trailer hitch law ?

[Cheers]

Not sure where to post this question .

I have been hearing about a certain police officer issuing violations to Canadians for not removing their trailer hitch when not towing. Is that the law in Minnesota ?

[CAMAN]

I was watching "Cops" a few years ago and they pulled a guy over for having a hitch ball on the truck bumper, they said it obstructed the view of the full license plate. It basically gave them reason to pull the person over as they already had suspicion of drugs or being drunk as well.

Don't know if this is the reasoning for this particular officer though.

[Tom7227]

No such law that I am aware of. 16 years as a prosecutor of these types of cases.

[Raider4ever]

I was told by a resort owner in Iowa that it is against the law there to be driving around with the ball attached and I should not do it because local law enforcement was alway looking for that "MN Blue Plate Special". As for MN specifically I do not know. You can always call your county attorney's office I suppose.

[aanderud]

Seems like these rumors are all over. Some states (michigan and california) have tried to make it illegal but as far as I know none have successfully made this explicitly illegal. That's not to say I know everything, just saying I did a bit of googling and it looks like it's basically legal to have a ball on in just about any case as long as it's not obstructing the license plate.

Some states' bumper requirement laws say that the bumper on the vehicle must be the first thing that is impacted from a rear collision, and they might have a case there -- but I haven't really heard of folks being prosecuted in this way. Just seem some speculation that it could be done. In any case, I won't be removing mine.

I was told by a resort owner in Iowa that it is against the law there to be driving around with the ball attached and I should not do it because local law enforcement was alway looking for that "MN Blue Plate Special". As for MN specifically I do not know. You can always call your county attorney's office I suppose.

[harvey lee]

I always remove mine, if I leave it in there for a long time, it gets rusty. I put a plug in the receiver and I spray it down with wd40 every so often to keep the rust at a minimum.

One time I left one in for years and I had to use a chain and wrap it around a tree to get the thing to come out, no more.

[chaffmj]

I like to take mine out right after I run into it with my shin.

[aanderud]

I always remove mine, if I leave it in there for a long time, it gets rusty. I put a plug in the receiver and I spray it down with wd40 every so often to keep the rust at a minimum.

One time I left one in for years and I had to use a chain and wrap it around a tree to get the thing to come out, no more.

Good point on the rust, Tom. Mine is fairly rusty. Taking it out really would not be that big of a deal and would solve that. Not sure exactly why I haven't trained myself to do it. I guess it just hasn't mattered to me, probably because it always seems like it has come out easily when I need/want it to -- for instance when I'm using a bike carrier or my little horizontal rack thingy that fits in the receiver. If I had to resort to using log chains to get it out, I'd probably change my habits.

[leechlake]

I'm short and my 3/4 ton is pretty tall. I use it as a step to get into it when tailgate is up. The rust gives it some better grip on my boot.

[harvey lee]

I have whacked my leg so many times on the hitch that is another reason mine comes out, I walk around the truck and hit it many times, that hurt's way too much for me to leave it in.

I had one stuck really bad Brian and it took a log chain tied to the hitch and wrapped around a tree to get it loose. I tried knocker loose and other lubs but it simply was all but rusted solid in there.

[solbes]

I pull mine because my garage is so short I'd hit the door! But also due to the rust concern and the whacking your leg concern.

My neighbor was trying to sell his old Ram 1500. Hot summer day and he spent hours trying to get his rusted hitch to come out of the receiver. I watched him hit it with a sledge, heat it with a torch, and try to pull it free with a large Norway pine and a tow strap. The tree almost lost (almost 400 ft lbs of tq with the 5.9), but the tow strap ended up the big loser. Lucky no one got hurt in that one. Hitch was the winner.

Even with an empty receiver, it eliminates damage to the truck and puts all damage on a car that rear ends you (at low speeds only). Happened a few years back where a Camry rear ended me. I had a scratch, he needed a lot of front end work.

[FshBloodRiverMud]

All i had to do was hit my hitch twice to train myself for life.

Hitch never comes off/ because i use it all the time.

If it's always there; then you always know you need to walk around it.

[LightningBG]

I leave mine in. Have had a few kids rear end me. They always lose that battle. Luckily all have been extremely low speed bumps. I send them on their way and tell them to go tell their parents.

