Had electrical fire 1100 miles from home need HELP!!

[themickeyd]

I hate posting this but I just had a pretty major electrical fire in my sidecar. While going to breakfast my son put a dime in the electrical outlet on the dash of my escort. By the time I was able to pull over there was smoke coming from under the dash and then the electrical connector to the bike started smoking and melting, followed by smoke comining out from under the seat. Luckly everybody was able to get out with much more than a red spot on a finger.

 

I unplugged the sidecar but it doesn't appear that the sidecar was wired very well when it was put together for me as they didn't use the right sized fuses and it appears to have fried my dash panel on my Royal Star Venture. I cannot get the brake lights or turn signals to work but all the running lights are working. The connector is fried, wires melted enough to break and the wires under the seat are melted pretty bad. I tied calling SideStrider to see if they could help but I havent gotten a call back yet. I'm not sure about getting home or what to do. Any help in the Universal City area of Los Angeles would be greatly appreciated.

 

Ron McDonald

Normaly from Lakewood Washington but currently stranded in Los Angeles

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Wow! Good thing the laptop wasnt plugged in or you might not have been able to post this!

 

 

Fried laptops are not a good thing.

 

 

I'm 1300 miles from LA...but maybe someone out there can help you.

[etcswjoe]

Don't forget the VR Assistance list. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/memberlist.php?&field12=2&order=asc&sort=location&pp=30&page=1

[royalstarjac]

It sounds like more than a minor rewire job. You will most likely need a new wiring harness. Any dealers close by?

[skydoc_17]

Call your Ins. Company and verify that you have "Fire and Theft " Ins. on your scoot. If so, get a rental car, have it towed to the shop and pick it up when it is finished. If you don't have that kind of Ins. Go to UHAUL and rent the smallest TRUCK that will hold the scoot,(With Hack, unless it can be removed) like a furniture truck and truck the scoot home. I don't think this is going to be a "roadside repair", unless Muffinman is visiting LA. The brake lights are toast because the CMU is fried. I am sorry for your loss, I hope you will be able to minimize the inconvenience.

Earl

[Dragonslayer]

I hate posting this but I just had a pretty major electrical fire in my sidecar. While going to breakfast my son put a dime in the electrical outlet on the dash of my escort. By the time I was able to pull over there was smoke coming from under the dash and then the electrical connector to the bike started smoking and melting, followed by smoke comining out from under the seat. Luckly everybody was able to get out with much more than a red spot on a finger.

 

I unplugged the sidecar but it doesn't appear that the sidecar was wired very well when it was put together for me as they didn't use the right sized fuses and it appears to have fried my dash panel on my Royal Star Venture. I cannot get the brake lights or turn signals to work but all the running lights are working. The connector is fried, wires melted enough to break and the wires under the seat are melted pretty bad. I tied calling SideStrider to see if they could help but I havent gotten a call back yet. I'm not sure about getting home or what to do. Any help in the Universal City area of Los Angeles would be greatly appreciated.

 

Ron McDonald

Normaly from Lakewood Washington but currently stranded in Los Angeles

If you can get it back home GeorgeS is near Seattle and is an elecrical guru wizard. He helped me trouble shoot and repair my bike via e-mail, post and phone calls. He is a retired airlines mechanic. I can't speak for him but he might be willing to help out.

[themickeyd]

If you can get it back home GeorgeS is near Seattle and is an elecrical guru wizard. He helped me trouble shoot and repair my bike via e-mail, post and phone calls. He is a retired airlines mechanic. I can't speak for him but he might be willing to help out.

 

Kinda strange to find maybe he one person that can help is from where I live

[Phil Gigliotti]

I am in Hemet about 100 miles away, if you have no better options I could pick you and the bike up and see if we can get you up and running good luck Phil

[Motorpig]

I also live in Hemet, i would be willing to help you out as well...just let me know.

 

Clint

[themickeyd]

Thanks for the offers, what I have currently figured out is that I was able to get the brake lights and the LEFT turn signals to work. The right turn light on the bike stays on full time with do difference if the left one is working or not. My sidecar has a electric trim system to help correct for load. When it burned it was pretty much in the up postion which may make it on the unfun side to ride. I have pretty much figured its going home in the back of a rental or perhaps shipped back (though I think that may be difficult since they only give general picks such as between 1 & 10 days). Rental truck is looking good but need to figure out how to get that sucker in there.

 

Ron

[davecb]

I'm a little lost here...Isn't an escort made by Ford????????????????????????????

[Snaggletooth]

Ron,

 

Your best bet for loading the dead rig is find your rental truck and then contact a local towing company and ask for a tow truck with a recovery flat bed.

 

They can tilt the bed down and winch the rig onto it then raise the bed to the level of the box floor of the rental truck and be able to roll in in.

 

I've done this a couple of times with dead trikes. A few more $$'s to spend but less chance of more damage.

 

Good luck.

 

Mike

[Snaggletooth]

Davecb

 

I'm sure Rons a bit busy so I'll throw this in.

 

Escort.............also made by Champion.

[themickeyd]

That's a great idea that I would have never thought of. Thanks!

 

Ron,

 

Your best bet for loading the dead rig is find your rental truck and then contact a local towing company and ask for a tow truck with a recovery flat bed.

 

They can tilt the bed down and winch the rig onto it then raise the bed to the level of the box floor of the rental truck and be able to roll in in.

 

I've done this a couple of times with dead trikes. A few more $$'s to spend but less chance of more damage.

