Show us your emergency, break-down Tow Pics!!

[eeebee]

Another beautiful day in LA
_________________
Eric

1987 Vanagon Wolfsburg Special Edition
GoWesty 2.3

Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time.

[xoo00oox]

Sitting here waiting for a tow. Just bought this less than a week ago. Hit a deer going 80 on the Mass Pike.

[campism]

[DenverB]

While this isn't a pic of our van, these guys are the best and nicest drivers I've ever found in Colorado/Eastern Utah. They even bring their dogs with them on runs. Here's a shot of the truck that was carrying one of our EVC rentals home from Grand Junction a few days ago with a chihuahua and German shepherd supervising the whole operation:

_________________
-------
'77 Transporter/camper (Bussy - Reef Blue/Pastel White)
'67 bug (Santos - VW Blue)
'84 Vanagon Westfalia (Pink Flamingo - Pastel White/Pink)
'88 Vanagon GL Westfalia (Frankie Says - Wolfram Gray)
'02 Eurovan Weekender (Green Apple)
'95-'03 Eurovan full campers and weekenders (rental fleet)
'84 -'91 Vanagon full campers and weekenders (rental fleet)
'72 Porsche 914 (Greta - RIP)

www.RockyMountainCampervans.com

[climbergal]

To the guy who asked about towing if you don't have AAA, we broke down in Roseburg, OR, and had to get back to Tacoma, WA, way outside AAA range. A truck brought us into town, where we rented a UHaul and flat bed. Total cost was over $600. AAA is way worth it. The other day I read a story about a woman who lost her van because she couldn't pay the tow bill.

[2dogs1van]

As far as tows are concerned, I think I win.
Here's my first van being towed in Duluth, Minnesota in May 2014. I was driving home to Seattle from Florida when the coolant overflow reservoir blew up. This van broke down in Bend, Oregon 5 months earlier on the way to Florida (major oil leaks.)

Here's my second van six months later in the VW lot in Staunton, Virginia awaiting shipping back to Seattle in November, 2014. It was my third and final breakdown for that trip. First breakdown that trip was in Abilene, Kansas (starter motor), second was in Lexington, Kentucky (cv joint) and this one was a fuel pump failure. I figured three strikes and I was out. I was on my way to Florida for the winter with my two dogs. I finished the trip in a rental Kia Sephia, which you can see in the foreground of this picture.

After all my breakdowns, I highly recommend that anyone considering a cross-country trip in a vanagon should buy AAA Premier membership. You get one 200 mile tow and 3 additional 100 mile tows per year to the destination of your choice. Best $124 I've spent. I also recommend everyone bookmark Vanagon Rescue Squad on their phone (http://www.vanagonauts.com/Vanagon-Rescue-Squad74.htm). And don't bother towing a van to a VW dealer, as I stupidly did first in Duluth and then in Staunton, Va. VW dealers know nothing about these vans and no longer stock parts for them. In Duluth I had to have the van towed a second time from the dealership (after they told me they could fix the van) to another local shop recommended by Vanagon Rescue Squad. I should have remembered that in Staunton the next fall. Dumb me!

[Team WorldTour]

Here are a couple of Domo in Canada:

_________________
1990 Feldjäger Syncro AAZ
Click to view image
H6 Subaru Engine Swap Thread
WV2ZZZ25ZFH094138(x)/ WV2YB0257LH057308(x)/ WV2ZZZ25ZLG113270/
"Where am I going? And what am I doing in this handbasket?" -Nicodemus Jordan
When All Else Fails: Lather, Rinse, Repeat!

[MootPoint]

This is sort of a continuation of my thread from last week:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=693535

Springerville, Arizona. When it comes to breakdowns, this counts as a two-fer:

_________________
1984 Westy with tencentlife power!

[Vanlife Geek]

While pulling into my parking space at home, I heard a loud clunk, and had just busted a CV Joint. I turned too sharp on dry pavement, apparently. A quick tow to the local mechanic and an expedited order from Van Cafe took care of my issue and I was back in business in no time.

