| For other uses, see Towtruck. |
The Towtruck (formerly named "Tow Truck") is, as implied, a hook-and-chain tow truck featured in Grand Theft Auto 2, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, The Lost and Damned and Grand Theft Auto V. It is manufactured by Vapid in the HD Universe.
Design
Grand Theft Auto 2
The Tow Truck debuted in Grand Theft Auto 2 as a towing vehicle based on the chassis of a Chevrolet COE, and a cab design similar to certain large trucks in the game (including the Van, Ice Cream Van, Hot Dog Van and the G4 Bank Van); the vehicle is also available with yellow body color only.
Despite the appearances, the vehicle lacks any towing ability, unlike the Truck Cab and Truck Cab SX. It is only in Multiplayer, so most people who have GTA 2 have never driven it.
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the towtruck resembles a third generation Chevy C/K. It bears similarities with the Bobcat, only with a slightly larger grille and slightly bulkier design. A set of unusable yellow lights can be seen behind the cab.
The Towtruck is easily characterized by the black rear arm on the back, complete with a fully functional towing hook that can be connected to almost every land vehicle in the game (an ability shared with the Tractor). It is useful for stealing locked cars or cars that the player desires and putting them in property garages that CJ owns and keeping them and thus modifying them for performance when desired or for show, or for when CJ gathers GSF members and engage in a turf war.
The Lost and Damned
The Vapid Towtruck in The Lost and Damned is depicted with an older look, resembling a Chevrolet C3100 tow truck, but looks like a 1940-1950 Ford F-100. However, the headlights and grille look like they are from a 1975-'79 Ford Econoline van, and the windshield and door tops appear to be from a 1980's Ford F-Series.
The Towtruck is mostly comparable to the Slamvan in terms of design, having almost the same front and cab, with some alterations in the headlights, the grille and the front bumper. The vehicle can only be found in a beater condition, with rusty bodywork and faded "Native Engines" logos on its doors. Like the "beater" variants of the Emperor, Sabre, and Vigero, the Towtruck features a distorted horn, shared with the beater Vigero. Like GTA 2, the Towtruck cannot be used to tow vehicles.
Like most vehicles in the game, the Towtruck does not feature reversing lights, as well as unusable beacon lights. The rear hook arm is also unusable, as the towing mechanic was not implemented into the game.
Grand Theft Auto V
The Tow Truck returns for Grand Theft Auto V with the same design as in TLAD, this time with rusty paintjob and slightly dilapidated bodywork, along with license plates for both ends. Most of the markings from the previous model are absent, but makes up for a better variety of colors for the upper and lower sides (which can be changed at Los Santos Customs like any other vehicle). For the first time in the series, the amber lights on the Towtruck's roof can be activated by tapping the horn button.
Because of the re-implementation of the towing mechanics, the vehicle is capable of lifting and towing any vehicle it hooks to, including transport trucks and attached trailers, although these will require all available engine upgrades and a flat surface to make any progress with large vehicles. It is also capable of creating a chain and staying attached to other vehicles even if the player is not in it, meaning they can create large chains of tow trucks strung together without them de-spawning. These trucks can be found spawning in Paleto Bay coming in off the northern section of the highway, or in tow.
The Tow Truck is one of two fully-operable towtrucks, both sharing the same name. The vehicle is fitted with a CB radio, and occasional trucker chatter can be heard regardless of whether the main radio is turned on or off. The chatter will only play if playing as Trevor and in Blaine County.
Current Design Gallery
Version History Gallery
Performance
Grand Theft Auto 2
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Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Despite being a tow truck, the Tow Truck is very fast, but has a tad understeer. It is perfect for off-road, because of its soft suspensions, great grip, and powerful V8 engine. It is also a durable vehicle, and can even survive a collision with a Rhino, which normally destroys weaker vehicles. This can be especially useful during the Los Santos Riots, as it can take a large number of bullets and survive close up explosions. It has similar handling to the Sadler, but has a stronger engine and higher top speed. Its overall performance is tied with that of the Yosemite.
GTA San Andreas Overview
| Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) | Top Speed (mph / kmh) | Gears | Engine | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) | Mass (kg / lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 99 / 160 | 5 | Diesel | RWD | 3500 / 7716 |
| N/A | N/A | 5 | N/A | RWD | Cannot be observed |
The Lost and Damned
The HD Universe rendition of the Towtruck is considerably inferior in performance, possessing average acceleration (owed largely to its light weight) and top speed, but possesses poor steering which requires the aid of brakes to corner sharply. Its rear wheel drive configuration also results in the Towtruck suffering from minor sliding after tight turns.
