Often, new products are slow to be embraced by an industry, especially when they might appear to disrupt a well-established existing technology. Water has been used to cool engines for almost 100 years for good reasons: nothing transfers heat better than water, the cost is low, and it is abundant. The trade-off of water’s superior heat transfer capabilities vs its low boiling point and corrosiveness has defied solution by conventional coolant means. Engine manufacturers have been combating heat transfer issues with a multitude of modifications; larger fans, more efficient radiators, additives, and applying engine performance limitations.

Antifreeze was developed to overcome the shortcomings of water as a heat transfer fluid in an engine. Glycols have been used with water, usually in a 50/50 mix to protect from freezing. Corrosion inhibitors are added to help protect vehicles’ radiators, which often are composed of a range of electrochemically incompatible metals. Although corrosion inhibitors are added to the ethylene glycol water mix, they eventually drop out and the coolant needs to be periodically replaced.

As previously stated, water has superior heat transfer capabilities, but it MUST remain in its liquid state to do the job – and that is only between the temperatures of 32° F and 212°F. When water turns to vapor it loses 96% of its effectiveness, and that’s when things start to happen in a hurry.

Evans waterless coolant protects from minus 40°F to 375°F. That’s right; Evans coolant doesn’t boil until 375°F and therefore provides a wide safety margin between the operating temperature and the coolant’s boiling point.

When water begins to boil it turns to vapor, builds pressure and traps air bubbles that prevent efficient heat transfer. The vapor insulates the metal from the liquid and hot spots form. That’s where the trouble begins.

With Evans waterless coolant, no water vapor also means there is no evaporation of coolant, eliminating the need for “topping off” the system, unless of course you have a leak. Evans maintains its liquid state and provides continual liquid to metal contact.

Coolant overheating and “afterboil” have been eliminated, and your coolant system will never boil over. The coolant additives in Evans waterless formula stay suspended in the coolant nearly indefinitely, eliminating the need to change the coolant.

Typically, cooling systems have a 10 to 15 lb. pressure cap to raise the boiling point. Each pound of pressure raises the boiling point by about three degrees, which means a 15 lb. cap would raise the boiling point to over 250° F. Evans operates under a much lower pressure, (about 3 – 4 psi) decreasing stress on hoses and gaskets, reducing the likelihood of leaks. Additionally, a lower pressure brings an added safety element to the operator. Opening the cap on a hot radiator can result in severe injury to anyone within a few feet of the radiator.

Cooling system failures account for 40% of maintenance problems and the resulting downtime is costly. A high boiling point can be important in an engine running in hot, dusty, dirty conditions. A radiator can clog easily leading to overheating, severe engine damage, and costly down time. Nothing will disrupt an operation faster than an overheated engine. Missed, or delayed deliveries can cost more money than cumulative maintenance issues.

With its high boiling point, Evans has the capacity to safely operate at higher temperatures and protect the engine at temperatures well above the boiling point of water. Overheating is avoided – even with heavy loads, high temperatures and under hostile operating conditions. Continual, reliable operation under in a stressful environment may be the most valuable advantage to using a waterless coolant.

Water is universally recognized as the root cause of corrosion and erosion inside engine blocks and cooling systems. While additives do a good job of protection, they eventually fall out and protection is diminished over time.

Water contributes to pump and cylinder liner cavitation, corrosion and electrolysis, as well as hot spots that can damage engines. Cylinder liner cavitation alone can require an engine rebuild. Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) tested Evans waterless coolant in the John Deere Cavitation Test in April 2009, along with multiple water-based coolants, and the results were impressive. Evans tested about 70% better than the previously best tested coolant against cylinder liner cavitation erosion.

With Evans future replacement and disposal costs are avoided. The additives stay stable and in suspension during storage and it is not necessary to use supplemental coolant additives (SCA’s) or extenders with Evans waterless coolants. Evans is a maintenance free coolant and lifetime coolant, and chemically treated filters should be replaced with non-chemical filters after a conversion to Evans waterless coolant.

