Air compressor won't reach operation pressure

[Debbie.Grey]

And send the right truck they did. My Bird has flown. Backwards.

[And no, all 3 drivers could not construe a way to use the tow-eyes. So ultimately "right truck" was equal parts "right driver."]

I need to figure out how to post the photo. I thought real hard about riding chase to film the journey, decided that had too strong a chance of lodging in my library of PTSD flashbacks. [Ask me somewhen about the year of the refinery explosions.]

She's headed to OTR Fleet Service. Their mechanic was the first out and said they could fix this. I now know that there is WAY too much fun still to be had. Short story long, each diagnostic go-round revealed further air system failures. We knew we had A leak - at least one leak, but that was before the hose from the compressor to the air dryer busted....

Deep regular breathing....

[Randy Dupree]

WOW.
You have the wrong wrecker service.
We have all kinds of info here about how to tow a bird.
I would inspect the front bumper and generator area ASAP.

[Rick]

I am with Randy. You MUST get to the repair facility and check to ensure the generator tray will still move in and out. Check the front bumper for dents and bends.

Did I read they towed from the rear?? That was not correct and they still did not use the correct equipment. They should have use what is known as an Under Reach with Bus Forks. Please do yourself a favor and check your Wanderlodge for towing damage.

You should also check the rear bumper area for damage. If you can, get a second set of eyes on these areas. Good Luck

[Randy Dupree]

Rear bumper,oil pan and everything else under that bird.
What morans..

[Debbie.Grey]

So, are you saying I should hold off on the Good Sam Club Life Membership?

Inspect I will, and there is in fact naught I can do until Tuesday when I go up to OTR to narrate the cascade of air system failures. 27-year-old rubber....

Tow #3 and tow #2 both had the under reach with bus forks, #3's was long enough. There was another complication that I understood inadequately. The Blue Book does state the existence of rear towing, it just doesn't explain it. Since she has a hitch; he grabbed her by that bar, not by the tag.

[Me, I don't begin to know the gender ratio of Bird owners, but with tow #1 specifically, no amount of information I had in hand was going to change the fact that a woman was holding it. Hail, last May at Kerrville, first word out of the mouth of a woman who has known both of us for years, before and after we got together, was, "Hey TOM, nice bus." Having "always" wanted a Bird, I now have a bad case of be careful what you ask for.]

Meanwhile, the driver has phoned me to say that he got my Bird safely roosted - AND ahead of the rains that Houston is finally getting from Isaac. BUT, the step managed to bounce itself free of our efforts to secure it, dragged and scraped itself off. Well, that step had alignment, air and solenoid issues, and I was going to upgrade it anyway.

[giderich]

Debbie, take your camera when you go to the shop and photograph the areas which have possible damage caused by the towing company. Ask the shop to verify your findings. Lots of help is available on WOG. Post the damage photos on WOG so we can learm more about the extent of the damage.

Rick owned a towing business...listen to Rick.

http://www.wanderlodgeownersgroup.co...ad.php?t=11355

[iamflagman]

Originally Posted by Rick

I am with Randy. You MUST get to the repair facility and check to ensure the generator tray will still move in and out. Check the front bumper for dents and bends.

Did I read they towed from the rear?? That was not correct and they still did not use the correct equipment. They should have use what is known as an Under Reach with Bus Forks. Please do yourself a favor and check your Wanderlodge for towing damage.

You should also check the rear bumper area for damage. If you can, get a second set of eyes on these areas. Good Luck

Wanderlodge Owners Group > RV Lifestyle > How to properly tow your 'Bird


Wanderlodge Owners Group > RV Lifestyle > How to properly tow your 'Bird > 'Birds and Wreckers "WHAT TO KNOW TO TOW"

Originally Posted by iamflagman

So the day comes when you have no other option but to have your 'Bird towed, here are some pointers to look for when you are requesting a tow from that Road Service provider that you took the time to pick out so carefully. check out this discussion on picking out the Best Towing Membership Program

Keep in mind that the Road Service person that you talk to on the phone may not know exactly what a Blue Bird Wanderlodge is, so take the time to make sure that they understand that first it is a very heavy vehicle, it helps to mention exactly how heavy it is, remember when you had it weighed, keep that figure near your Road Service card. It even helps to mention what the axle weights are, as your 'Bird may have to be picked up at either end.

The drive shaft may have to be disconnected before it can be towed, so make sure that the drive shaft U Joint mounting nuts can be removed, or the axle retaining bolts can be removed, but then they have to come up with some material to make a temporary cover for the opening after they remove the axle shafts. When I had to have mine towed they couldn't get the nuts, or bolts to budge.

Sometimes this can be remedied by loading your 'Bird on what is called a Landhaul, or a lowboy style trailer that has a removable gooseneck, but they may not be available where you need the tow, so have those nuts and bolts checked and replaced if need be. Make sure that they understand that if they have to use a Landhaul that the rear of your 'Bird may drag the ground while loading it, unless they bring some extra timbers to let the rear tires ride up on like in this photo of mine.

http://www.pbase.com/iamflagman/image/39863996

Make sure that the wrecker service understands that the axles on both ends of you 'Bird are set back underneath the 'Bird and let them know how far under by having that measurement available when you talk to them, tell them that they will need a STINGER that can be adjusted to fit under your axles, to pick up the 'Bird. Here is a what a STINGER looks like

WRECKER ADJUSTABLE STINGER.jpg

Here is a wrecker towing a bus from the rear using an adjustable stinger

BUS REAR AXLE TOWED WITH ADJUSTABLE STINGER.jpg

Here is NOT the proper way to tow a 'Bird using an adjustable stinger under the front axle, the STIGER needs to be under the axle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLWA-0nlFcM

You don't want them to attempt to pick up your 'Bird by the bumpers, or even the frame close to the ends of the body, as the 'Bird is too heavy for that, here's an example of how NOT to pick up a 'Bird, this may be OK for a lighter weight school bus, but not for a 'Bird.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJqL9b96-90

Hopefully if you have to be towed, you will be lucky enough to find a wrecker service that has the type of equipment that this outfit does http://www.tuminostowing.com/services/car-truck.asp place your cursor over each of the larger picture to see a larger view of them. this outfit, seems to have all of the right stuff and I have no connection with them, I just like their choice of equipment.

Do you have some towing stories that you can share with the forum, if so please add them right here, as we just can't have too much information on this topic.