 2006) required the brakes to be working in the 'towed' vehicle, if it was towed with all of its wheels on the ground. The brakes didn't work. So a tow truck did the move; $375 for 2 hours. About 30 years earlier in Va. I could have used a tow bar (with someone steering the towed vehicle) if I had a vehicle of at least equal weight to do the towing. But I no longer owned my '54 Reo army truck anyway.
Would your D22 still be over-height if you took the roof a.c. unit off? I think Winnies are about 9' 6" high, from ground to the bare roof.

[MSN Member]

From:AlbuqHenry   
Sent: 3/19/2008 7:08 AM


Someone on here brought there new Winnie home towing it with a a 1 ton duelly pickup... I saw the homecoming pics when I was looking through the albums....

[rustyescott1]

Sent: 3/19/2008


yes I've got experience with towing a motor home. have done it 2 times both further than 50 miles. i used a bumper clamp tow bar. 1st time using a 3/4 ton pickup. 2nd time 1ton dually pickup. need to remember pulling 9000 lbs plus, so triple the stopping distance. don't get in a hurry !!!!!!!!!! take your time put sign in back window telling that your towing ,use your flashers en route. Start early in the day so u have plenty of time. use safety chains! rusty

Rusty Escott

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[The_Handier_Man1]

Sent: 3/19/2008


If you want something towed, check the price of AAA RV Plus for a year.  They will tow up to 100 miles included (others have said they made a deal for longer tows).  I think over the years when I would try anything once or twice, this is the way to go.  They towed #230 home for me with no plates on it and no questions ask.  They pulled my son back on the road when we were out in the hills and I was along, dad to the rescue, and you know I like that.  You even get a discount at NAPA in case you need parts, lol.  And thats my 2 cents,  Les

[MSN Member]

From:MainerinFlorida   
Sent: 3/19/2008


I moved my 66 with a medium duty wrecker with a wheel lift. It was free as I work for the company that owns the wrecker. I would use a 350 or 450 pickup with a good tow bar. Not hard to fab one that bolts to frame. Also I would tie the brake light and directional into the towed winnie.Sign is a good idea tooo. U Haul trucks are heavy enough to use as a towing vehicle . Hope this helps.
Paul McEachern


Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home.

[Cooneytoones]

Sent: 3/19/2008


Almost all 48 states require brakes on anything over 3,000 lbs being towed. ....I could be towed using a break-buddy or something similar. You would want to have lights (turn, stop, and tail) either the ones on the towed vehicle via umbilical cord or magnetized stick ons that work off the towing vehicles electric.
It can be put on a lowboy trailer and hauled. On a lowboy, it would not exceed heights for any interstate and most state or US Highway clearances,
but it might exceed some local roads. Height on a lowboy would be 12 to 13 foot.

There are several companies that will haul it. With the price of diesel it won't be too cheap.
If your going under 100 miles check with AAA (RV towing) or Good Sam's Emergency Road Services.
You will have to tell them your broke down, and they will insist you haul it to the closest place it can be fixed, but you can deal with them and say that it can't be fixed at this time and wouldbe easier to get it to you home or place that can fix it. depending on you length of haul, you may have to pay a little more. The yearly fee for Good Sam's is between 89 bucks and 129 for their best plan. AAA is about the same, but with AAA, you are limited to 2 tows a year. They can count the one tow as two if mileage exceeds their limit so they could drag you 200 miles.

Both plans have their ups and downs. AAA has more contractors nationwide. Good Sam's has more larger contractors with bigger rigs that tow big coaches. But it seems in the last few years a lot of contractors are not dealing with Good Sam's due to the fact that GS will not pay the rate some towing companies want.

Hope this helps...Good Luck. Remember, it's better to spend a little more and do it right, do it safe. Don't look for the cheapest way to go....that will usually wind up being more expensive... the State Police DOT Enforcement in all states have heavy heavy fines for doing it wrong. Not to mention the liability aspect of towing heavy loads.

Good Luck...Let us know how you make out.

Timmy

[Cooneytoones]

Sent: 3/19/2008

I wanted to add that.....I was using the ED BRADY keyboard when I typed that SO excuzze...the typO's......

