trailer hitch law ?

[Old Dewjabber]

If it's about seeing the plates then, WHY are the so many people hauling around bicycles on racks? Some you can't even see their lights.

Lot of people haul things with their trunks open and you can not see the plate there either!

Sounds to me like someone wrecked a car and are taken it out on hitches!!

[Down Deep]

The only time I take my hitch off my truck is after the open water season is over. About 20 years ago I heard about a product called "never seize" and bought a can. I slab on a little every time I put the hitch in for the new season and it just slides out.

[DTro]

Doing more damage to the vehicle that hits me and the less to mine is the EXACT reason I always leave mine on. Driver’s are horrendous lately and every day I’m pretty much expecting to get rear ended.

[mrklean]

Doing more damage to the vehicle that hits me and the less to mine is the EXACT reason I always leave mine on. Driver’s are horrendous lately and every day I’m pretty much expecting to get rear ended.

I do the same, my wife always complained when I put the hitch on her explorer even though she would never tow anything.

[Big Bobber]

Wasn't fun when someone's wife took the F-250 with the hitch in and tried to parallel park it into a spot that was not big enough and put a hole in my front bumper. Luckily I was sitting in the barber shop and saw her do it. Myself, I always pull mine.

[MuskieJunkie]

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

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.

[Surface Tension]

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. I need a receiver extension.

[hnd]

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.

[knoppers]

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.

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.

[pegleg]

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.

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.

[CAMAN]

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.

[Ufatz]

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.

[Eric Wettschreck]

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.

[Ballyhoo]

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.

[harvey lee]

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.

[Down Deep]

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.

[Big Bobber]

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?

[Scott K]

There's a plug in my boat?

[DTro]

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

[ozzie]

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.

[Surface Tension]

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.

[aanderud]

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

...

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.

[CAMAN]

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?

[Surface Tension]

No

[Tom7227]

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.