_________________
Vanlife Geek
Current:
1986 Syncro Westy
Previous:
1983 Westy
1981 Westy
1972 Bug (Last year you could buy a new one for under $2,000)
1965/66 Bug (2 bugs from a junk yard combined to make 1 functional bug)
1959 Bug (Pre Gas Gauge Era)

[Farf]

A little roadside help in Peru a few years back after a little "mishap". AAA has got nothing on these folks. They are shouting "Jale, Jale" pull, pull.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5xntLpPV9k

[AZ Landshaper]

WARNING!!!

Watch out when getting towed. Ive had them bend tierods and crush the fluid container below the drivers side floor board and pull my rig off a high curb and bottom out on my exhaust . These guys are not always careful or very well trained. AAA plus is great but you need to be a part of the action or your rig might get abused.
_________________
Support Small Business.

-------------------------------------------------------
85 Weekender w/ EJ22
Previously
64, 71, 72, 73, 76, 81, 84, 85 & 87 Campmobiles and Westfalias
and a 67 bug.

[Jeanettedi]

Day after picking it up with a new paint job. One of the many coolant hoses gave way.

[Gnarlodious]

_________________
Vanagon ’83 diesel AAZ w/Giles injection, 5spd 4.57R&P+TBD and a '78 diesel Rabbit

[IdahoDoug]

Not sure if I ever got this one in. The engine lost oil pressure about 10 miles from home. I happened to have the other van hooked up to our huge trailer so I called for my wife to drive over and rescue me. Thought it looked funny with the smaller van and HUGE trailer towing the Vanagon. People were snapping pictures of us as we drove home:

Yes, the Mitsubishi was woefully overloaded, but to compensate we had our "watch out everybody, we're doing something stupid here" flashers on and so did the Vanagon up on the trailer. Heh....
_________________
1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[tgraham]

I'd had the van for about a month or two, had it checked out and got a solid thumbs up from my local mechanic, fuel lines changed. Couldn't find the coolant leak but in my heart of hearts, I knew it was there. Off we went, heading to Fremont Peak, not far away, but a pretty good switchback road to get to the top. We didn't make it! But not for lack of trying. Ended up ruining the engine and calling in ground support. This was our first overnight trip in the van. Put her on another tow truck a few months later bound for Stephan's Auto Haus for an engine transplant, and a slew of other "while you're in there" refinements . You know you've got it good when your wife and daughter insist we keep the van and get it running again.

Happy to report, many great family trips since.

_________________
1990 Multivan/Weekender Auto 3.27 R&P SAH 1.8T

[Jeffrey Lee]

In 18 years of Westy travelling we've had a few close calls but were always able to avoid a tow ... until this summer.

The NIB starter I'd installed just five days earlier (on Main Street in Shelby, Montana) failed while camped outside Port Angeles, Washington. Fortunately, the shop was very accommodating with free use of a loaner car while (another!) new starter was obtained, and we were able to explore a city we'd planned on visiting for a few days anyway.

The remaining three weeks and 3000 miles of touring the Washington and Oregon coasts were uneventful ... in a good way.
_________________
Camp Westfalia
Camping Tips • Newsletter • Cool Campervan Apparel
www.CampWestfalia.com

[Abscate]

[RoryGirl]

This was just to get it off the street and into the garage. No motor/trans/brakes at this point.

_________________
1991 Double door pop top conversion

[Tbob]

You know, the Vanagon forum is probably the only forum that celebrates it's favorite vehicles failures with 7, count em, 7 pages of tow pictures! And, a forum thread that questions if we actually made a 1000 mile trip unscathed! Then, I realized, that although I own Vanagons, if I really need to go somewhere, I drive my 51 year old or 22 year old Ford. I am beginning to think I am crazy!
_________________
1969 Deluxe, owned since 1973
1973 Westfalia, owned since 1983
1980 Westfalia, watercooled conversion
1985 Westfalia, stock!
1986 Westfakia, Audi I-4 conversion
A couple of trucks and a couple of Jeeps

[9.5isCanadian]

My plan for a casual fall cruise were brought to a steamy conclusion.
Not the glorious ending to the season I’d planned.

Oil cooler return line split.
_________________
9 1/2 - missing a few pieces.

1987 Getaway Hightop
1980 Sunroof Vanagon
2018 BMW R Nine T
2012 Golf tdi