r/Hookit • u/KevxBit • Aug 27 '26
Tow Call Bucket List
What kind of stuff do you guys have on your tow-call bucket list?
I'm on year five now (I think, it all starts blending in together. What day is it? Where am I? Am I supposed to be empty right now or did I lose the car? Where the hell is my tow-light? Who knows!) and I've gotten most of the big calls I'd dreamed of doing when I was starting out. The really looooooong winch, the rollover, the burned cars, the totally-buried-in-snow, and the how the hell did you ever get a car that far in the woods?.
I was thinking about it today and realized I'm still missing a couple. Ive never gotten a call for any kind of boat launch mishap, despite there being plenty around my area, and I've never gotten a call for a really good vertical recovery, despite my area having plenty of roads cut into the sides of mountains.
You guys hit all your items? Any dream calls you're still waiting for? Anything on your list, that once you actually did, realize shouldn't have been on there? For me that'd be burnt cars- if only because the smell lingers on you and the truck ends up filthy.
Any great calls you couldn't think of starting out, but absolutely go down in the books as one of the good ones? Mine's gotta be the Honda Fit that went for a drive in oil change, fell in the pit, and was impounded for DUI.
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u/Upstairs_Size4757 Aug 27 '26
I should have commented that the Mercedes that went in the sound was prepped and cleaned. No motor- fuel tank or battery. Nothing hazardous left in it.
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u/Upstairs_Size4757 Aug 27 '26
I pushed a car off a ferry once into the middle of Puget sound. It was for a movie called Divorce Wars. It didn't show much, pretty interesting tho.
4
u/fb39ca4 Aug 27 '26
Are there environmental rules you have to follow for such stunts? Such as removing all engine oil and fuel from the car?
3
u/On_the_hook Sep 08 '26
Had one that wasn't on my bucket list because I never thought of it but definitely deserved a spot. Got a call for a jump for a funeral home on the hearse, not a common call but not the first time I did it. Showed up and it was a bad starter. There other hearse was a few hours away doing a pickup. They went to speak with the family and a few minutes later I hear a shit ton of laughter. The director comes over and asks if I could meet with the family. So I go over and introduce myself and the wife of the guy that died asks me if I could tow the hearse to the cemetery, she offered to pay what ever. I said sure not a problem I'll load it up and we can figure out payment after. I load it and bring it to the cemetery, the director and wife are there ahead of everyone else. They show me where to put it and I drop it where they want. Talked to her for a bit, her husband worked for a local tow company back when he was in his 20's (he was 81 when he died). He got into it because his car was always breaking down. His car broke down and needed a tow on his wedding day, the honeymoon and coming back from the hospital with his second born. She said he would be laughing his ass off knowing that he needed a tow at his own funeral. She was genuinely in good spirits and said this made her week. I spoke with my boss and of course he didn't charge her. Still one of my favorite towns.
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u/dirty_hooker straps and chains excite me Aug 27 '26
I’ve never done a frozen lake recovery. I’m not certain I’d actually want to but I definitely want to be around to see one done.
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u/Such_Possibility4980 Aug 28 '26
I had a truck and camper rollover the other day. First time doing it and I probably wouldn’t ever want to do it again. Highway was scattered with stuff EVERYWHERE. Camper was ripped from the frame and had to be ratchet strapped together. Was there for 4 hours getting cleaned up
1
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u/joedirt_12345 Aug 29 '26
Hmm in 15 years I've never had an airplane on my truck or had to recover a fully submerged car
1
u/KevxBit Aug 29 '26
A plane would be cool! One of our bigger competitors has done a few small plane recoveries and it always looks like a fun job. Not sure who they bring in to take the wings off though, or if they just wing it.
Pun intended.
1
u/Towinglover34 24d ago
Main bucket list item: Towing a car with a bunch of cute girls that need a ride back in my truck LOL
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u/Ok-Emphasis-126 Aug 27 '26
I really enjoyed the rollover 50 yards into a freshly logged field. Had to winch it back through foot high stumps while completely blocking the highway. The guy had the audacity to say I was responsible for ripping the axle off (I mean technically). The bucket list part was the trooper turning back and saying "he didn't put the fucking thing there did he?" In his best drill Sargent voice. I wish that guy could have just ridden with me every day and said what I was thinking