Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 06-28-2015, 01:50 PM   #21
Site Team
 
daveb's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Turlock Ca
Posts: 10,407
Garage
Re: Best Roadside Assist

Quote:
Originally Posted by redrock
Quote:
within the last 3 years I've been towed with no issues in Sonora, Bakersfield and Nevada
This may be a ridiculous question, but: towed 3+ times in 3 years? That seems like a very lot. May I ask why you've needed so many?
Heater hose popped off on Sonora Pass

Vacuum booster failed outside Vegas.

Screwdriver on I-5 flipped up into the radiator outside Bakersfield.


None of the last tows had anything to do with the 6.0 engine except when they rebuilt the engine and made a mistake during the rebuild... I didn't have to pay for that tow

Now I have had to be towed for an engine issue in the past. I had an injector go out, a EGR issue and a ICP(?) sensor fail.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BroncoHauler


At the same time, I will say Dave takes his SMB places that probably 80-90% of SMB owners never take theirs.


Herb
Only once did I have an issue off road; a SMB wire harness got wrapped up in the fan, but I was able to limp out to the road. Needless to say I am a little gun shy while off road I'm hoping the rebuild ends a lot of the potential issues the 6.0 has been known to have that I've never encountered.

__________________
2006 Ford 6.0PSD EB-50/E-PH SMB 4X4 Rock Crawler Trailer

Sportsmobile 4X4 Adventures..........On and off road adventures
daveb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-28-2015, 02:08 PM   #22
Senior Member
 
86Scotty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: TN
Posts: 10,220
Best Roadside Assist

Thanks for the laugh Rob!
Since I now have experience with my AAA Plus membership (first call ever yesterday) I'll weigh in.
Excellent service.
The biggest pain was the long phone call with spotty service. Eventually, I got the city-dweller CS girl to understand that if they just sent a truck out in the desert from Page on 160? he would find me. Hell, just give him my number and let him call me! Cut out the middle man.
Anyway, choosing my words carefully I said "don't send out a small truck. I drive a van. A Ford E350 van. It's kind of big and long, and heavier than a sedan. Send a bigger than average rollback if you can". They did just that. They sent an F650 (Cummins, the driver made a point to tell me ) with about a 25' bed. He had no problem with the SMB. He didn't ask questions and drove me in running 70. Plus, he towed me in to a KOA nearby after telling AAA he was taking me to the repair shop as agreed. He said call him direct Monday and he would tow me onto the shop if needed. I was blown away by this good old-fashioned practicality.
86Scotty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-28-2015, 02:36 PM   #23
Site Team
 
BroncoHauler's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Southern New Mexico
Posts: 10,176
Re: Best Roadside Assist

A little bit of a silver lining on your cloudy day. Nice to hear of the great service.

Here was my tow truck experience some years back. About as manly as you can feel after getting stuck on the side of the road, and then needing to get towed.




Herb
__________________
SMB-less as of 02/04/2012. Our savings account is richer, but our adventures are poorer.
BroncoHauler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-28-2015, 02:57 PM   #24
Senior Member
 
twogone's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Taylor, Mississippi
Posts: 1,648
Re: Best Roadside Assist

Quote:
Originally Posted by 86Scotty
I was blown away by this good old-fashioned practicality.
yup, kinda sad to see "practicality" described as "old-fashioned"
__________________
'95 SMB E350 Quigley 7.3
https://www.taylorarts.com
... If you have to ask, you'll never understand...
"... torpedo'd, because we don't generally cotton to bullshit around here." -jage
"... do they ooch apart in the night?" -Dia
twogone is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2015, 09:35 AM   #25
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 107
Re: Best Roadside Assist

Quote:
Originally Posted by daveb
Heater hose popped off on Sonora Pass

Vacuum booster failed outside Vegas.

Screwdriver on I-5 flipped up into the radiator outside Bakersfield.

Was the heater hose issue due to a loose clamp? I.e. would it be preventable in the future by occasionally tightening hose clamps?

Why does a failed vaccum booster require a tow? Massive vacuum leak so the engine wouldn't run?

Screwdriver = pure bad luck.

In any case, I hope this string of misfortune is behind you.
__________________


2005 Ford E350 6.8L V-10 RB-50

redrock is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2015, 09:46 AM   #26
Senior Member
 
rallypanam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: San Francisco/Nevada City
Posts: 3,769
Re: Best Roadside Assist

Quote:
Originally Posted by daveb
I'm hoping the rebuild ends a lot of the potential issues the 6.0 has been known to have that I've never encountered.
We hope so too! You've had enough trouble, you don't need any more!
rallypanam is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2015, 11:43 AM   #27
Site Team
 
daveb's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Turlock Ca
Posts: 10,407
Garage
Re: Best Roadside Assist

Quote:
Originally Posted by redrock
Quote:
Originally Posted by daveb
Heater hose popped off on Sonora Pass

Vacuum booster failed outside Vegas.

