Engine stops, what to do with trailer?

[Jeb-TN]

Can't beat a lot of these stories and none towing an RV but towing a small enclosed car trailer with a 2000 F250 diesel 6speed with slide in camper. The two most memorial I was very lucky.

Serpentine belt was failing and failed as I was pulling into a closed Ford dealer with the plan to camp in the Walmart till they opened on Monday I had just passed but wanted to check where the dealer was located, on a Sunday. So I set up camp on the edge of their lot. A good samaritan offered to take me to a parts store and help me change it but I decided to wait till morning. Good thing I did, the belt failed because the water pump was failing and had seised. They said it was safe to drive the truck far enough to drop the trailer behind the shop and got it right in. Fixed by noon.

The second luck/skill failure was when I pulled into a rest stop about 10pm and luckily stoped in a spot with nothing in front of me because the springs in the dual flywheel had broke and jammed the clutch so it wouldn't disengage. After doing what we stopped for I thought AAA would take hours to rescue me and we were 70 miles from home. With a slight change of route it could be almost all 4 lane with a minimum number of lights. I had just put in new batteries a couple of months earlier. I have several cars with no synchro manual transmissions and taught myself how to shift without a clutch (old time trucker style). I decided to see if I could start in low gear and it did. carefully shift through the gears and headed home (easier with syncros). Had to stop at one red light and ran one stop sign on the backroad 1/2 mile from home but I made it. Parked the whole rig along the road and hiked down our drive and the next morning called AAA and pulled the trailer down my 500' drive with my tractor. AAA flat trailered the truck with slidein camper to Ford for the week to be repaired.

[PC Conner]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

There are a *lot* of threads around here about Coach Net. The typical thread does not seem to report a "good outcome". They seem to have a variety of issues. After one experience with them we immediately switched to AAA. So far, AAA has done a much better job.

Like most folks, we have relatively few "need help" calls made to each of them. That makes this sort of comparison far from perfect.

Bob

UB,
AAA Premium RV has a $500 tow limit. Having used it 2 times, it seems I am always $300 beyond the $500 limit. Last year, with a Tiffin, we came to a halt in Clarksville, TN and had to have tow to Cummins Nashville. AAA could not find a tow service. I called Cummins, they gave me a tow company in Nashville. I gave that info to AAA. Finally, AAA arranged for the tow (too late for a FRI pick-up and didn't arrange the tow until MON a.m. When we got to Cummins Nashville, the tow driver gave me his bill that he was sending to AAA. It was 1/2 what AAA charged me! Below their $500 limit. Hope your experience is better.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by PC Conner

UB,
AAA Premium RV has a $500 tow limit. Having used it 2 times, it seems I am always $300 beyond the $500 limit. Last year, with a Tiffin, we came to a halt in Clarksville, TN and had to have tow to Cummins Nashville. AAA could not find a tow service. I called Cummins, they gave me a tow company in Nashville. I gave that info to AAA. Finally, AAA arranged for the tow (too late for a FRI pick-up and didn't arrange the tow until MON a.m. When we got to Cummins Nashville, the tow driver gave me his bill that he was sending to AAA. It was 1/2 what AAA charged me! Below their $500 limit. Hope your experience is better.

Hi

Still way better than Coach Net simply being "unable to find a service provider to assist you" (on two separate occasions).

Bob

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by switz

Note that I searched the entire USA new 2012 RAM data base to aquire one of the last 2012 RAM 2500HD Cummins. That was the last year for RAM to not have to implement DEF.

Ever since 2012, the DEF horror stories have continued with every model year for the Big 3. It appears the ever stricter emissions have even reduced the reliability of the equipment.

Just my observations in reading many different forums.

Hi

It's very difficult to work out some of this stuff from forum posts (on any forum). Folks who never have a problem with this or that are not going to post "Hey !!! I didn't have this fail this year" . Somebody who had a failure 10 years ago likely is still doing multiple posts a month about it.

Need an example of this bizarre behavior? Take a look at the post just above this from some guy named Bob

Bob

[Rick n Mary]

Originally Posted by PC Conner

Recently, we were on the way home, about 60 miles to go, on an Interstate/limited access HWY. Duramax engine lost power, I was able to change lanes and get to the shoulder. About when I got to the shoulder the engine died. It would crank but not run. The starter continued to run after I released the key, until I turned to the OFF position.
Things with AAA Premium RV towing worked well but expensive. Covered first $500 of $810 bill. Had it towed to my house.
Truck was towed by USAA to Chevy dealer much closer to my home. No charge. Chevy said the issue is the Fuel Pump Control Unit. That is a warranty item!
Yikes, this got me to thinking about what I would do if this happened last summer crossing the Chesapeake Bay bridge or anywhere along the 2 lane roads on the way to Harpers Ferry, etc.
The engine repair is taking most of a week between waiting in line, diagnosis, approval, and work.
I am not risk-averse and I try to be prepared. This experience makes me very anxious about what I would do with a similar situation far away from home. Towing the truck to a dealership (since it’s a diesel, many repair shops won’t work on it) and then storing the trailer while waiting for the truck repair.
What do you do or what have you done?
Thanks for your thoughts.

It’s good that you made out ok.
Gauges, I try to do as much work on my truck as possible.
2005 Dodge Ram 3500 dually with a 24v Cummins.

I have put full gauges in my truck, LP fuel, injection fuel pressure, oil pressure, trans temp exhaust temp.
There are “engine computers” that will give you most of these.
My mechanic likes me because of my gauges.
My truck is old, she is a keeper!

Mind you, don’t put the computer on your truck because it will void your warranty! After your warranty, I suggest you do several gauges: in importance!:
Pyrometer: exhaust temp, it’s possible to melt pistons in a diesel.
Lift pump fuel pressure: fuel pressure from tank to injection pump
Fuel rail pressure: as we both have a “common rail” system this insures you have sufficient fuel pressure to the injectors. (Plus it’s fun to watch when excelerating.)
Oil pressure, factory gauges are inherently false.
With ANY vehicle, you may never know when something will break, I like and have “full” gauges in all my vehicles, it’s just a piece of mind for me.
Good luck. Rick

[Daquenzer]

I had a brand new F150. We were going down a hill and suddenly the pickup started to overheat. This was only the second time we had towed our AS!! I quickly pulled off the road. Couldn’t figure out what happened. Called for a tow. Thankfully we were only about 5 miles from our campground. So the tow vehicle got our camper on the site, and we were able to tow the pickup to a nearby town. I was fortunate…it was only a loose hose. Apparently the Monday morning crew failed to tighten a clamp. Cheap fix. But it was a real pain.

This past year was going to campground about 2 hours from home. We were about 20 miles from the campground and the TPMS system went off. A wheel was getting hot. The tire itself was just fine. I figured the brake was rubbing. The temperature was acceptable so I limped into the campground in a small town. Thankfully there as a trailer repair place a few miles from the campground. Left the trailer at the end of the week. Put new brakes on the trailer, came back a week later and picked it up.

Being stuck alongside the road is not a wonderful feeling. It has happened to me numerous times for numerous reasons in my 68 years. Thankfully, in all cases the weather has been nice or the repair place has been very nearby.

I think there are so many variables one can’t prepare for every situation.