There is nothing more abundant or useful on earth as water. It sustains life and we can’t live without it. But we can live without it in our engines.

To learn more about Evans waterless cooling technology visit
www.evanscooling.com.

Tow Ramps are a convenient and lightweight accessory product for any tow operation. Available in several dimensions and sizes, the most popular product in the Tow Ramps line is the Flatbed HD Tow Ramps – 2 Piece – 7×10.

Tow Ramps provide safety when loading and unloading low-clearance vehicles including luxury and exotics, sports cars and modified race vehicles. Eliminating the use of unstable wood boards, Tow Ramps, made of 100% solid core construction, provide a solid low approach angle incline that helps load and unload vehicles safely.

Lightweight, the two-piece Tow Ramps can be easily maneuvered when in use and equally as convenient to store in the cab. Each 2-piece side weighs just 13.5 pounds and spans 74” long x 10” wide x 7” tall when put together. Finished with a durable coating that prevents slipping or sliding no matter the surface, Tow Ramps support up to a 10,000 pound vehicle and are virtually indestructible.

In addition to function, Tow Ramps provide a top-notch professional appearance that speaks volumes when transporting luxury and exotic cars. For ultra-low clearance vehicles, also available are Xtender Ramps which further decrease the angle of approach onto the flatbed.

With a typical two-week turnaround time, Tow Ramps can also be custom designed and produced to suit special applications.

A newly introduced product that complements any tow job is the Tow Mat which is finished with a durable coating on one side while providing comfortable support for tow truck operators on the other side as they may need to work on less than comfortable and/or ideal surfaces at times.

Tow Ramps are Made in the USA by Brute Technologies in Escanaba, MI. To see more Tow Ramps, visit www.towramps.com or call (866) 464-2788.

Product Info
Flatbed HD Tow Ramps – 2 Piece – 7×10
Product ID: BT-TT-7-10-2
Retail: $340

Xtender Ramps for 7×10 Tow Ramps:
Product ID: BT-TT-7-EX-10
Retail: $148

Tow Mat:
Product ID: BT:TMAT
Retail: $39

Company Info:
Brute Technologies
www.towramps.com
support@raceramps.com
(866) 464-2788

If you are like most Tow Operators, you probably already have some level of diversification. You may use your rollback to both tow cars and transport equipment OR maybe you have both rollbacks and big wreckers so you work different types of wrecks OR maybe you have an impound yard and charge storage fees. These are all good sources of diversification.

If you are considering diversifying your business further, we suggest you continue to diversify intelligently. What (do we mean by this?) does it mean to diversify intelligently?

• Take stock of your existing resources and start with a simple plan to expand their uses. Do you have a Rollback truck and a storage yard? How can you get more “use” out of them? Rather than starting something completely new, consider new ways to use what you already have.
• Make sure you take measurable steps to which you and your employees can adapt. Too much change too quickly could backfire. You don’t have to do something outside of your existing skill set. Stick to what you do well-Towing!

-If done properly, diversification is SAFE and helps create more stable cash flow.

One possible option to help diversify your towing business is through the Snappy Box Moving and Storage Tow Operator Program. Snappy Box is making it easy for towing operators to use the resources they already have (such as standard rollback trucks and a storage yard) to easily add portable storage. Snappy Box uses their 11 years of industry experience to offer a turn-key management program that runs all aspects of the portable storage business and allows the operator to continue to focus on their towing business.

-The Portable Storage industry was created to provide a more convenient option for customers needing self-storage. The portable storage container is brought to the customer’s home or business where they pack it up. Once it is packed, it can be stored at the customer’s property or brought back to a portable storage company’s secure outdoor storage lot.

-With the increasing financial pressures that are facing towing operators, adding portable storage provides a way to diversify and produce consistent revenue when times are slow. On average the containers rent for about $175.00 per month and stay rented for about 6 months. When towing a portable storage unit, you get paid for the transport and collect recurring revenue from the monthly rental.