For a rusty vehicle like the Towtruck, it is powered by a decent single cam V8 engine with four double barrel carburetors, similar to that of the Slamvan. Said engine is coupled to a 5-speed gearbox in a front engine, rear wheel drive layout. The engine sound is also unique, being a muscle-like sound like the Slamvan, but with a much lower pitch.
TLAD Overview
| Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) | Top Speed (mph / kmh) | Gears | Engines | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) | Mass (kg / lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 78 / 125 | 5 | N/A | RWD | 2500 / 5512 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | 5 | FR SOHC V8 w/ 4 Double Barrel Carburetors (In-game model) | RWD | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto V
The Tow Truck in GTA V returns bad, if not worse, performing. Its traction has been dramatically reduced, so much so, that the lack of power from its V8 engine causes little-to-no wheel-spin when holding the brake and accelerator, or driving against a wall. This significant power reduction makes its acceleration rate incredibly slow, and its top speed has been majorly affected by this reduction. Handling wise, the vehicle has a short turning radius, meaning it is incapable of turning sharp corners without a risk of oversteer, however, the slow speed usually makes this impossible.
GTA V Overview
| Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) | Top Speed (mph / kmh) | Gears | Engine | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) | Mass (kg / lbs) | Fuel Tank Size (litres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 62 / 100 | 4 | N/A | RWD | 5000 / 11023 | 65 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | 78 / 126 | 4 | FR SOHC V8 w/ 4 Double Barrel Carburetors (In-game model) | RWD | Cannot be observed | Cannot be observed |
 | Speed | 56.337894% | ||||
| Acceleration | 37.5% | |||||
| Braking | 8.333334% | |||||
| Traction | 48.484848% | |||||
Modifications
Grand Theft Auto V
| Category | Modification | Cost (GTA V) | Cost (GTA Online) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armor | No Armor | $100 | $200 | |
| Armor Upgrade 20% | $500 | $4,500 | ||
| Armor Upgrade 40% | $1,250 | $7,500 | ||
| Armor Upgrade 60% | $2,000 | $12,000 | ||
| Armor Upgrade 80% | $3,500 | $21,000 | ||
| Armor Upgrade 100% | $5,000 | $30,000 | ||
| Brakes | Stock Brakes | $100 | $200 | |
| Street Brakes | $2,000 | $4,000 | ||
| Sport Brakes | $2,700 | $5,400 | ||
| Race Brakes | $3,500 | $7,000 | ||
| Engine | EMS Upgrade, Level 1 | $900 | $1,800 | |
| EMS Upgrade, Level 2 | $1,250 | $2,500 | ||
| EMS Upgrade, Level 3 | $1,800 | $3,600 | ||
| EMS Upgrade, Level 4 | $3,350 | $6,700 | ||
| Explosives | Ignition Bomb | N/A | $5,000 | |
| Remote Bomb | N/A | $7,500 | ||
| Horns | Main article: Los Santos Customs/Horns | - | - | |
| Lights | Headlights | Stock Lights | $100 | $200 |
| Xenon Lights | $300 | $3,000 | ||
| Neon Kits | Main article: Los Santos Customs/Lights | - | - | |
| Loss/Theft Prevention | Tracker | N/A | $2,000 | |
| Full Coverage | N/A | $ | ||
| Plates | Blue on White 1 | $50 | $200 | |
| Blue on White 2 | $50 | $200 | ||
| Blue on White 3 | $50 | $200 | ||
| Yellow on Blue | $75 | $300 | ||
| Yellow on Black | $150 | $600 | ||
| Respray | Main article: Los Santos Customs/Respray Colors | - | - | |
| Sell | Sell Vehicle | N/A | $ | |
| Suspension | Stock Suspension | $100 | $200 | |
| Lowered Suspension | $500 | $1,000 | ||
| Street Suspension | $1,000 | $2,000 | ||
| Sport Suspension | $1,700 | $3,400 | ||
| Competition Suspension | $2,200 | $4,400 | ||
| Transmission | Stock Transmission | $100 | $200 | |
| Street Transmission | $2,950 | $5,900 | ||
| Sports Transmission | $3,250 | $6,500 | ||
| Race Transmission | $4,000 | $8,000 | ||
| Turbo | None | $500 | $1,000 | |
| Turbo Tuning | $2,500 | $30,000 | ||
| Wheels | Main article: Los Santos Customs/Wheels | - | - | |
| Windows | None | $100 | $500 | |
| Light Smoke | $200 | $1,500 | ||
| Dark Smoke | $450 | $3,500 | ||
| Limo | $700 | $5,000 | ||
Image Gallery
Prominent Appearances in Missions
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Wear Flowers in Your Hair - Jethro was working under a damaged Tow Truck when CJ and The Truth arrived at the gas station in Easter Basin.
