Towing in Ripon, WI
Towing in Ripon, WI from Oshkosh Towing & Roadside covers wheel-lift towing for front-drive cars, flatbed towing for AWD and electric models, accident towing and motorcycle towing, along with roadside assistance such as jump starts, lockouts, fuel delivery and flat tire changes. When a car has left the pavement, our operators handle winch-outs and ditch pulls, rigging with snatch blocks and soft straps. We move light-duty and medium-duty vehicles, and you hear the price from dispatch before the truck starts toward you.
Ripon is a city of 7,863 people (2020 census) in the northwest corner of Fond du Lac County. Our trucks get there from Oshkosh in about 21 miles on WIS 44, the diagonal state highway that runs through Pickett. We also tow in Fond du Lac.
Licensed and insured
Flatbed and wheel-lift trucks
Three State Highways Meet in Downtown Ripon
Downtown Ripon grew up where WIS 23, WIS 44 and WIS 49 come together on Blackburn, Fond du Lac and Oshkosh streets. WisDOT's 2024 counts show 8,100 vehicles a day on Oshkosh St between Douglas and Stanton, 7,900 on West Fond du Lac St, and 7,300 where all three routes share the road between Blackburn and Metomen.
Those are small-city numbers, but they all squeeze into a few blocks. A fender bender at the junction, a sedan that quits at a light, a pickup with a shredded tire: a wheel-lift tow truck clears most of these quickly and keeps the curb lane open for everyone else.
Out of Town on WIS 44 and WIS 49
WIS 44 and WIS 49 share the pavement for six miles south of town, and WIS 23 heads west to Green Lake and east toward Rosendale and Fond du Lac. Up at the Oshkosh end, WIS 44 between Ripon Ln and Koeller Rd carries 12,500 vehicles a day (2026). Long, open rural stretches like these are where we find slide-offs after snow and breakdowns far from a shoulder wide enough to work on.
When Does Winter Parking Towing Start in Ripon?
Ripon's winter parking restrictions begin on Nov. 15. A Ripon Police alert from the 2013-14 season banned parking on every city street from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. through March 31, with residential permits available. Rules can change, so check with the Ripon Police Department before leaving a car on the street overnight.
If your car was towed off a city street, call the Ripon Police non-emergency line first to learn where it went. A tow from a posted private lot follows different rules. Under Wisconsin's Trans 319, a private-property tow is capped at $150 by any method, storage at $25 per 24 hours outdoors or $35 indoors, and the tow company cannot add gate or administrative fees.
Our own Ripon calls in winter tend to be the other kind: a car that will not start after a frozen night on the street, or one the plow buried so deep it needs a short winch pull before it can move.
Deer, Farm Roads and Sub-Zero Nights
Fond du Lac County logged 683 deer crashes in 2024, sixth-most in Wisconsin. County E and the town roads around Ripon run through farmland and woodlots, so a deer strike at dusk is a regular fall call for us. A cracked radiator or a bent wheel usually means the car rides on a flatbed rather than under its own power.
The Berlin weather station, about 9 miles northwest, averages 24 nights a year at or below 0F and a January low of 8.3F. At zero a battery has lost about 60% of its strength, so jump starts fill our winter mornings. For a car that slid into a field-edge ditch, a winch-out and ditch pull brings it back to the road without dragging it across the shoulder.
College Move-Ins, the Speed Queen Plant and Airshow Week
Ripon College enrolls about 754 undergraduates, and move-in and move-out weekends bring loaded cars and trailers onto residential streets near campus. Lockouts and dead batteries are the usual calls then, and we open most cars with an air wedge so the door frame is not bent.
Alliance Laundry Systems, maker of the Speed Queen commercial line, is based in Ripon, and service vans and box trucks run in and out every day. Medium-duty trucks between 10,001 and 26,000 lb GVWR need the right equipment, so tell dispatch the make and model when you call. Each July, pilots flying into EAA AirVenture Oshkosh use Ripon as the start of the Fisk VFR arrival, and if your car gives out that week we tow between the two cities on WIS 44.
Towing and Roadside Services We Offer in Ripon
Jump Starts and Battery Calls in Ripon
Winter nights near Ripon regularly drop below zero, and a cold battery can lose about 60% of its strength. We bring a jump start to your driveway, a campus lot or a farm lane. If the battery is done, we tow the car to a Ripon mechanic or anywhere else you choose.
Ditch Pulls on WIS 23 and WIS 49
Open stretches of WIS 23 toward Green Lake and WIS 49 south of town catch drifting snow and deer. A ditch pull with a winch and snatch block brings your car up the bank at a controlled angle, and our operators rig to frame points instead of bumpers or suspension arms.
Wheel-Lift Towing Downtown
For a front-drive car stalled on Blackburn, Fond du Lac or Oshkosh streets, a wheel-lift tow truck is quick and fits tight downtown curbs. The yoke cradles the tires, not the bumper, and the car goes to the shop of your choice with nothing dragging on Ripon's pavement.
Flatbed Tows to Oshkosh or Fond du Lac
All-wheel drive SUVs, electric vehicles and low cars ride on a flatbed tow truck with every wheel off the road. From Ripon that is about 21 miles to Oshkosh on WIS 44, or east on WIS 23 to a Fond du Lac dealership, and dispatch prices the run before we start.
Lockouts Near Ripon College
Keys locked inside during move-in weekend, or a fob that died in a lot near the Little White Schoolhouse, are common lockout calls. We open the door with an air wedge and a long-reach tool, which keeps glass and weatherstrip intact, then you are on your way.
Flat Tire Changes on WIS 44
About 20% of US drivers cannot change a flat themselves, and WIS 44 has few safe pull-offs between Ripon and Pickett. We mount your spare tire on the shoulder. If the car has no spare, or the wheel is damaged, we tow it to a tire shop instead.
Towing in Ripon FAQ
What does a tow from Ripon to Oshkosh cost?
The run is about 21 miles on WIS 44. National figures from The Zebra (2026) put the average towing rate at $4.75 per mile, within a $2.50 to $7 range, plus a hook-up fee. Our dispatch quotes the full price for your vehicle on the phone before a truck leaves the yard.
Can my car be towed for parking on a Ripon street in winter?
Ripon's winter parking restrictions start on Nov. 15 each year. A past police alert banned street parking from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. through March 31, with permits for residents. Confirm the current hours with the Ripon Police Department, and call us if a frozen or plowed-in car will not budge.
How soon can a tow truck get to Ripon?
Ripon is about 21 miles from Oshkosh by WIS 44. Arrival depends on where our closest truck is, the weather and the hour, so dispatch gives you an estimate of the arrival time on the call. We run 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays, so you never wait for an office to open.
Do you tow farm trucks or heavy equipment out of Ripon?
We tow light-duty and medium-duty vehicles, up to 26,000 lb GVWR, which covers pickups, vans and most box trucks. For semis, tractors and large farm machinery, ask dispatch on the call and you will get a straight answer on whether we can take the job before anyone drives out.
Can you tow my car to a mechanic in Ripon?
Yes. We tow to any repair shop, dealership or home you choose, in Ripon, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac or Green Lake. If the shop is closed for the night, we can bring the car to your driveway instead. Card, cash, Zelle, Venmo and Cash App payments are accepted.
Need a Tow Truck Around Oshkosh
Tell dispatch where you are and what happened. You get the price before the truck rolls, day or night.
Or call dispatch (920) 891-8484