Safe to leave hitch receiver installed?

[Cmar]

I was rear ended by some stupid kid, while I had my hitch receiver recovery point installed on a stock height/stock rear bumper Ranger. He hit me at probably 10-15 mph while I was stopped at a light. No damage to the Ranger, but the recovery point penetrated the radiator on his mom's Infiniti, completely disabling that vehicle. He asked me what he should do, I told him that was his problem, and drove off.

Ha Ha I had something similar happen to me in my old Bronco. Got rear ended by a taxi at a red light - apparently he saw a car in front of me drive off on the green and assumed I would too. Unfortunately for him there was a small car in front of me and behind the one who drove off who wasn't so quick off the mark, that he couldn't see, so this idiot just took off and ran right into the back of me!
Then he gets out and starts to abuse me for not moving. Then he asks what I'm going to do about it. I looked, nothing on my car except a bit of yellow paint on the rear bumper (yellow cab) my tow bar had gone right through the grille and radiator core and cab's bumper had been pushed back into it as well. There was a likely fatal green hemorrhage coming out from the front as well.

So I say absolutely nothing, your fault, - you've got a radio - call a tow truck, and continued on my way.

So yeah, I leave mine in, it's not illegal in my state unless it obscures the number plate.

Sponsored

 

[Jedadiah]

I'm not sure Kentucky even has laws for obstructing the plate. Utility and box trailers don't need to have plates here at all, and they more or less always block the view of the tow vehicle's plate. You can get plates for any trailer (and I have), but it's not a requirement except for campers afaik.

Kentuckians often assume that other states are the same and a few of our neighbors have hefty fines for having un-plated trailers just to take advantage. Ohio will fine and not. a direct neighbor, but I've heard that Florida is definitely on the look out. I think Tennessee is like Kentucky as far as trailer go, not sure about Georgia.

 

[Cabose-1]

No i dont leave mine in. For one, its very expensive it is the best you can buy on the market a

GEN-Y REBEL HITCH

And two, it destroys my departure angle on the ranch. It like my side steps hit everything!!!

 

[cclayton]

Leave mine in all the time. Two reasons, idiot drivers and I routinely pull my boat. Matter of fact, 95% of truck drivers here in Texas leave them in.

 

[Brett Fields]

I thought I was the only one who left my balls on.....
OH WAIT....your talking about your Ranger !!!
My Bad.....

I haven't had any balls on for a couple of years now. That said, my shackle is on all the time!

 

[MountainGoat]

in my defense, the Ranger is still new (<3 weeks now), I'm not 100% used to how far I can pull up when I park facing out of the space like I did, and yes, it would have taken a second to look and see that I wasn't up far enough, so that's on me, but the guy who pulled up didn't realize he hit the truck? (at least if there was any damage, it was on his car, the hitch receiver wasn't marked)

I mean yeah you're over the line but I can see that other spaces were available to that Nissan. Parking in that spot and that close seems like it was done out of spite for your minor infraction. I would wager a guess it was a 40+ year old single woman, multiple cat owner and daily boxed-wine drinker.

 

[puckdodger]

I've seen a few that were rusted so bad they were permanently part of the truck. Guys using torches and hammers to try to remove them, and end up burning the crap out of the rear of the truck. Or tying off to a tree and trying to pull it, but break everything other than the hitch free.

Locking pins are as bad or worse for seizing if not regularly oiled and worked. One good winter and they can be proper fkd.

I do like the idea of having something hanging out the back for protection, but hate seeing them, would hate to bust my shin on one, and mostly would be pi$$ed if someone stole mine. Also, with 35 years on the road, I have never been rear ended, and I spent 70+ hours a week on the road for 30 of those years.

I have a recovery shank and pin in the truck in case I need it, but don't keep anything in the receiver unless I'm using it.

It only takes a minute to install a ball hitch when I am hooking to my trailer, which is only once a month of so. If I were pulling multiple times per week, I may leave it in most of the time.

All solid points. I did think we had a regulation in Ontario pertaining to removing the hitch when not in use and if we don't, I fully expect Justin to overstep his authority and implement one soon

Nice place for a step and seat...btw, what's all this rust ya'll talking about? Is that what they fill pot holes with?

No lights on the step? Or does it light up when you step on it?

 

[VAMike]

There’s this cool thing in your radio screen, when you put the truck in reverse, this neat little camera turns on like magic!
Then you can see the parking lines and park in your spot like a decent human.
I use it all the time, it really is amazing ?

if you change your settings you can even make the picture stay up for a bit after shifting out of reverse. so you can look, see you're not in the wrong place, go back into drive, and move up until you are--still on camera!

 

[Cmar]

I haven't had any balls on for a couple of years now. That said, my shackle is on all the time!

But what about your truck?

 

[Msfitoy]

All solid points. I did think we had a regulation in Ontario pertaining to removing the hitch when not in use and if we don't, I fully expect Justin to overstep his authority and implement one soon



No lights on the step? Or does it light up when you step on it?

The LED license plate bulbs light up the step quite well...

 

[puckdodger]

The LED license plate bulbs light up the step quite well...

All I'm saying is you've got lights everywhere else. Maybe you just wanna leave a little bit to the imagination. Or maybe it's a new opportunity to run some wires and add another switch?????

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

I mean yeah you're over the line but I can see that other spaces were available to that Nissan. Parking in that spot and that close seems like it was done out of spite for your minor infraction. I would wager a guess it was a 40+ year old single woman, multiple cat owner and daily boxed-wine drinker.

My ex-wife?

 

[Cmar]

I just leave the shackle hitch in w/o the shackle in the summer. It’s easy enough to screw in. I’m paranoid about somebody stealing it, I doubt it would happen in the tiny place I live but still. In the winter I typically leave the shackle on it if I know it’s gonna snow.

That's why I use a locking anti rattle pin https://www.haymanreese.com.au/products/silent-hitch-pin

 

[Cmar]

I mean yeah you're over the line but I can see that other spaces were available to that Nissan. Parking in that spot and that close seems like it was done out of spite for your minor infraction. I would wager a guess it was a 40+ year old single woman, multiple cat owner and daily boxed-wine drinker.


Hey what's wrong with cats, I've got one that's a pretty cool cat, follows me around like a dog. Will pass on the rest of that though.

 

[Trustable]

That's why I use a locking anti rattle pin https://www.haymanreese.com.au/products/silent-hitch-pin

Oh yeah I use a locking one I’m talking about the shackle itself. That is a nice locking pin though.

Sponsored