Recovering Fifth Wheeler when the tug breaks down.

ian72 · Member

Recovering Fifth Wheeler when the tug breaks down.

dieseltojo · Senior Member

Ian, my experience is that any thing can be loaded up and transported.

It all depends on your insurance and dollars you must spend at the time. No one but a mate will tow any rig home. I know of three cases where a car and van or a van on its own were transported. Towing includes risks and complications, so maybe a safer bet to load up on a truck.

I asked my friend why he just didn't ring me to come up and help him out. But stuck in an out of the way place on a highway he had to make an instant decision. Wife could not handle the rig. It cost a far bit from Albury to Melbourne for his van and tow vehicle.

Tony LEE · Guru

A fiver isn't going anywhere fast unless it is still hooked to a tug, and the number of trucks that can load a vehicle that length off the ground must be close to zero.

Whenarewethere · Guru

Maybe this truck.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

This is not just a problem with 5ers for towed recoveries.
Chances of a recovery truck having anything but a 50mm ball is pretty remote so if you have something else you will need to supply it for a towed recovery.
Even if you have a 50mm ball, the rating is reduced for heavy vehicles depending on the GVM of the tow truck, so your 3.5T caravan may not be towable using its 50mm ball hitch behind a truck.
Cheers,
Peter

Ozzie_Traveller · Senior Member

G'day Ian

A decade ago this came up in another discussion - and my mate at the time being the NRMA agent in Narrandera NSW. The response was "we and just about all NRMA fellas will only attempt a recovery of a unit that accepts a 50mm towball. All the fancy 5th-wheeler hitches are outside our capabilities and in the event of a breakdown, the rig will just have to stay on the roadside until someone else able to tow it comes along

Hope this helps
Phil

Sarge9 · Senior Member

Surely a competent tow operator will just hook the whole rig up front wheels in the air, and hook it home just like a recovery of a semi trailer. And surely yor insurance agent who as agreed to take your money will have the appropriate tow operators on a retainer. Insurance company's are like banks and churches, not to be trusted, but surely this is not a real problem.... surely.

Sarge.

bgt · Guru

Keep in mind that anything other than a tow, ie on a trailer, will have height issues.

dogbox · Guru

Sarge9 wrote:

Surely a competent tow operator will just hook the whole rig up front wheels in the air, and hook it home just like a recovery of a semi trailer. And surely yor insurance agent who as agreed to take your money will have the appropriate tow operators on a retainer. Insurance company's are like banks and churches, not to be trusted, but surely this is not a real problem.... surely.

Sarge.

a lot would depend on the nature of the breakdown

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

You have to consider what the tow is worth V fixing, replacing vehicle ? Could be an excuse to stay a few weeks where you are ? Imo too many are towed with light vehicles . Not only weight ? Trans, motor, chassis also ! Get an HR licence tow with Hino etc . Fuel wise ? Possibly better ??