Dutch Star Don
RVF Regular
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2019
- Messages
- 54
- Location
- Moorpark, Ca
- RV Year
- 2019
- RV Make
- Newmar
- RV Model
- Dutch Star 4018
- RV Length
- 40'
- TOW/TOAD
- 2019 Ford Raptor
This happened back in September, but I had never posted the info here.
This will be a long story regarding the towing of my 2019 40' Newmar Dutch Star on a Freightliner Chassis with Independent Front Suspension (IFS). The suspension and our location will play a critical part in this story. I will also note that I've been a member of Coach-Net since 2005 and have never needed their services.
In September we were travelling the Oregon Coast and were about three miles from our next destination, Winchester Bay RV Park. As we neared the turn, my small laptop running the Silverleaf engine program lit up like a Christmas tree and told me the coach was overheating. It wasn't hot enough yet for the Freightliner dash information to come on, but it was obvious the coach was getting hot. We drove to a turnout about a hundred yards from the campground.....we almost made it.
I've always done my own repairs and as I shut down the coach, I was praying I had only broken a belt, as i carry spares. I went back to the engine bay, a side radiator, and I could look in and see the belts were all good. After some more investigation, I determined the fan clutch had gone bad and I could hold the fan blade while the engine was running.
My worse fears set in. This was not something I could repair on the road as the radiator has to come out. I knew I would need to be towed to a Freightliner shop. It was 2:00 pm on a Friday afternoon and we were a 100 miles from the Freightliner shop.
So, I made the call to Coach-Net. They answered right away and wanted to know if I was in a safe spot. We got through the information exchange and then discussed towing, as I knew it was not a mobile mechanic type of repair. I told them it would be silly to try on tow me off of the Oregon Coast on a Friday evening and the coach would just sit in the shop until Monday. I told them to try and locate a tow for Monday, hopefully, Monday morning, they agreed. Once the coach had cooled, we drove it into the campground where we had a spot until Tuesday.
They called me several times that evening and I told them we were fine and they didn't need to keep checking in. They said they did find a tow service that could tow us at noon on Monday. It was determined I was too tall to be towed on a Landoll flat bed and the only type that would work are flat beds for busses which were not available in the area or on Interstate 5 where we would be eventually towed to Freightliner Northwest.
For those with straight axle front ends, they can use a front end lift that has a bar with two "V" shaped holders that come up under the axle at both ends and lifts the coach. Unfortunately, my IFS Freightliner required a front wheel lift tow where they slide the two bars under each front tire and actually lift the tires in the air. This is what you typically see them use to tow most cars.
We were ready to go on Monday and just before noon, we got a call from Coach-Net and were told Puddle Jumper towing was unable to tow us. The name scared me. They said they were looking for another tow service. I called Puddle Jumper and asked them why they couldn't tow me. I spoke to the manager and he said an employee had quoted Coach-Net on Friday and quoted the tow waaaay too low. When he, the manager, spoke again to Coach-Net, they wouldn't pay his price.
I had contacted Freightliner Northwest and they said they could look at the coach as soon as I got it there. They're open until 11:00pm every weeknight. So, I set out to find my own tow. There was a heavy duty tow company about three miles away. I called them and they said they don't work with Coach-Net. I was starting to see a pattern.
Coach-Net called me later that day and said they had found another tow company named Crockett, that could tow me on Tuesday at noon. I was getting a little nervous that we were going to be in the same boat the next day and Crockett wouldn't show. I know/realize that these RV towing services like Coach-Net and Good Sam don't have their own fleet of tow trucks and have to negotiate with local towing services to tow their customers. I also know that a tow company will take Coach-Net or Good Sam tow as a filler, but if a higher paying job comes along, you get put on the back burner.
I decided to find my own tow, I know I may have been premature and didn't give Coach-Net a second chance with Crockett towing on Tuesday, but I wanted the coach towed out of there. I found Alpha towing who had a wheel lift system designed for towing my IFS coach. They told me they charged $500.00 an hour and estimated the tow to be around $3000.00. They said they would have a truck there by 3:00 pm that day, Monday. I agreed and called Coach-Net and told them I had found my own tow. They were okay with that and said to submit the bill when done.
Now for the tow.....Alpha Tow Company arrived with a four axle semi tow truck. The driver said the particular truck he brought was designed specifically for towing IFS front end motorhomes. It used a large boom that extended under the front end of the coach and would lift the front end by sliding two bars under each front wheel and lift the coach by the wheels.
