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Posted

This topic comes up about once a year usually between hard and soft water season smile

I pull mine out to prevent rust.

Doing more damage in a collision will only cost all of us more money via insurance rates. A 17 year old who texts while driving is not going to stop doing it because a trailer hitch might be in someone's truck and that might cost their parents insurance company more in repair bills.

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators
Posted

I ball on the bumper would obstruct the lic plate more then a ball in the receiver.

I leave my receiver in and wish a had one for the front bumper too, one that is 1" longer then other peoples receiver. smile I need a receiver extension.

Posted

I leave mine in as well during the spring and fall when I use the boat the most. pull it in the winter. a guy here at work with a wild imagination is always telling me about the ticket I'll get in illinois for having it in. a bill was introduced in 2009 and nothing has ever come of it. he said its illegal in IA/IL. we just laugh. Me and another guy leave it in I think subconciously to drive him nuts.

its convenient to just leave it in honestly during the seasons I'll need it.

Posted

I leave mine in all year, so I have learned to walk wider around the back side, as I have walked into it a few times in the past. cry

I seen here someone said he had a stainless ball stolen, were do you get one of these? the worthless chrome plated ones are terrible. I was about to make one at work out of SST.

Posted

I leave mine in all year, so I have learned to walk wider around the back side, as I have walked into it a few times in the past. cry

I seen here someone said he had a stainless ball stolen, were do you get one of these? the worthless chrome plated ones are terrible. I was about to make one at work out of SST.

I believe I bought it at Fleet Farm. I have had it going on 4 trucks so over 10 years old and no rust. Well worth the extra $$ for the receiver and ball both Stainless.

Posted

Believe I got my full Stainless at fleet as well. Be sure it says Solid Stainless other wise it will still rust. I got the stainless hitch, easy change ball, and lock. The lock is Master, don't recall the brand of the hitch or ball. But I want to say Bully brand? Mine are about 10 years old as well and not a single speck of rust, and mine is left in about 50% of the time. Just remember to spray the keyhole on the lock with WD40 a couple times a year to flush the gunk (salt, grime, etc) that builds up inside.

Posted

You will leave those hitches ON until the first time you fall on your face and do some serious bloody, gouged, ripped and torn damage. Or the grand kid or grandma take a header and break a knee on it.

Yes....it is a PITA to take if off/on but some day......some day.....you just wait-it's gonna get ya.

Personally I don't recall the number of stitches exactly.

Posted

No, even after all that I still leave mine on.

My dog was chasing a rabbit, hit the hitch and knocked himself out. Still leave it on.

Grandaughter ran into it. It's still on.

Wife has smacked her leg on it more times than I care to remember. Guess where it still is.

Posted

There is an overzealous hiway patrol person in Northern Mn that was on a tear a few years back writing tickets for hitches in. Our local paper always has a segment in it that has questions for the State Patrol. Officer Jesse Grabow was asked that question and his response was that it is only illegal to leave a hitch in if it is blocking the view of the license plate. If it is below that, there is no problem with it.

I just heard a few weeks ago that there is a new patrolman over by Int'l Falls and wrote over 30 tickets in one day for the same thing. I don't know the circumstances of those if they actually were or if he was just trying to beat Sylvia's record.

Posted

I take mine off as I always seem to whack my leg and I never lock it in. I figure sooner or later, someone will need a hitch and ball and I will be short mine.

Posted

Since this thread has been up I've been doing some personal observations around the Duluth area looking for receivers on the back of trucks in the area. My guess would be that 50% of trucks, SUV's and crossovers with receivers have the hitch in. 10% of the crossovers and SUV's have bike racks attached to the receiver. If leaving it in is against the law, the cops in this area either don't know about it or don't care.

Posted

Not to highjack the thread, but just curious how many of you that leave in the hitch don't pull the plug on the boat either?

Posted

There's a plug in my boat? whistle

Posted

If the plug (like the hitch) is never removed, then what is the problem? smile

Posted

what the heck would pulling the plug on your boat have to do with taking your hitch out? I always pull the plug on the boat but I have never taken the hitch off my truck. I laughed when I first read this post thinking "Are they serious?"

Have I ran into my hitch? Yes once along time ago but you learn to walk a little farther out from the truck and I can admit that I might have been intoxicated going around the truck that night but it sure didn't make me pull the hitch rather made me more aware of it.

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators
Posted

I have to share a story regarding a hitch that happened around 50 years ago.

