last week i watched as the tow cable came unhooked and my van rolled off
the flatbed and started rolling down the shoulder/median along I-205 just
south of portland.  luckily, it came to a slight incline 30-40 yards down
the road.

talk about horrifying...

On Mon, 2 Oct 2000, Bradley Flubacher wrote:
>
> Just thought I'd pass this along,
>
> When my transmission went (classic 91/01 symptom), I called for a flatbed.
> They hooked underneith the front end to pull it onto the bed, then proceeded
> to "torque" it down using these same "hooks" under the front end.  Once it
> was too late,  I notice he "hooked" the front end in the body, where it
> isn't double-thick.  As a consequence, the eyelet's got ripped open.
>
> My vanagon is at their body shop now getting the metal bent back and seam
> welded.  I stressed many times that I want a real good under coating on it
> to ensure that this didn't create a rust problem.  They said they would
> oblige.  They should be calling in the next couple hours for me to pick it
> up.  I hope to have this event well documented by the end as a record of
> exactly what happened.
>
> Moral-  make sure they hook your vanagon along the frame, where it's "double
> thick".  Keep an eye on the jokers who come for your next towing experience.
>
> :/
>
> Bradley Flubacher
> State College, PA
> (Culprit- Walk's towing.  Infamous here in "Happy Valley")
>