Template:Infobox vehicles
The Tow Truck, or Towtruck, is, as implied, a name for a series of hook-and-chain tow trucks featured in Grand Theft Auto 2, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, The Lost and Damned downloadable episodic pack for Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto V. The name of the tow truck in GTA San Andreas and The Lost and Damned are rendered in a single word, "Towtruck". Each variant of the towtruck sports amber flashing lights, however these cannot be operated by the player.
Design
GTA 2
The Tow Truck debuted in GTA 2 as a towing vehicle based on the chassis of a large truck, 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. The vehicle also 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.
GTA San Andreas
In GTA San Andreas, the Tow Truck gains the ability to tow other vehicles. This can be very useful for transporting locked cars, or special vehicles in the game. It can also tow other types of vehicles, including helicopters and airplanes. The Tow Truck, somewhat, resembles a seventh generation F-Series Ford Wrecker. A fun thing to do with this ability is to spawn as many Tow Trucks the player desires and connect all those trucks, as if it were a train.
HD Era
GTA The Lost and Damned
A Towtruck in TLAD (Rear quarter view).
The Vapid Towtruck in GTA IV's The Lost and Damned appears to be the same make as the Slamvan, which resembles a second generation Ford F-Series tow truck. However, the headlights and grille look like they are from a 1975-'79 Ford Econoline van, and the windshield and door tops awkwardly appear to be from a 1980's Ford F-Series. Constantly featuring "Native Engines" company logos on its doors, it is rusty and in disrepair, and has a distorted horn, much like the "beater" variants of the Emperor, Sabre, and Vigero. As in GTA 2, the Towtruck is incapable of towing anything.
GTA V
The Towtruck looks the same as in The Lost and Damned. It is in red color and if you look closely, it has a hook scratching the road which means that it will possibly be able to lift vehicles. There is also a bigger tow truck possibly for towing large vehicles like trucks or vans.
Side view of the tow truck.
A Towtruck in GTA V.
Performance
Despite being a tow truck, the Tow Truck in GTA San Andreas is very fast, but has a tad understeer, and stiff suspensions that render it unstable when negotiating uneven terrain. It is also a durable vehicle, and can even survive a collision with Rhino (which normally blows up weaker vehicles on impact). This can be espacially helpfull when the Los Santos Riots break out, as it can take quite a number of bullets and survive close up explosions.
HD Era
The Towtruck in TLAD 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 and slightly overpowered engine also results in the Towtruck suffering from minor sliding after tight turns.
Trivia
- The Tow Truck plays the following radio stations by default when entered:
- K-DST in GTA San Andreas.
- Liberty Rock Radio 97.8 in The Lost And Damned.
- Oddly, In GTA San Andreas The Tow Truck shares a horn with Super GT.
- In GTA San Andreas, if certain vehicles are towed by the Tow Truck, some glitches may occur. For example, 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 you tow 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.
- The Lost And Damned towtrucks has the same horn as the beater Vigero.
Locations
- GTA 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.
- GTA 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.
- GTA The Lost and Damned
- Usually driving around Bohan.
- Usually driving around in Northern Alderney if you ride any of the TLAD bikes, e.g. Hexer.
- Spawns all around Alderney. Usually Berchem, Normandy, Leftwood, Alderney City, or Westdyke
- Sometimes seen driving around Northwood or North Holland
- Spawns more frequently when driving around in a Slamvan
- Grand Theft Auto V
- TBA