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Towing a m818
- Thread starter cwedge411
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ClintA
Member
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- Mule Creek, NM
I hauled them home using a Chevy Kodiak cab and chassis and trailer, took everything including the kitchen sink for the "just in case". Way cheaper than hire it out.
sandcobra164
Well-known member
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As stated, purchase a towbar and search around for local friends with similar sized trucks. I had my M923 towed by a friend with an M923A2 when my injection pump went out and I lost oil pressure. I'm sure the money I spent on the towbar and safety chains was money saved in comparison to what a local towing company would have charged. I was only about 10 miles from home at most but the big towing companies that have equipment that can handle stuff in this weight class usually have a steep "dispatch" fee. It's not the mileage, it's just the money they charge to send their big truck out of the yard. One example I can provide first hand. I needed two trailers loaded on a flatbed. Total time a truck with a 25,000 pound boom out of the yard costed just shy of $400 an hour for the first hour. One hour minimum. I might add that was the cheapest quote I received by about $200.
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topo
Well-known member
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One year I drove my m52a2 with a m269 (wrecker low boy ) with m211 loaded on it and lost a piston .I hired a tow truck to haul it all home 25 miles $ 365 .I could have limped it to some where and parked it and use the m211 to tow the m52a2 home and then went back and picked up the trailer . At the time I did not sure what happened to the engine or if and when it could lock up . I didn't want things to get really bad like a accident I set up triangles and called for help he was there about the time I had the drive line unbolted and tied up .
I know I get rapped getting my f350 dually towed, so I'm looking into the feasibility of keeping this thing. There's not a lot of 5 tons around here, I love it, but I would hate to see what a tow bill for say 100 miles might be.
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BenRoberts
Certified insane
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If you get a tow bar from 98g as I did you will need 12 men and a boy to get it out of the truck but you can count on one thing, the truck will snap before the bar will. I have mad friends with some guys in SS close to me just in case I get stranded. I also offer to recover them in return.
gimpyrobb
dumpsterlandingfromorbit!
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You know there is a thread discussing having your truck towed right now? Might want to look it up. Im on my phone or id post a link.
gimpyrobb
dumpsterlandingfromorbit!
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snowtrac nome
Well-known member
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As stated get the tow bar, and have a buddy with an end dump flat tow it for you. However if you blow a tire, have a bearing failure or something that keeps the wheels from turning you are going to have to bite the bullet and get it lift towed. The other possibility is convince the lady that this would be a good reason for you to also have a HEMMTT wrecker.
sandcobra164
Well-known member
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I will add that if you flat tow an M809 series truck with a prime mover of any type, air up the tanks and ensure you rock the shifter into a forward gear and back to neutral at least once. If you can't do that, take a few moments and remove the front hub caps. The sprag in the the transfer case will be much happier.
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My personal experience with towing an M818 with a Deuce is documented in Post #76 of this thread...
https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showt...-!-582-00-Won-Us-an-XM818-Tractor-!-!-!/page8
Feel free to read the whole thread. It's chock-full of little factoids you may find helpful.
As I state in that recovery essay - - - I will NEVER again long-haul a 5-Ton with a Deuce!!! ONLY use a tow vehicle of equal or greater power and weight. PERIOD ! ! !
Also, please feel free to ask any questions you may conjure up.
Carry on.
https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showt...-!-582-00-Won-Us-an-XM818-Tractor-!-!-!/page8
Feel free to read the whole thread. It's chock-full of little factoids you may find helpful.
As I state in that recovery essay - - - I will NEVER again long-haul a 5-Ton with a Deuce!!! ONLY use a tow vehicle of equal or greater power and weight. PERIOD ! ! !
Also, please feel free to ask any questions you may conjure up.
Carry on.
Scrounger
Active member
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- Southern, Maryland
The first “big” breakdown was with one of the M818s. I was pulling a M373 out of Richmond and the bolts holding the fan hub bracket failed. Do to time constraints I had a commercial big truck towing service do the job. It was just shy of 100 miles and the bill came to $583.
The next one was when the clutch went out on the M54A2. It started to slip when I was on the way to a show one weekend, I was able to limp in. It was fortunate that I had just gotten the first M816. A friend took me home that night and I drove the M816 to the show the next day. I brought everything short of the kitchen sink and flat towed it back that afternoon. And to make it just a little more interesting I had a M105 behind the M54A2. And for even more fun a couple of typical drivers of this area decided to play bumper cars. The main road was closed and they detoured everyone through a residential neighborhood.
The next one was when the clutch went out on the M54A2. It started to slip when I was on the way to a show one weekend, I was able to limp in. It was fortunate that I had just gotten the first M816. A friend took me home that night and I drove the M816 to the show the next day. I brought everything short of the kitchen sink and flat towed it back that afternoon. And to make it just a little more interesting I had a M105 behind the M54A2. And for even more fun a couple of typical drivers of this area decided to play bumper cars. The main road was closed and they detoured everyone through a residential neighborhood.
Well I mean getting a 2nd one in case 1 dies is definitely not a bad idea lmaoJust carry the old girl home.
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MV's tend to herd up.