This is where we ran into an issue. The newer Freightliners with IFS have a large "V" shape frame in the center of the front end (see photos below). That
V" shaped frame, at the bottom, holds the front "A" arms. The driver slid the boom underneath to lift the tires, once the coach was in the air, the frame of the coach was hitting the boom arm. Since the coach will bounce as you go down the road, as the air suspension is active when you lift by the tires, it meant the coach frame was going to keep striking the boom. After multiple calls to the toe company owner and other drivers, they had no real solution.
The way to make the boom system work is to move the two arms that go under the tires closer together. By doing that, it allowed for about 2" between the frame of the coach and the boom arm. The issue with doing this, is the two arms create a cradle for the tire(s). However, the closer the arms are placed to each other, less of the tire is in the "cradle". Even though the tires are strapped to the cradle/arms, in a sudden stop, the coach could literally roll out of the "cradle".
We eventually found that we would have to go with the arms close together. He strapped the tires as tight as he could and then I added air to them to increase the tension.
The fun didn't stop there. Now that the lifting of the tires was resolved, we needed to disconnect and remove the driveshaft. While he did that, I ran an airline along the side of the coach all the way back to the air dryer so he could hook into my brakes. Then a second airline under the front hood to keep the bags aired up. Finally, a wireless light system was hooked to the engine cover.
The above took three hours, just to get the coach safely loaded and ready for towing. I was very appreciative that the tow truck driver hung in there with ail the issues, as I think some would have given up and left us there.
We had to follow the coach in our truck the 100 miles to Freightliner Northwest in Eugene Oregon. To see our baby bouncing up and down over every bump and knowing the cradling of the tires was not optimum, it was scary to watch.
We made it to Freightliner at about 7:00pm. I didn't know it, but when the tow truck driver, dropped the coach, he doesn't reinstall the driveshaft. He said that Freightliner does it and installs a new bolt kit and torques it to specs.
The finalized bill came to $3850.89. A little shocked, but not unexpected. I tipped the driver $150.00 cash.
The coach was diagnosed Tuesday morning with a bad fan clutch. We were able to drive it across the highway to a nice campground for the next two nights. The parts came in on Wednesday and Freightliner Northwest had them installed and we were back on the road by 3:00 pm on Thursday afternoon. That was our second repair at that shop. When the coach was new they replaced a coolant sensor. Both visits, they got the parts when they said they would and got us back on the road quickly.......great shop. Total repair cost $3550.00.
Now to the Coach-Net side of the story since you've heard the back story. I filled out the claim form from Coach-Net, which is all done online. I submitted the paperwork and tow receipt on September 9th. I never received a receipt or email that they got the claim. I later called to make sure they got the paperwork....they had.
Coach-Net says on their form that they take up to 30 days to process a claim. I will say that I was concerned that they would not pay the entire claim. I felt their argument might be that I didn't allow Crockett the opportunity to tow the coach on Tuesday. I later called Crockett and asked if Coach-Net had called them and they said yes, but didn't recall what amount they quoted Coach-Net. I described my coach and asked if they were capable of towing it. They said no, not with the IFS suspension. I felt better about my decision to get my own tow, even though it could lead to me paying part of the bill. By getting the coach in their Monday night, we had the opportunity to get it diagnosed, parts ordered and back on the road the same week. We eventually made it home on the date we had intended to return from the trip.
We are currently on another 10 day trip and it's been over 30 days, actually 35 days since I submitted the claim. I called yesterday to see the status. I gave them my information and was told that the claim was settled and they were covering the entire amount of $3850.89. They said their checks are mailed out on Tuesdays and mine would go out today (which was yesterday).
I was presently surprised and glad to see that Coach-Net came through.
So right or wrong, I made the decision to get my own tow. Coach-Net could have said that they got a bid for a lesser amount and only paid that amount. I also thought about how it may not be fair that I pay the same amount of money for my coverage while a travel trailer owner pays the same for what would be a much easier/cheaper tow. Then thinking about it a little more, there are times when someone like me may elect to have a mobile mechanic come out at a much cheaper cost and get me on the road versus what a tow could cost a trailer owner. So, charging the same price is really the only way to do it.
Sorry for the long post, but I thought it important to share my experience. I often tell others on here that if you have a difficult time getting a tow in an isolated area, to call the local Highway Patrol and ask who they use. In my case, I used my own advice and searched out my own tow company.
I'm not recommending that people go about getting towed the way I did, but sometimes if you're having a difficult time getting help, pay for the tow and then seek reimbursement. I felt I had good reason to get my own tow and wrote my reasons why I did when I submitted the claim.
