65callie
Active Member
Posts: 232
Likes: 90
Currently Offline
|
Post by 65callie on May 30, 2019 6:15:44 GMT -8
65callie you can check out any time you like.... But you can never leave... Hotel California. Yup I'm there!
|
|
nccamper
Administrator
Posts: 7,743
Likes: 2,870
1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
Currently Offline
|
Post by nccamper on May 30, 2019 9:23:46 GMT -8
The bottom line is that each service is only as good as the towing company signed up to serve that area. So it's really the luck of the draw. I had hoped that the services had more control over quality.
|
|
|
Post by Teachndad on Jun 11, 2019 22:16:03 GMT -8
Hi Friends,
I agree with NCcamper. I live in Los Angeles and have used AAA many times ranging from dead batteries needing a jump to getting stuck with a leaking radiator cap that left us stranded over night in the no reception area just west of Crater lake a fee years ago.
In LA, response times are generally pretty good. The farther out you get, results may vary as indicated by the previous posts.
3 years ago, near nightfall, the radiator on my minivan was leaking unbekownst to me. We we're descending from Crater lake and the van started overheating. After coasting for a few miles with the ignition off as there were no shoulder or pullouts,we came out at the base of a ski area in the middle of no where. I put a sign on my car that said call AAA. There was no phone reception. Several folks stopped and I gave them my AAA number and asked them to call when they got into reception.
No one showed up that night from AAA It got dark and cold. We had camping equipmemt and enough food and water to make spaghetti that night. Fortunately,I hadn't fried the engine. I let the engine cool and we were able to start it and move the van off the road until day break to a makeshift campsite
We broke camp early the next morning and pulled back to where we got stuck. A few more nice folks stopped and I gave out my info again.
About 11 a m. A flatbed from AAA shows up. I was polite but asked when he heard about us. He said it was the previous night after dark and no one wanted to drive out into the night looking for us,as it would be really hard to find us so they waited until morning.
The AAA driver towed us back to Medford and looked at the engine and thought maybe it was a bad or old radiator cap. He towed us to a Napa Auto Parts and bought some antifreeze and a new radiator cap. He filled it while the van was still on the truck. We let it idle for 15 minutes and no leaks. He was right. That allowed us to continue on our road trip all the way up to Bellingham Washington. A week later we came back south and finished our trip safely back to LA.
So, out in the boonies, you take your chances. In a metropolis, service is better. At least that's from my experience. I do carry the trailer "rider" on my policy, but never had to use it.
Cheers,
Rod
|
|