TMIMY

[denisondc]

Sent: 3/19/2008


One of the nice things about a wrecker doing the towing is that brakes don't have to work on the vehicle if a wrecker has its front wheels off the ground.

[Slantsixness]

Towbar pulling is legal iin a lot of states, BUT... the towed vehicle must not exceed the weight of the Towing vehicle, and the towed vehicle MAY NOT BE OCCUPIED in any way.

So... even if you have brakes, you're not supposed to be "IN" the towed vehicle.

With all this legal mumbo jumbo out of the way... Its commonplace to tow a vehicle with a rope, chain or whatever you've got handy and have a driver in the towed vehicle to have the brakes.... just keep in mind... Your local autorities will probably pull you over and give you a ticket.

I wouldn't tow any motorhome with a small pickup (minimum 1 ton truck), especially over any distance greater than 5  "Rural" miles.

What I have done:
I towed a D20 15 miles with a 1/2 ton truck with a six cylinder engine... no problems, but I never got above 40mph... but remember.... I'm crazy!
Kevin and I drove His old Ark 50 miles up US 1 at highway speeds with no brakes, just before a snowstorm! See? We're both nuts!

whatever you do... BE CAREFUL. Mind the State laws, if you can. If you can't... don't tow it home late at night when you think nobody will see.... drag it home on a weekday, when nobody expects it.

TotallynutsTom Smiley

[DanielTBolger]

Did you all know it  a ticket with a chain or a rop
But you can push it tell hell and back and its not a ticket

[ibdilbert01]

Sent: 3/19/2008


I had to have my winnie towed 72 miles las year. Used AAA RV plus, they just asked where I wanted it towed, I told them home and there were no more questions asked. I don't think AAA cares where you tow it to be honest. And you have 4 service calls per year, per card. They used a medium sized wrecker. The only issue we had was he had to lift the front of the winnie to tow it, and the hitch was very close to the ground in the back, but it didn't bottom out to my knowledge.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 3/19/2008


If you don't have AAA or Good Sam's (or Progressive Full timers RV insurance...roadside assistance and towing is included in the insurance, a very similar policy to AAA!), then the cheapest way to go would be to rent a large U-Haul truck or Ryder truck, borrow or rent a tow bar, and have someone sit in the RV driver seat while you tow it home (assuming the brakes work!!!...If the brakes don't work at least marginally well, don't risk someones life!)...then you have a human "brake buddy"...lol.

And yes, by all means, use safety chains!

If you know someone with a heavy duty pickup or dually, then that could be even cheaper.

If the brakes don't work in the rig, then you'll have to get a professional tow.

If they work?  Get a buddy to be the brakes (it might not be totally legal, but I skirt the grey areas all the time if I absolutely have to), and bring it on home!

Kev

[bergmarkdale]

Sent: 3/22/2008


Thanks to all for your advice on towing!  The motor home in Tucson that I was thinking about towing was sold (he was asking $200 for a 1969 D22) but that's OK, I will still have need of towing since I want to buy two or three old small Winnies for my collection...The distance from Tucson to Phoenix would have been 120 miles or so, probably too far for a tow bar with a human brake buddy.  There is one in Yuma that I might pick up (200 miles or so); a couple in the Phoenix metropolitan area  (20-60 miles or so), and even a real cute 1968 D-18 in Cheyenne Wyoming (1000 miles!).
     I think Cooneytunes probably has the best advice--do it the safe way!  Which would appear, on trips over 100 miles, to be a flatbed trailer, with lights, registration, and brakes...   AAA sounds pretty good, but I doubt they'll agree to anything over 200 miles...besides, since owning a Ford, I've never had a need for towing.... Shocked\
     Just as an idea, I think I'll run an advertisement on Craig's List, asking if anyone has a flatbed with a 10,000 gvw capacity, and see if I can rent it...who knows?

[DanielTBolger]

U can flat land it  (towbar)  take drive line out and leave the Key in the unlock
Also if the truck u use to pull it with if you don't feel safe going down hills
just put some one in it help with the braking it down hills
Just make sure the truck heaver or same as the RV

[DanielTBolger]

Also they make a brake buddy it set against seat and the brake peddle  for air