You have to pay it all up front, miles, meals and motel (if needed),
remember it's a "round trip" the tow truck has to make. I've had to pay $1
to $1.25 loaded and no charge to $1 empty (return). Paul
----- Original Message -----
From: "alexander may" <mr_may21@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2004 11:14 PM
Subject: Re: What to do if you're really stranded in a Vanagon

> I had to tow my Vanagon home because of a burnt out O2 sensor that clogged
> my exhaust.  Fortunetly, I had AAA plus and the tow truck driver came
> shortly.  I asked him what would happen if a tow needed to be greater than
> the alotted 100 miles AAA gives to its plus members.  He said that after
the
> free 100 miles, the extra is paid out of pocket at the expense of the
owner
> of the vehicle.  Now the question is, what would be more expenisve...
> renting a Uhaul for the extra 400 miles back home, or paying the tow truck
> driver??
>
>
> >From: Craig Oda <craigoda@GMAIL.COM>
> >Reply-To: Craig Oda <craigoda@GMAIL.COM>
> >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> >Subject: Re: What to do if you're really stranded in a Vanagon
> >Date: Mon, 17 May 2004 19:16:21 -0700
> >
> >I believe there are four options for the stranded vanagon puzzle:
> >    1) rent a u-haul AND truck and tow the beast home
> >    2) drop the van off at a mechanic, rent a car, drive home, then
> >return for the van a few weeks later
> >     3) camp out in town and wait for a fix
> >     4) use AAA Plus and pay the extra mileage over 100 miles
> >
> >option 1 seems a little problematic because a person would have to
> >find both a U-Haul
> >     and a truck rental dealer.  This isn't really an option in some
> >places out in the boonies.
> >     I've been stranded in a town where there was no car rental agency,
> >much less a U-Haul.
> >    I had to borrow a truck from the gas station owner and drive a few
> >hundred miles to get to
> >   a town with a Hertz.  Still, I might opt for this if I was stranded
> >in an area fairly close to a town.
> >
> >Option 2 is what I did the last time, after eventually finding a
> >rental agency that had a spare
> >sub-compact vehicle.
> >
> >Option 3 was not feasible since it would take about a week and a half
> >to order a new transmission
> >and get it installed.
> >
> >Option 4 seems interesting to me.  I've never tried this.   Has anyone
> >had any experience convincing
> >a tow truck driver to make a 500 mile trip?   What's involved here?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >On Mon, 17 May 2004 12:48:20 -0700, Jim Kennedy <jk@projectdesign.com>
> >wrote:
> > >
> > > What to do if you're really stranded in a Vanagon, far from home and
> >cannot
> > > effect repairs.
> > >
> > > Once when traveling with my wife and 3 little people from Grand
Junction
> > > Colorado to home in San Diego in my '87 GL, it started doing the
> >Digifant
> > > dive.  Lurch, cough, blah.  You haven't lived until you coast
deadstick
> >to
> > > the side of I-70 in Utah FAR from ANYTHING with your family of 5, on a
> >100
> > > degree summer day.  Not even cellphone coverage.  This was my first
> > > experience with this kind of glitch, and I was clueless.  Fortunately
I
> >was
> > > able to get it to the next town (Salina).  This is what you do.  Get
> >ahold
> > > of a Uhaul and TOW DOLLY and you are set.  Expensive save, but it's
just
> >a
> > > good thing to remember...
> > >
> > > Jim
> > > San Diego '87 GL
> > >
>
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