Rollback wreckers

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Princess Valiant

Princess Valiant

A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
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So I am looking into buying a rollback wrecker that is getting decommissioned from a tow company.

My questions are:
Is the insurance going to be a lot more than a big truck?

Are the hydraulics really costly and difficult to maintain?

The truck is a late 90s ford and it is in really decent condition considering its been commercially used all it's life. Has a ton of miles but the pre negotiated price reflects all that and it's really not that expensive for what it is.

Anyone have experience with something like this.

I'm assuming I will have to put writing "not for hire" on it somewhere because I will be using it for personal use only.

Right now it still has the company name and light tumblers and the works. So some effort is going to be needed to disconnect it from the borg and bring it to a loving home.
 
I have had my eyes on one that a friend has. It is a aluminum bed one ton chevy , probably about a 86 model.

It would take about $6500 to buy it.

I am on the fence with this myself.
 
dowboy1970 said:
I have had my eyes on one that a friend has. It is a aluminum bed one ton chevy , probably about a 86 model.

It would take about $6500 to buy it.

I am on the fence with this myself.
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That is pretty close to price on this one. It's a steel bed and I think he said it's an F550.

Truck is just outright amazing. You can't get much heavier than that.

I can barely drive it but I think if I get the hang of it. They let me drive it today and I can do it but it's different than when you know it's your own truck.
 
We used 550s at work in the oil and gas industry. They are pretty heavy trucks.
What year is it? Ford Diesel trucks are very expensive to maintain. Keep that in mind.
 
dowboy1970 said:
We used 550s at work in the oil and gas industry. They are pretty heavy trucks.
What year is it? Ford Diesel trucks are very expensive to maintain. Keep that in mind.
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96 aero nose ford with a 460. The 460 is what I'm interested in because I absolutely despise diesels (no offense) but I have had great luck with 460s in my other trucks.

Probably less power than a diesel but I'm familiar with 460s
 
The hydraulics are about like anything else, just a PTO driven pump, hoses, lift & tilt cylinder and a control valve with the handles on it. Most of the time, you can find a problem getting ready to happen by just looking under it to see where hydraulic fluid is dripping...lol. If it breaks, it's just turning wrenches like fixing other stuff. If you need to replace hydraulic hoses, there is probably a place near you that replicates them if you bring in the old one. I'd find that place in advance of needing it! A rollback would save you a lot of work with your cars. Check with your insurance co. before you buy it to see what the premium will be. A friend of mine bought one and could not insure it as a plain one ton truck for private use. He had to put commercial insurance on it because it was a rollback. Try to get the towing co. that is selling it to include chains and J hooks with it. Good luck with it!

:thumbsup:
 
Princess Valiant said:
96 aero nose ford with a 460. The 460 is what I'm interested in because I absolutely despise diesels (no offense) but I have had great luck with 460s in my other trucks.

Probably less power than a diesel but I'm familiar with 460s
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Agree with JD, go over the hydraulics the best You can visually, that won't save You from a random hose springing a leak but We do what We can. Look the exhaust port/flange area on those 460 heads over real good & check for cracks, HD use tends to cause that, I've seen a chunk of the port & ear basically broken/separated only hanging on to the manny.
Heavy Tk. Registration is a good bit more expensive in PA, but not a deal breaker, not sure in Your neck of the woods. Insurance will depend on what coverage You want, My Insurer asks 1st thing will You be using it strictly for personal, or ANY business at all. The latter would require small biz liability of $1M(std. min. in PA), otherwise it is priced pretty much the same liability/collision/comp, but because of the type of vehicle it will probably be a commercial policy no matter what.
My '75 Ford FE powered boom & sling wrecker has liability only on it, commercial policy, only $377/yr. w/Erie Ins.
 
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It's a commercial Vehical. I would think you would need a CDL license to operate it even if it's not for hire.
 