I was on a school Field trip to Como Park. There were about 10 school buses lined up.

I was headed back to my school bus and had to walk between my bus and the bus behind mine.

There I was all happy after the big field trip, I think I had aboot 10 ice cream cones and the girl I liked sat 3 seats away. Coarse she didn't know I liked her because it was a secret.

So anyway while walking between the buses there was a big thud and sudden pain on my shin.

WOW, I played real hard as a kid and got banged up a lot and all but that hurt. Hurt more then back yard football with no pads.

I get on the bus and was one of the 1st kids to get there.

Well I think the bus held 30 or 40 kids and every time one walked between the buses there was a thud and a yell. Ha Ha....Ha Ha.

If that happened today with a senior bus I'd get out and prolly warn folks like Ufatz.

Watch the hitch.

Posted

This topic comes up about once a year usually between hard and soft water season smile

...

Doing more damage in a collision will only cost all of us more money via insurance rates.

Do you have evidence that it is doing 'more damage' in a collision? It very well might be the case that the cost of damage that it prevents in the vehicle that has the hitch fully offsets (and then some) the increased damange on the other vehicle, in which case it would SAVE us money via insurance rates.

Posted

I have to share a story regarding a hitch that happened around 50 years ago.

I was on a school Field trip to Como Park. There were about 10 school buses lined up.

I was headed back to my school bus and had to walk between my bus and the bus behind mine.

There I was all happy after the big field trip, I think I had aboot 10 ice cream cones and the girl I liked sat 3 seats away. Coarse she didn't know I liked her because it was a secret.

So anyway while walking between the buses there was a big thud and sudden pain on my shin.

WOW, I played real hard as a kid and got banged up a lot and all but that hurt. Hurt more then back yard football with no pads.

I get on the bus and was one of the 1st kids to get there.

Well I think the bus held 30 or 40 kids and every time one walked between the buses there was a thud and a yell. Ha Ha....Ha Ha.

If that happened today with a senior bus I'd get out and prolly warn folks like Ufatz.

Watch the hitch.

So did you get the girl? laugh

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators
Posted

No

Posted

Actually if that happened today at least 3 of the parents would file suit against the bus company and the school, the school would put a letter of reprimand in the teachers file and the union would hire 2 lawyers to file a grievance.

Posted

Maybe her receiver didn't fit his hitch??

Posted

Do you have evidence that it is doing 'more damage' in a collision? It very well might be the case that the cost of damage that it prevents in the vehicle that has the hitch fully offsets (and then some) the increased damange on the other vehicle, in which case it would SAVE us money via insurance rates.

Evidence?? HA, No I don't, this is a fishing forum not a court of law, but common sense would tell you it does. I was responding to the people that said they leave it in to cause more damage.

The 5 square inches of area your hitch makes up will not help to slow down the oncoming car anymore than a cup of water will help you fill a swimming pool. It will however do a lot of expensive damage if it pierces through the AC condenser and radiator of that oncoming car.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you have to take it out, I'm just saying it doesn't make sense to leave it in for this reason.

Posted

Ah yeah, you better reread or re interpret what was posted. I keep mine in mostly because I’m too lazy to take it out and I use it year round. However I’ve seen plenty of low speed crashes in which the vehicle with the hitch was unscathed. It’s not to cause more damage to theirs, rather LESS damage to mine and so many HORRIBLE drivers out there right now…..it will stay in.

Posted

Not trying to get into a big back and forth thing here but I did read what you wrote (and you're not the only one, like I said this topic has come up before).

Doing more damage to the vehicle that hits me and the less to mine is the EXACT reason I always leave mine on.....

You make a good point on the low speed crash, but most low speed crashes probably aren't going to cause damage anyway. I got rear ended in my tundra at about 5-10 mph years ago without a hitch in and the body shop estimate was $0.

Now lazy...that I can get on board with! laugh I took a look on the highway the other day and a lot of people leave them in.

Posted

Most vehicles with hitches are larger trucks, with stronger frames and bumpers. If some nitwit driving a SmartCar slides into that at an icy intersection, I have no doubt about who will take the bigger hit.

Posted

being in the insurance industry I have seen many times a car hits a truck with hitch and truck is fine but car not so much...

Posted

It's pure physics people, like trying to hammer a nail in walnut with a 1/24 scale model car.

Posted

Who would have guessed trailer hitches could be such a controversial topic?

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