what would good sams do????

Too easy to blame Good Sam. And, to add to lanerd's post, Good SAMS are a group of folks that will assist you in your time of need including driving your rig back to your home base. I believe the OP is referring to GSRA, Good Sam Roadside Assistance. Different animal.

Just out of curiosity, what did YOU do to fix it yoursleves..:h.

Darsban, there should be a "LIKE" button on this forum.....Dennis

edbehnke wrote:
we broke a spring in alaska and when we called good sams they talked about 'sending a tow truck.' that would be nice if it were just a flat tire but it was a broken spring and the axles were touching.

end result was GS wasn't much help...we finally resolved the issue oursleves but I am wondering what good sams does when a 5th wheel breaks a spring or a spring bracket? you can't just tow a trailer with a these broken.

Maybe if you had called Good Sam...I'm sure they provide better service than good sams does. And what is this oursleves you speak of kemosabe? :W

Just kidding, of course. But for the record, what did the person tell you when you told them you thought a tow truck wouldn't work for this problem? Did they offer any type of alternative?

Ron

We were not there, so any determination by the group is just guessing. But, just guessing, I think the problem has to do with vernacular. They said they would send a tow truck. I call a flat bed a tow truck, and a wrecker with dolly is often called a tow truck. I think you should have let them send the truck. It is the obligation of roadside assistance (all three companies) to make you safe and move you to a repair facility, or make you roadworthy. You probably should have given them a chance. JMHO

I feel the OP was trying to micromanage GS
OP had a problem and GS dispatched help.
WAS it the appropriate help? Maybe, but assume it was not. When the inappropriate help arrived then the appropriate help could have been provided. Probably by the same provider but if not that would have been GOOD SAM problem.
My guess it the OP got anxious or was in a hurry. The phone operators have limited knowledge and dispatch help. The appropriate help may need to be assessed by the first responder.

edbehnke wrote:
we broke a spring in alaska and when we called good sams they talked about 'sending a tow truck.' that would be nice if it were just a flat tire but it was a broken spring and the axles were touching.

end result was GS wasn't much help...we finally resolved the issue oursleves but I am wondering what good sams does when a 5th wheel breaks a spring or a spring bracket? you can't just tow a trailer with a these broken.

edbehnke,
Keep us posted on he response you get from the Good Sam Response team's efforts to resolve your towing issue.

Yes they can tow a vehicle with broken axle or broken springs.

It is called a flatbed trailer. It also works when there it a accident so sever that the vehicle can not be towed in the normal manner.

Flatbed tow trucks are so common today that we are not used to seeing the sling type tow trucks anymore, with the two wheel dolly's that where so common place in the 60's and 70's. Basically the dolly has two wheels on each side, the car is lifted by the tow truck, the dolly assembled from both sides of the car and slid together under one side of the car, then the tow truck drops 1/2 on the dolly, goes around to the other side, picks up that end of the car, and then tows it where ever it needs to go. This sort of dolly could have transported your dis-abled trailer as well.

I really don't think the towing company will show up expecting to find a trailer with a broken spring and say "There is nothing we can do to ever get this vehicle off the side of the highway" - if they did, it might be a teenager driver who has no clue on what to do. Even a tractor trailer on it's side with the sidewalls torn apart can be moved to a repair facility or impound yard. They do not just leave them where they crashed forever, normally they are moved within 2 hours. . .

Look at the red dolly in this picture. It is a 1970 tow truck.



Fred.

Hello edbehnke, thank you for your time and post. Please send me a private message with your contact information and I will look into the issue regarding a 5th wheel breaking down.
Thank you,
Ella
Rapid Response Coordinator

edbehnke wrote:
we broke a spring in alaska and when we called good sams they talked about 'sending a tow truck.' that would be nice if it were just a flat tire but it was a broken spring and the axles were touching.

end result was GS wasn't much help...we finally resolved the issue oursleves but I am wondering what good sams does when a 5th wheel breaks a spring or a spring bracket? you can't just tow a trailer with a these broken.

Had his happen twice in Northern Calif. In both cases they sent out a 40' flat bed trailer and then wenched the trailer onto the flatbed trailer. On one tow they had to tow me about 35 miles to the nearest RV repair shop. I asked the tow driver what this tow would have cost me without Good Sam? $1200!!!! Send an email into Good Sam, attention Mr. Marcus and explain your situation. You should get a response and help with costs you might have had to pay out.