Lastly, cudos to Coach-Net for coming through during our breakdown by eventually covering the tow.
This will be a long story regarding the towing of my 2019 40' Newmar Dutch Star on a Freightliner Chassis with Independent Front Suspension (IFS). The suspension and our location will play a critical part in this story. I will also note that I've been a member of Coach-Net since 2005 and have never needed their services.
In September we were travelling the Oregon Coast and were about three miles from our next destination, Winchester Bay RV Park. As we neared the turn, my small laptop running the Silverleaf engine program lit up like a Christmas tree and told me the coach was overheating. It wasn't hot enough yet for the Freightliner dash information to come on, but it was obvious the coach was getting hot. We drove to a turnout about a hundred yards from the campground.....we almost made it.
I've always done my own repairs and as I shut down the coach, I was praying I had only broken a belt, as i carry spares. I went back to the engine bay, a side radiator, and I could look in and see the belts were all good. After some more investigation, I determined the fan clutch had gone bad and I could hold the fan blade while the engine was running.
My worse fears set in. This was not something I could repair on the road as the radiator has to come out. I knew I would need to be towed to a Freightliner shop. It was 2:00 pm on a Friday afternoon and we were a 100 miles from the Freightliner shop.
So, I made the call to Coach-Net. They answered right away and wanted to know if I was in a safe spot. We got through the information exchange and then discussed towing, as I knew it was not a mobile mechanic type of repair. I told them it would be silly to try on tow me off of the Oregon Coast on a Friday evening and the coach would just sit in the shop until Monday. I told them to try and locate a tow for Monday, hopefully, Monday morning, they agreed. Once the coach had cooled, we drove it into the campground where we had a spot until Tuesday.
They called me several times that evening and I told them we were fine and they didn't need to keep checking in. They said they did find a tow service that could tow us at noon on Monday. It was determined I was too tall to be towed on a Landoll flat bed and the only type that would work are flat beds for busses which were not available in the area or on Interstate 5 where we would be eventually towed to Freightliner Northwest.
For those with straight axle front ends, they can use a front end lift that has a bar with two "V" shaped holders that come up under the axle at both ends and lifts the coach. Unfortunately, my IFS Freightliner required a front wheel lift tow where they slide the two bars under each front tire and actually lift the tires in the air. This is what you typically see them use to tow most cars.
We were ready to go on Monday and just before noon, we got a call from Coach-Net and were told Puddle Jumper towing was unable to tow us. The name scared me. They said they were looking for another tow service. I called Puddle Jumper and asked them why they couldn't tow me. I spoke to the manager and he said an employee had quoted Coach-Net on Friday and quoted the tow waaaay too low. When he, the manager, spoke again to Coach-Net, they wouldn't pay his price.
I had contacted Freightliner Northwest and they said they could look at the coach as soon as I got it there. They're open until 11:00pm every weeknight. So, I set out to find my own tow. There was a heavy duty tow company about three miles away. I called them and they said they don't work with Coach-Net. I was starting to see a pattern.
Coach-Net called me later that day and said they had found another tow company named Crockett, that could tow me on Tuesday at noon. I was getting a little nervous that we were going to be in the same boat the next day and Crockett wouldn't show. I know/realize that these RV towing services like Coach-Net and Good Sam don't have their own fleet of tow trucks and have to negotiate with local towing services to tow their customers. I also know that a tow company will take Coach-Net or Good Sam tow as a filler, but if a higher paying job comes along, you get put on the back burner.
I decided to find my own tow, I know I may have been premature and didn't give Coach-Net a second chance with Crockett towing on Tuesday, but I wanted the coach towed out of there. I found Alpha towing who had a wheel lift system designed for towing my IFS coach. They told me they charged $500.00 an hour and estimated the tow to be around $3000.00. They said they would have a truck there by 3:00 pm that day, Monday. I agreed and called Coach-Net and told them I had found my own tow. They were okay with that and said to submit the bill when done.
Now for the tow.....Alpha Tow Company arrived with a four axle semi tow truck. The driver said the particular truck he brought was designed specifically for towing IFS front end motorhomes. It used a large boom that extended under the front end of the coach and would lift the front end by sliding two bars under each front wheel and lift the coach by the wheels.
