Recovery trailer or beavertail truck to collect a clutchless pick up truck

[Randomnerd]

An old mate of mine near Oxford has a Ford Ranger pick up for me to replace my rusted old thing, which is on its last legs. His truck is fine, minus a clutch, just gone, so I need to recover it to North Yorkshire with a beavertail or trailer / truck combo with a winch.
Can anyone recommend a service in Oxfordshire or more widely they know who would do this for a reasonable sum. So far Shiply have offered four firms who all want £350 ish, which is too rich for me.
Or know of a hire firm in Yorkshire who have recovery outfits for hire, so I could trip down myself. Not a bad job in a long day, with a few sounds and the window down.
Or anyone who'd know someone who would like the job and a weekend in North Yorkshire, near York, with accomms. I have a nearby shepherd's hut on a farm for hire, for a good deal, all nicely sorted for a weekend away.
Thanks in advance

 

[fossyant]

Travel to Oxford on the train, phone AA to say you've broken down and need towing home (assuming you are a member).

TBH going back to Yorkshire might be taking the wee wee.

They were really good with my son - killed his ECU, came out and diagnosed it as 'dead'. Son got another but it needed the immobiliser etc re-coding, so they came back when he had the parts and towed him about 15 miles to a specialist that could fix it.

 

[battered]

An old mate of mine near Oxford has a Ford Ranger pick up for me to replace my rusted old thing, which is on its last legs. His truck is fine, minus a clutch, just gone, so I need to recover it to North Yorkshire with a beavertail or trailer / truck combo with a winch.
Can anyone recommend a service in Oxfordshire or more widely they know who would do this for a reasonable sum. So far Shiply have offered four firms who all want £350 ish, which is too rich for me.
Or know of a hire firm in Yorkshire who have recovery outfits for hire, so I could trip down myself. Not a bad job in a long day, with a few sounds and the window down.
Or anyone who'd know someone who would like the job and a weekend in North Yorkshire, near York, with accomms. I have a nearby shepherd's hut on a farm for hire, for a good deal, all nicely sorted for a weekend away.
Thanks in advance

That's about the going rate to be fair. £2 a mile, it's nearly 200 miles. You say the clutch is gone, as in totally? Will the old can of Coke trick fix it to get you home? Alternatively, you can tow the thing yourself. Stay pff the motorways, it will take all day, but you can do it.

 

[battered]

Also if you ring round local garages you might get it done for £not much, they all have trucks and if you aren't in a rush then they can do it when they have a spare day. It's still going to be over £200, they're into £80-100 fuel and a day's pay. In addition, £350 recovery goes a long way towards a clutch replacement done by a local garage.

 

[Jody]

Travel to Oxford on the train, phone AA to say you've broken down and need towing home (assuming you are a member).

This ^

I did the exact same thing with my Skoda when the diff let go. I just parked it on the road outside my parents in Sheffield and advised I had just set off to work in Birmingham when it broke. 3 hours later me and the car were in Birmingham.

If you don't have cover, take someone who has.

 

[Profpointy]

Clutch slipping, or won't disengage (eg broken cable)?

It's possible to drive a car with broken cable (or blown seal if hydraulic). First, you start the car and warm it up. Then turn it off, stick it in first, and start it up in gear. After a bunny hop or two, you're moving, and providing you have a little bit of mechanical sympathy, you should be able to change gear without the clutch. This doesn't work well in stop-start traffic or queues, and reverse parking / manoeuvring is out entirely! If you do it too much you will wreck the synchro rings in the gearbox and the starter motor, so it's really a only get-you-home expedient.

On the other hand if the clutch is slipping/worn out to the extent if the car being underivable I guess you could fix it where it stands then drive it home, otherwise you are going to need a tow of some sort

 

[Randomnerd]

Thanks CC hive mind. I knew you'd be thinking straight.
I'm in the AA but only the basic "to the nearest garage" and not Home Relay. Would look a little sus if I altered my policy and had a need the next week, and I not comfy hoodwinking them.
I'm okay with mechanicals but don't fancy wrestling the truck 200 miles with a duff clutch. The gearboxes aren't that clever and, knowing my luck, would be shattered by Daventry
Fixing it there is the best option. Friend put me off with the mad quotes he got locally. Average £1200. He was given a load of bull about only using Ford parts I guess. Luk Sachs kits seem good value and my lad in North Yorks has quoted five or six hours work, so that's why I figured bringing it back.
The vehicle is near Faringdon, if anyone has a tame spannerman in the neighbourhood. I'll follow up a kind DM from a member too
Thanks all. Thoughts gratefully received.