Salvage Towing Tonimbuk – When people think towing, the first thing that comes to mind is breakdowns on the freeway. (And that is an important service we offer.) However, from time to time we are called on to provide vehicle recovery services when cars are stolen and recovered in parks and state forests – this is salvage towing.
Salvaging these cars can be a difficult job. Often they are dumped and torched after being stolen and usually in difficult to reach locations. Rusty, burned out cars are of course dangerous for locals enjoying their state forests and parks as well as native wildlife, so most councils try to recover the vehicles as much as possible. Insurers also look to recover the vehicle, regardless of its condition.
Often local riders or bushwalkers discover the car, and notify police, which eventually leads to us. In this case study, a car was found in Tonimbuk, a semi-rural area to the south east of Melbourne – in between Pakenham and Drouin.
Firstly one of our managers visited the location to assess the site and create a plan for recovery of the vehicle. The next day, the salvage team was there to get it done.
Here’s our gallery showing exactly how we got the car out. Don’t try this at home – this is a job best left to professionals.
The police leave markers to help us find the vehicle in heavy scrub.
With the undergrowth quite thick, we were forced to trim back shrubs and grasses to make way for our trucks to gain access. The car had been in the spot for some time and the track to reach it was only partially accessible.
A winch and snatch blocks was set up to get the car out of the shrub and into a more accessible part of the track. This is where the majority of the man hours is chewed up, about six hours was spent just wrangling the car from its delicate position, atop fallen logs and surrounded by undergrowth.
It’s as if car thieves try to make it extra hard for salvage teams.
Even though the car was completely burned, we were still able to identify the vehicle from the VIN number and engine number, which are stamped on major chassis components.
We manoeuvre our tow truck as close as the nearby track will allow.
Then use a bobcat to clear undergrowth.
We use a chainsaw to clear the scrub.
Then the bobcat creates an accessible path.
The logs the car is resting on are cleared away.
Using cables, chains and snatch blocks to create a winch and pulley formation, we are able to move the car closer to the path.
Eventually the car is close enough to load onto the waiting tow truck.
Snatch blocks and pulleys are attached to any possible anchor point.
The car is dragged closer and closer.
Result – after about eight hours, the car is loaded on to the tow truck and we are ready to go.