[CAMAN]

My dad left his hitch in for a few years. He got a new trailer with stabilizer bars and had to replace the hitch. I spent days trying to get that thing loose. No amount of wd40, heat, sledge hammer, or oak tree could get that thing loose. Eventually had to cut his losses and replace the entire hitch mount.

I witnessed a rear ending with a trailer hitch a few weeks ago. Like usual not much damage to the lead car. Only problem was the hitch must have hit the engine block or frame because it got bent straight down turning it into a hook. Well the lead car pulls away to find a safe stopping spot and literally pulls the front clip and bumper almost completely off along with ripping a huge hole in the radiator. Had to laugh at the situation.

[Finns]

Could this be related to having things sticking out of the bed the truck? IE, 6 foot bed and 10 foot boards in the bed with four feet sticking out? Down here if 4 foot or more extends out of the bed a red flag (?) needs to be attached to the longest board.

Make sense?

[aanderud]

Could this be related to having things sticking out of the bed the truck? IE, 6 foot bed and 10 foot boards in the bed with four feet sticking out? Down here if 4 foot or more extends out of the bed a red flag (?) needs to be attached to the longest board.

Make sense?

there's a big difference between 4 feet and 4 inches....that being said, some states have attempted to pass a law that any ball/hitch that's not being used to tow must be covered in red. sort of along those same lines. the vehicle bumper is supposed to be in place as a safety measure, acting as the first contact with any other vehicle. if you have a hitch and ball in place, that will be the first contact and it won't crush like a bumper will.

[harvey lee]

I am sure if you rear-ended another vehicle with a receiver in, you could have much more damage to the vehicle from the ball and hitch.

Does not take that long to remove it and then one will never need to be concerned with a hitch stuck in the receiver.

[pegleg]

I am sure if you rear-ended another vehicle with a receiver in, you could have much more damage to the vehicle from the ball and hitch.

Does not take that long to remove it and then one will never need to be concerned with a hitch stuck in the receiver.

I'm also concerned about it being stolen in a parking lot or on the landing for a lake. Had that happen once on Gull Lake in Brainerd. Pulled the fish house off after dark with my 4 wheeler to find my stainless hitch was stolen. Where do you find a hitch and ball at 9 p.m. at night?

[Scott K]

My truck has had a hitch in it since I bought the truck new in 02, and I have no plan on removing it either. I switch them out with other sizes regularly, but I have never had a problem with it at all. Like stated earlier, if you know there is a hitch there, you learn to avoid it.

As for the bumper law, that would then make pulling a boat, or trailer illegal, unless there is a bumper on the boat or trailer.

I think there are to many suits with too much time on their hands, if they need to think we need a law that tells us we need to remove a trailer hitch that sticks out 6 inches behind our trucks.

[NKLCOLT1911]

i leave mine in all the time, that way when the bimbo behind me cares more about snap chatting her boyfriend instead of driving she will hit that first.

[harvey lee]

My truck has had a hitch in it since I bought the truck new in 02, and I have no plan on removing it either. I switch them out with other sizes regularly, but I have never had a problem with it at all. Like stated earlier, if you know there is a hitch there, you learn to avoid it.

As for the bumper law, that would then make pulling a boat, or trailer illegal, unless there is a bumper on the boat or trailer.

I think there are to many suits with too much time on their hands, if they need to think we need a law that tells us we need to remove a trailer hitch that sticks out 6 inches behind our trucks.

An educated guess would be that if our elected officials bring this up in the next legislative session not far away, they could pass this with no problem at all. They have done much dumber things than a law for a hitch.

[Scott K]

You mean like, being able to be pulled over, just because you are pulling a boat?

[FshBloodRiverMud]

I'm also concerned about it being stolen in a parking lot or on the landing for a lake. Had that happen once on Gull Lake in Brainerd. Pulled the fish house off after dark with my 4 wheeler to find my stainless hitch was stolen. Where do you find a hitch and ball at 9 p.m. at night?

Here's what i do.

My reciever has a lock.

Once i bolt on my ball, i take a punch and damage the threads below the ball so you can't back off the nut.

No worries about theft.

[JohnMickish]

I think the original issue was about obstructing the license plate, not having a trailer hitch in. You know internet hype.....

[IcePro]

So if the issue is about obstructing the license plate what about all the vehicles I saw today were the license plate was covered by snow.