With positive growth every year for 11 straight years, Snappy Box knows how to rent containers. With your towing experience, you know how to tow containers. Working together, Snappy Box rents the containers while you focus on transporting the containers.

Snappy Box is here to help you use your existing resources to safely and slowly build on what you already do well – towing – whether it is towing a car or towing a container. -Some of the features Snappy Box provides is a sales-focused call center, online lead generation, marketing plan, billing/collections system, dispatching, social media campaign, website with quote system, landing page, and operational software.

Snappy Box sells containers uniquely designed to be moved loaded with standard rollback trucks. The containers are waterproof, stackable, collapsible, secure, quickly assembled, lightweight and aesthetically pleasing. They come in two sizes, 8’ x 16’ and 8’ x 19’. These containers are extremely durable, typically have a 30-year life cycle, can carry up to 10,000 pounds and withstand winds up to 120 miles an hour. These containers are uniquely designed for the towing industry and have four wheels that allow the containers to roll on and off your truck without damaging the bed.

With Spring coming in a few months, now is a great time to consider all the benefits of diversifying your business and finding additional sources of revenue through portable self-storage. When you diversify with Snappy Box you are able to strategically scale the growth of your business with a manageable initial order quantity because Snappy Box can ship containers in groups of 12 at a time.

Now is the absolute BEST time to get into Portable Self Storage. Most families try to move when their kids are out of school. Late Spring and Summer have traditionally been considered “moving season” – the time when most folks try to schedule moves from one house to another or schedule major home renovations. It takes 3-4 months to get containers delivered, so now is the time to order to make sure that they arrive before “moving season.”

If you are looking for a way to diversify your towing business, create additional revenue for your business, utilize your trucks and drivers through slow times, and safely scale the growth of your business, then Snappy Box Moving and Storage® may be a great solution for you. Talk to a Snappy Box representative about how portable storage can be a helpful way to diversify intelligently. To find out more about their services, check them out at www.snappybox.com/towing or call 803-553-0002.

50/60 Ton Rotator – S130 Outriggers
Jerr-Dan proudly introduced its S130 Outrigger option for the 50/60 Ton Rotator in November at the American Towman Exhibition. Based on the proven S100 scissor style outrigger design, the S130 has been introduced in response to “Voice of the Customer” feedback requesting increased capacity at extreme reach. The S130 Outrigger option provides an increased “over the side” wrecker boom lifting capacity of up to 30% compared to the S100. We have also provided an “over the front” load chart for this option, which increases the working envelope by 40%.

Jerr-Dan’s S100 and S130 scissor style outrigger systems allow the truck to be leveled on uneven terrain. The S130 Outrigger system will level the truck on a maximum of a 7.5 degree slope (without cribbing) while providing the same 6 point platform as the S100 for greater rear and rear corner stability.

Both options also have a “Lock Out” pin system, which in combination with the claw feet, provide anchoring for side pull scenarios.

S130 Outriggers are now available on all 50/60 Ton Rotators.

Introduction of the Twin Steer JFB Body for the Rotator
Jerr-Dan proudly announces the extension of the JFB Body Series offering to accommodate Peterbilt and Kenworth Twin Steer chassis for the 50/60 Ton Rotator. The Twin Steer option is available on a 252” C.T. Kenworth or Peterbilt chassis with 40,000 lb. tandem front axles at a 108” spread. This chassis option helps to reduce the overall body length, provide better weight distribution and improved turning radius.
Focus on maximized fuel capacity and better egress to cab were priorities for this design.

The new Twin Steer body has the same features as the current JFB Body Series including; outstanding storage capacity with the ability to accommodate the Florida DOT Rapid Incident Scene Clearance (RISC) tools and rigging. The JFB features aluminum roll‐up doors with painted or brushed finish and rear & top body access. The body also includes LED interior compartment lights, 36 LED side marker lights and 8 side & 2 rear amber strobes. A wide variety of tool management system options and incident management equipment kits are available.

For more information on the Jerr-Dan JFB Body Series Rotator with Twin Steer
chassis option visit www.jerrdan.com or contact your local distributor.