Locations
Grand Theft Auto 2
- The vehicle is only available in the game's multiplayer modes, as it cannot be found in any districts in Anywhere City or any single-player missions.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Inside the Angel Pine Junkyard.
- Usually seen driving around Ocean Docks and its vicinity.
- Usually seen driving around at the LVA Freight Depot, Las Venturas.
- Spawn often while driving other tow trucks.
The Lost and Damned
- Usually driving around Bohan.
- Spawns all around Alderney, but appears most often in Berchem, Normandy, Leftwood, Alderney City, or Westdyke.
- Sometimes seen driving around Northwood or North Holland.
- Spawns more frequently if the player is driving a Slamvan.
- It can be seen driving around Beechwood City.
Grand Theft Auto V
- Spawns outside Beeker's Garage in Paleto Bay. It can sometimes be found with a unique black and green colour scheme.
- Can also be spotted on highways.
- Sometimes spawns on the beach down the road from the Sandy Shores Tattoo Parlor next to Marina Drive, though a Rat-Loader may be found instead.
- May spawn in front of the Los Santos Naval Port on Elysian Island during the Scouting the Port mission.
Bugs/Glitches
- On the PC, Xbox, and Mobile versions of GTA San Andreas, the towing cable and hook may sometimes disappear from the towing arm, especially when losing a towed car due to high speed and sharp turning. It will still be capable of towing vehicles without a visible hook, though.
- In GTA San Andreas, towing a Dozer and turning the Tow Truck sharply in any direction will throw the two vehicles in opposite directions with great force. Also, if towing a Packer with some vehicles on its back, the vehicles may sometimes be thrown into the air with great force, and the Packer may catch on fire and explode. Similar glitches may also occur if towing a line of multiple Tow Trucks. The same applies to the Tractor.
- In GTA V, towing a vehicle and storing the Tow Truck in the protagonist's personal garage will cause the vehicle being towed to enter the garage with the Tow Truck. However, the vehicle will remain attached to the Towtruck and may damage other vehicles in the garage.
- The Towtruck could originally be obtained in GTA Online via the use of a glitch, but this has now been patched.
- Using Franklin's special ability to perform sharp turning whilst towing a vehicle will cause the tow to glitch, resulting the vehicle flinging erratically.
Trivia
General
- The default radio stations for the Tow Truck are:
- GTA SA: K-DST.
- TLAD: Liberty Rock Radio 97.8.
- GTA V: Rebel Radio.
Three daisy-chained Tow Trucks, with the third towing a Hydra.
- It is possible to daisy-chain multiple Tow Trucks together and create long, millipede-like trains of connected vehicles. However, these connections become considerably more unstable the longer the chain stretches.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- The Tow Truck can tow aircraft as heavy as the Nevada.
- Oddly, the Tow Truck shares the same horn with the Super GT.
Episodes from Liberty City
- The hood of the Tow Truck will not break off, even when destroyed. This also applies to its van counterpart, the Slamvan.
Grand Theft Auto V
- Unlike for most vehicles, if the Clown horn is installed, the horn will repeat itself until the button is released.
- Also, when driving the Towtruck to Los Santos Customs, the Clown horn is the only horn available for a preview.
Grand Theft Auto Online
- There is a grille option for the Slamvan Custom, the Apocalypse Slamvan and the Nightmare Slamvan called "70s Hybrid Grille", which gives these vehicles a similar front end to that of the Towtruck.
- The equivalent for the Future Shock Slamvan is the "Cross Beam" grille.
See also
- Towtruck - Yankee-based tow truck.
- Slamvan - Whose GTA V rendition draws similarities with the Towtruck.