 

Good luck.

 

Mike

[skydoc_17]

You should be able to find a Harbor Freight, or a Wal-mart close by. Purchase a "Come-a-Long", a ratcheting cable lift for about $20.00 or so. Attach the Come-a-long inside the truck, (you may need to "Extend" the length of the come-a-long with a motorcycle tie down when you first start pulling it into the truck, another good purchase to make) Pull the bike as far up into the truck as you can, block the wheels, use the come-a-long again, (possibly without the tie down this time) and keep moving the bike into the truck. When finally all the way in the truck, use the tie downs you purchased, (and the come-a-long makes an excellent tie down) to secure the bike for the ride home. While on your way home, check the bike from time to time to make sure it hasn't shifted.

Be patient with yourself during the load, and be careful, use gloves with the come-a-long.

Keep your son at a safe distance, preferably in the cab of the truck.

Good luck,

Earl

[Guest tx2sturgis]

You should be able to find a Harbor Freight, or a Wal-mart close by. Purchase a "Come-a-Long", a ratcheting cable lift for about $20.00 or so. Attach the Come-a-long inside the truck, (you may need to "Extend" the length of the come-a-long with a motorcycle tie down when you first start pulling it into the truck, another good purchase to make) Pull the bike as far up into the truck as you can, block the wheels, use the come-a-long again, (possibly without the tie down this time) and keep moving the bike into the truck. When finally all the way in the truck, use the tie downs you purchased, (and the come-a-long makes an excellent tie down) to secure the bike for the ride home. While on your way home, check the bike from time to time to make sure it hasn't shifted.

Be patient with yourself during the load, and be careful, use gloves with the come-a-long.

Keep your son at a safe distance, preferably in the cab of the truck.

Good luck,

Earl

 

In all the rental type moving trucks I've seen, there is no way to hook a come-along to the inside. Most of those trucks have wall racks that have slots, but I'm not sure they will be strong enough. And this doesnt get the wheels up to the rear tailgate of the moving truck. Most of them have a center sliding ramp, but this wont work for a sidehack rig.

 

 

Some Wal-Marts and Harbor freights sell aluminum ATV/Riding Mower ramps. About $100 or so.

 

Then you would have a way to get it OUT of the truck as well.

 

Just my:2cents:

Edited November 9, 2010 by tx2sturgis

[themickeyd]

I thought of this but the flat bed would end up being around the same price. (at least using the price of having my truck brought home a year ago.)

 

Some Wal-Marts and Harbor freights sell aluminum ATV/Riding Mower ramps. About $100 or so.

 

Then you would have a way to get it OUT of the truck as well.

 

Just my:2cents:

[Guest tx2sturgis]

I thought of this but the flat bed would end up being around the same price. (at least using the price of having my truck brought home a year ago.)

 

 

If there is a Harbor Freight near you, then something here might work:

 

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?category=&q=ramp

 

 

Are you sitting in a motel with no transportation? Did you rent a car? Or are you 'afoot'?

 

 

 

[Snaggletooth]

Ron,

 

Is the bike able to run at all or is it completely Fubar? If it is able to run safely with no risk of burning up more loom you might check for bigger local bike dealers close at hand. Some have a ramp built to unload pickup and straight trucks. Even a heavy equipmet dealer would have a ramp to load and unload.

 

Even some bigger grocery store have hydraulic docks that go from ground level to about 5 ft. high. Most of those will handle about 5 tons.

 

Just thinking out loud.

 

Keep us posted on your progress when you can.

 

Mike

[Guest tx2sturgis]

http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/22946417#video=22936770

 

Now THIS is an electrical malfunction!

 

 

[Snaggletooth]

Yep....I was just watching that on the news. Kinda puts a kink in the cruise don't it.

[Lone Eagle]

Did someone say Drinks on the House - LOL.

[themickeyd]

Ron,

 

Your best bet for loading the dead rig is find your rental truck and then contact a local towing company and ask for a tow truck with a recovery flat bed.

 

They can tilt the bed down and winch the rig onto it then raise the bed to the level of the box floor of the rental truck and be able to roll in in.

 

I've done this a couple of times with dead trikes. A few more $$'s to spend but less chance of more damage.

 

Good luck.

 

Mike

 

:clap2:Another big thanks for this idea, I had the bike in the back in less than 2 minutes. And it was a lot cheaper & quicker than buying a ramp that was strong enough for the bike. I'm pulling the bike out the truck this morning and pulling off the sidecar (all the wiring has to be replaced). Then time to figure out the radiator fan & right turn signal problem.

[Snaggletooth]

Ron,

 

Glad you got it taken care of. I spent a lot of years in transportation safety and have friend that owns a towing company. I've seen a lot of different vehicles recovered from some of the oddest places. Every now and then something has popped up that I've been able to use what I've seen and apply it to the bikes. Like I said before, trikes are a bear to move when they give up the ghost. Sidecar rig, about the same.

 

Someday I'll tell ya about the John Deer tractor we had to recover that was hanging from an Oak tree. That you don't see every day.

 

But you're home... the bikes ready to work on so you are in good shape. Let the wiring project begin.

 

Keep us posted on your progress.

 

Mike

[mike_kelly_68]

"Someday I'll tell ya about the John Deer tractor we had to recover that was hanging from an Oak tree. That you don't see every day. "

 

More likely to see that in your neck of the woods. Lived in St Louis for a while and currently in Central FL twisters throw some wild things around.