This is where we ran into an issue. The newer Freightliners with IFS have a large "V" shape frame in the center of the front end (see photos below). That
V" shaped frame, at the bottom, holds the front "A" arms. The driver slid the boom underneath to lift the tires, once the coach was in the air, the frame of the coach was hitting the boom arm. Since the coach will bounce as you go down the road, as the air suspension is active when you lift by the tires, it meant the coach frame was going to keep striking the boom. After multiple calls to the toe company owner and other drivers, they had no real solution.
The way to make the boom system work is to move the two arms that go under the tires closer together. By doing that, it allowed for about 2" between the frame of the coach and the boom arm. The issue with doing this, is the two arms create a cradle for the tire(s). However, the closer the arms are placed to each other, less of the tire is in the "cradle". Even though the tires are strapped to the cradle/arms, in a sudden stop, the coach could literally roll out of the "cradle".
We eventually found that we would have to go with the arms close together. He strapped the tires as tight as he could and then I added air to them to increase the tension.
The fun didn't stop there. Now that the lifting of the tires was resolved, we needed to disconnect and remove the driveshaft. While he did that, I ran an airline along the side of the coach all the way back to the air dryer so he could hook into my brakes. Then a second airline under the front hood to keep the bags aired up. Finally, a wireless light system was hooked to the engine cover.
The above took three hours, just to get the coach safely loaded and ready for towing. I was very appreciative that the tow truck driver hung in there with ail the issues, as I think some would have given up and left us there.
We had to follow the coach in our truck the 100 miles to Freightliner Northwest in Eugene Oregon. To see our baby bouncing up and down over every bump and knowing the cradling of the tires was not optimum, it was scary to watch.
We made it to Freightliner at about 7:00pm. I didn't know it, but when the tow truck driver, dropped the coach, he doesn't reinstall the driveshaft. He said that Freightliner does it and installs a new bolt kit and torques it to specs.
The finalized bill came to $3850.89. A little shocked, but not unexpected. I tipped the driver $150.00 cash.
The coach was diagnosed Tuesday morning with a bad fan clutch. We were able to drive it across the highway to a nice campground for the next two nights. The parts came in on Wednesday and Freightliner Northwest had them installed and we were back on the road by 3:00 pm on Thursday afternoon. That was our second repair at that shop. When the coach was new they replaced a coolant sensor. Both visits, they got the parts when they said they would and got us back on the road quickly.......great shop. Total repair cost $3550.00.
Now to the Coach-Net side of the story since you've heard the back story. I filled out the claim form from Coach-Net, which is all done online. I submitted the paperwork and tow receipt on September 9th. I never received a receipt or email that they got the claim. I later called to make sure they got the paperwork....they had.
Coach-Net says on their form that they take up to 30 days to process a claim. I will say that I was concerned that they would not pay the entire claim. I felt their argument might be that I didn't allow Crockett the opportunity to tow the coach on Tuesday. I later called Crockett and asked if Coach-Net had called them and they said yes, but didn't recall what amount they quoted Coach-Net. I described my coach and asked if they were capable of towing it. They said no, not with the IFS suspension. I felt better about my decision to get my own tow, even though it could lead to me paying part of the bill. By getting the coach in their Monday night, we had the opportunity to get it diagnosed, parts ordered and back on the road the same week. We eventually made it home on the date we had intended to return from the trip.
We are currently on another 10 day trip and it's been over 30 days, actually 35 days since I submitted the claim. I called yesterday to see the status. I gave them my information and was told that the claim was settled and they were covering the entire amount of $3850.89. They said their checks are mailed out on Tuesdays and mine would go out today (which was yesterday).
I was presently surprised and glad to see that Coach-Net came through.
So right or wrong, I made the decision to get my own tow. Coach-Net could have said that they got a bid for a lesser amount and only paid that amount. I also thought about how it may not be fair that I pay the same amount of money for my coverage while a travel trailer owner pays the same for what would be a much easier/cheaper tow. Then thinking about it a little more, there are times when someone like me may elect to have a mobile mechanic come out at a much cheaper cost and get me on the road versus what a tow could cost a trailer owner. So, charging the same price is really the only way to do it.
Sorry for the long post, but I thought it important to share my experience. I often tell others on here that if you have a difficult time getting a tow in an isolated area, to call the local Highway Patrol and ask who they use. In my case, I used my own advice and searched out my own tow company.
I'm not recommending that people go about getting towed the way I did, but sometimes if you're having a difficult time getting help, pay for the tow and then seek reimbursement. I felt I had good reason to get my own tow and wrote my reasons why I did when I submitted the claim.
Lastly, cudos to Coach-Net for coming through during our breakdown by eventually covering the tow.