Screwdriver on I-5 flipped up into the radiator outside Bakersfield.

Was the heater hose issue due to a loose clamp? I.e. would it be preventable in the future by occasionally tightening hose clamps?

Why does a failed vaccum booster require a tow? Massive vacuum leak so the engine wouldn't run?

Screwdriver = pure bad luck.

In any case, I hope this string of misfortune is behind you.
Ha, like that's happening Robb I just learn to live with it.

The heater hose was the local Ford dealerships fault, but try to make them pay or fess up

Driving down a steep grade to the shop with hardly any brakes was NOT something I wanted to do. It mainly had to do with where I was broke down. It was the fastest I've ever drove through a filling station for sure. They must of thought I didn't like the price of their fuel.

Where the hell that screwdriver came from was beyond me but me thinks it was the idiot who didn't tighten up the hose clamp...go figure
__________________
2006 Ford 6.0PSD EB-50/E-PH SMB 4X4 Rock Crawler Trailer

Sportsmobile 4X4 Adventures..........On and off road adventures
daveb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-30-2015, 08:46 PM   #28
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 107
Re: Best Roadside Assist

Quote:
The heater hose was the local Ford dealerships fault, but try to make them pay or fess up

Driving down a steep grade to the shop with hardly any brakes was NOT something I wanted to do. It mainly had to do with where I was broke down. It was the fastest I've ever drove through a filling station for sure. They must of thought I didn't like the price of their fuel.

Where the hell that screwdriver came from was beyond me but me thinks it was the idiot who didn't tighten up the hose clamp...go figure
Thanks for the perspective.

Any more detail on the filling station story? I'm imagining you using a fillings station as a runaway truck ramp.
__________________


2005 Ford E350 6.8L V-10 RB-50

redrock is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-01-2015, 10:06 AM   #29
Senior Member
 
rallypanam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: San Francisco/Nevada City
Posts: 3,769
Re: Best Roadside Assist

I happened to have dinner last night with a friend who works at Emergency Roadside Services at AAA Northern California, Nevada and Utah.

So of course I had to ask her. For Premier membership, everything is covered. For Regular and Plus memberships, there is some gray area. She said 2WD, 4 wheeled recreational vehicles would be covered, but once you throw in the 4WD or other lift, then the "provided they are not" clause comes into play so they won't tow.

I grilled her a little on that, I mean, a 4x4 F350 is covered, so why not a 4x4 E350? She had no good answers, although did say that lift kits added to a 4x4 F350 could void the coverage. There doesn't seem to be any set rules per se, just a 'if it looks' too big, then they won't cover.

They also supposedly also cover up to 14,000 GVWR, which would theoretically cover any of our vans, but again the lift knocks it out.

She also was unaware of any differences in coverage between different AAA locations/corporations, but that's also out of her purview.

Anyway, get the more expensive Premier membership and you have no concerns.

Any more questions anyone want answered?
rallypanam is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2015, 11:06 AM   #30
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: East Bay CA
Posts: 1,078
Re: Best Roadside Assist

Quote:
Originally Posted by rallypanam
I happened to have dinner last night with a friend who works at Emergency Roadside Services at AAA Northern California, Nevada and Utah.

So of course I had to ask her. For Premier membership, everything is covered. For Regular and Plus memberships, there is some gray area. She said 2WD, 4 wheeled recreational vehicles would be covered, but once you throw in the 4WD or other lift, then the "provided they are not" clause comes into play so they won't tow.

I grilled her a little on that, I mean, a 4x4 F350 is covered, so why not a 4x4 E350? She had no good answers, although did say that lift kits added to a 4x4 F350 could void the coverage. There doesn't seem to be any set rules per se, just a 'if it looks' too big, then they won't cover.

They also supposedly also cover up to 14,000 GVWR, which would theoretically cover any of our vans, but again the lift knocks it out.

She also was unaware of any differences in coverage between different AAA locations/corporations, but that's also out of her purview.

Anyway, get the more expensive Premier membership and you have no concerns.

Any more questions anyone want answered?
That doesn't really satisfy me that Premier coverage in NorCal would get me towed, especially out of the area (although it looks like maybe they'd reimburse, but I'd have to get the tow myself?? Yet another gray area). Did the rep distinguish Premier/RV+? My Oakland office was telling me that it was the RV status that was the problem, not the lift (lift? what lift? ).
__________________
2001 Ford E250 Sportsmobile with Salem-Kroger 4x4 conversion
rob_gendreau is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sportsmobile SIP or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:59 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.