• Registered: 2013-05-16
  • Posts: 18

Topic: Cheapest way to get a shitbox from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles

Buying myself a horribly crappy car for my birthday. 67 Opel Kadett, non-op, in Riverside. The car has been sitting for god knows how long so I'm not confident in putting it on anything but a flatbed or trailer. I'm trying to figure out the best way to get it to the shop here in LA, as I don't have a truck, or trailer, nor access to one. So far my options that I can think of are:

1. Call AAA and beg / bribe the driver to take it without registration or insurance on a flatbed. From what I've read on various forums, this is kind of dicey and technically against the AAA policy as it is meant for "emergency roadside assistance" not "haul your piece of shit home for you". As a premier member, It would be free (up to 100 miles), but I would probably feel bad about it. If the reg / ins is an issue I can always get that done beforehand, but it still might not work.

2. Rent a truck and trailer from U-Haul. I think total cost of this would be somewhere around $100 for the rental, and $.50 a mile (100 mile round trip). With taxes, gas, tow straps, probably looking at $200.

3. Hire a flatbed to haul it from a towing company. My understanding is that the going rate is $50-$80 to hook it up and $8 a mile. That would put the total around $500. Prohibitively expensive.

So, anybody have any suggestions that don't involve frauding AAA, paying $500, or risking myself doing a pretty shoddy job with the tow straps and sending a crapcan hurling across the 10 on a Saturday? Or, anybody with a trailer want to make a quick couple hundred bucks giving it a ride to LA (by quick I mean a couple hours in so-cal traffic when you could be doing something way better with your weekend)?

  • From: Land Of Subarus, Colorado
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 9,416

Re: Cheapest way to get a shitbox from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles

I have used AAA to tow many, many unplated/uninsured/unregistered hoopties, and have never been turned down yet. All you need to do is tell the driver you bought the car and it wouldn't start, and you totally expected it to start, so shocking that it won't run, etc. The tow company gets the commission if the tow happens, so they have no incentive to say no to you.

Just keep the story simple, say you just bought the car and couldn't make it work.

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  • Registered: 2013-05-16
  • Posts: 18

Re: Cheapest way to get a shitbox from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles

Thanks, Phil.

Probably worth a shot, I'm sure a little bonus in the driver's pocket will probably help to smooth things over.

  • From: Aumsville, Oregon (Near Salem)
  • Registered: 2010-08-22
  • Posts: 1,913

Re: Cheapest way to get a shitbox from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles

I pushed it out to the street so it looked like it had been parked there, then told the above story.
From Riverside to Los Angeles is a bit far for a AAA tow, however.

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  • Registered: 2013-05-16
  • Posts: 18

Re: Cheapest way to get a shitbox from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles

I'll have to try that. With my membership, I have one tow of 200 miles and four tows up to 100 miles, so it should be within the benefits.

  • From: Tustin, CA
  • Registered: 2010-12-30
  • Posts: 3,275

Re: Cheapest way to get a shitbox from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles

I would help out but my trailer is on a farm in San Diego The pedovan is available to tow a trailer though.

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  • From: Lyndeborough, NH
  • Registered: 2011-05-22
  • Posts: 843

Re: Cheapest way to get a shitbox from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles

I've never been involved in putting the front plate from an Audi A4 on the back of a dead diesel GMC bread van and calling AAA for a tow. That would be wrong.

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  • From: Land Of Subarus, Colorado
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 9,416

Re: Cheapest way to get a shitbox from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles

I have a vague recollection of one tow driver telling me that, technically speaking, an-AAA towed car is supposed to have license plates. That didn't stop him from towing a car that I'd just bought that hadn't had license plates since Jimmy Carter was president, though.

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  • Registered: 2013-05-16
  • Posts: 18

Re: Cheapest way to get a shitbox from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles

It does have plates. Current tags on the other hand...

  • From: Aumsville, Oregon (Near Salem)
  • Registered: 2010-08-22
  • Posts: 1,913

Re: Cheapest way to get a shitbox from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles

Judge Phil wrote:

I have a vague recollection of one tow driver telling me that, technically speaking, an-AAA towed car is supposed to have license plates.

Yes, every time I have called AAA, they have asked me for the license plate number, along with
the make and model.   When I told the lady "Humber Super Snipe", she was curious enough
to go look up a photo on the Internet.

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  • From: Land Of Subarus, Colorado
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 9,416

Re: Cheapest way to get a shitbox from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles

They just ask for the license plate number to make it easier for the driver to find the car.

Now, the AAA urban legend I want verified is the one that says they'll tow your car home if you're too drunk to drive it. A AAA tow driver told me that one, though it was 20 years ago.

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  • From: Shippensburg, PA
  • Registered: 2010-11-18
  • Posts: 1,963

Re: Cheapest way to get a shitbox from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles

Judge Phil wrote:

They just ask for the license plate number to make it easier for the driver to find the car.

Now, the AAA urban legend I want verified is the one that says they'll tow your car home if you're too drunk to drive it. A AAA tow driver told me that one, though it was 20 years ago.


There is any easy way to find out.

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  • From: Houston, TX
  • Registered: 2012-06-21
  • Posts: 1,608

Re: Cheapest way to get a shitbox from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles

No experience with AAA, but I used my mom's Good Sam RV coverage until I became too old to be reasonably considered a dependent. If my destination was ever beyond the range of coverage (to the nearest auto shop), I just had to pay the mileage difference. Just having the hookup covered is a big savings, though.

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  • Spank
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Re: Cheapest way to get a shitbox from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles

racinrob wrote:
Judge Phil wrote:

They just ask for the license plate number to make it easier for the driver to find the car.

Now, the AAA urban legend I want verified is the one that says they'll tow your car home if you're too drunk to drive it. A AAA tow driver told me that one, though it was 20 years ago.


There is any easy way to find out.

I see a penalty here.

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15 Reply by fyremanbill (edited by fyremanbill 2015-03-10 12:42 AM)

  • Registered: 2012-11-27
  • Posts: 167

Re: Cheapest way to get a shitbox from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles

What you need is somebody with an unattached 2015 registration sicker and some double sided tape.  Let me know if I can help...I'm on the way!

  • gump
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  • From: el aye, so cal
  • Registered: 2011-06-01
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Re: Cheapest way to get a shitbox from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles

I've used my AAA Platinum membership to transport our Lemons race car several times.  Only once did the driver give me a hard time.  Eventually, though, Andrew Jackson convinced him it was OK.

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  • Registered: 2013-05-16
  • Posts: 18

Re: Cheapest way to get a shitbox from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles

So, good news. AAA didn't even flinch. The dispatch questioned me when I asked for a flatbed, and I explained it's a really old car and I'm kind of paranoid it might not like getting dragged. The driver obviously knew what was up and was totally cool with it. When he asked why it wouldn't run, my response was "it's old and shitty?". Good enough for him.

Here's a picture of my birthday present on the truck for fun:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1587161/opel_tow.png

  • gunn
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  • Registered: 2010-12-18
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Re: Cheapest way to get a shitbox from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles

Judge Phil wrote:

I have used AAA to tow many, many unplated/uninsured/unregistered hoopties, and have never been turned down yet. All you need to do is tell the driver you bought the car and it wouldn't start, and you totally expected it to start, so shocking that it won't run, etc. The tow company gets the commission if the tow happens, so they have no incentive to say no to you.

Just keep the story simple, say you just bought the car and couldn't make it work.

FWIW, I have been turned down on a donor car. It had no front lights though (old man ran the donor car into a tree and parked it) even though it drove around on its own power ... In hindsight, should have just put my (then still legit) plates on it and pushed my case.

-g

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