64 AAR Valiant said:
It's a commercial Vehical. I would think you would need a CDL license to operate it even if it's not for hire.
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That is a good thought and I had not thought of that .....but i googled it:

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According to the Colorado State Patrol, a driver doesn't need a commercial driver's license (CDL) to operate a towing truck. However, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) state that drivers of vehicles used for non-business purposes don't need a CDL unless their state of licensure requires it. States can create their own CDL laws for intrastate transport, but they must follow the rules of other states.
 
In Wisconsin at least, you don't need a cdl unless it weighs over 26000 lbs or is a working bus for over 16 people. GL, I drive a 2019 F550 for work and it's not too bad once you get used to it. The biggest issue I've noticed in driving big vehicles is the sheer amount of space you need to turn and not wack the back end of the trailer/truck.
 
Muad'Dib15 said:
In Wisconsin at least, you don't need a cdl unless it weighs over 26000 lbs or is a working bus for over 16 people. GL, I drive a 2019 F550 for work and it's not too bad once you get used to it. The biggest issue I've noticed in driving big vehicles is the sheer amount of space you need to turn and not wack the back end of the trailer/truck.
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WI. also requires CDL for any vehicle with air brakes.
 
On our F450's and 550 small bucket trucks at work, we had electrically controlled parking brakes that would lock the brakes down so the truck would not move. Flip a switch, mash the brake and it ain't movin! I think the name of it is Micro Brake.
 
JDMopar said:
On our F450's and 550 small bucket trucks at work, we had electrically controlled parking brakes that would lock the brakes down so the truck would not move. Flip a switch, mash the brake and it ain't movin! I think the name of it is Micro Brake.
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Stick or auto transmission. Most Allison automatics don't have a parking pawl so you have to lock the brakes.
 
The ones we had when I was still in the line crew were sticks, but the ones they have now are automatics. They recently started buying some FUGLY Internationals that are same size as 550's. Supposedly easier to work on with the DT466 and an Allison.
 
Muad'Dib15 said:
Not anymore. Which was a shock when I saw that on the dmv website last night. It was required when I got mine 3 years ago.
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Huh. I'll have to check that out- I'm going to be up for renewal soon. I've had one for 35+ years, back when it was referred to as a "Chauffeur's License", and they were all separate licenses- I had my driver's license, a separate motorcycle license, and a Chauffeur's license. All printed on paper/cardboard. Man, time flies.
 
JDMopar said:
On our F450's and 550 small bucket trucks at work, we had electrically controlled parking brakes that would lock the brakes down so the truck would not move. Flip a switch, mash the brake and it ain't movin! I think the name of it is Micro Brake.
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I got something similar on my duster...but only on the front brakes ;)
 
I’ve been lookin at gettin one myself. I drive them for the tow company every weekend. We have Dodge 5500’s though, (I never drive those because they limit what I can do) and International 4300’s, which I like better. They are of course bigger and not what you’re after, but you can do way more with them. LOL. The stuff I’ve towed and the recoveries I’ve done with them has been rather impressive. lol
 
I have an International 1999 4700 for personal use. You only need a CDL if the GVWR is over 26000lbs but you do need a DOT physical/card if your GVWR is over 10k. If driving out of state and over 10k you are supposed to have a DOT number on the vehicle. My insurance is $1100/yr using a Safety Insurance agent. My usual insurance, USAA, won't insure "comercial" vehicles so I had to go with a different company. NH registration fees are tied to the age and weight of the vehicle and it costs me more to register the 1999 4700 than my 2020 WRX.

Long story short, I'm thinking about getting rid of the 4700 because it I don't use it enough to justify the fees to keep it road legal.
 
A good friend of mine bought one, it just sits most of the time because being an ex-commercial vehicle the insurance is 2K a month.

Check with your insurance company before buying anything.
 
I found commercial insurance for personal use based on a radius I select from a home base. Only persons listed on the policy can ride.
 
I've been thinking of getting a rear claw assembly.

What is the actual name for those?

Wheel lift?

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Have a old wrecker and bought a old rollback. Lots of issues with this old stuff. Anyone nearby with a 460 motor for sale?
 
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