Do you leave your trailer hitch / Ball in?

In a lot of jurisdictions it’s not legal to leave it in. I've heard of people being cited for this, especially after an accident where they tore up someome's car for no reason (where damage would have been minimal with no hitch installed). Plus (especially in the snowy regions) it will get corroded and stuck in short order.

I tried to remove a stuck one that was on a friend's truck for 8 years without being removed. A torch, a chain, a hammer, and heavy equipment could not even come close to making that thing move.

 

No. It rattles too much.

 

mines never in.
actually let me rephrase that...I don't even have one lol. The truck came with the receiver but no ball. and I don't tow anything with my truck. so haven't put one in yet

but I have a D ring shackle recovery point that's in and does not come off when I'm on the trails.

 

Around here, if you don't have a ball on your truck it's weird
Also, we look to see what your ball looks like.... if it's been used or not.

Mine stays in 247

 

If it's illegal to not have a bumper then it sort of does make sense to not have something stick out past it. I had a Cavalier get hung up on my bumper before i installed a tow hitch. Made a nice pawn shaped hole in the grill(jk, the grill was toast and the ball hung up under the front frame). A bare hitch would have punched clear through the radiator.

 

Leave mine in because I tow often. Also use as step to get in to bed when washing truck. Does offer some protection for lower speed rear enders. Protects my trailer light hook up when I drive through creek beds when hunting. The hitch itself stuck out about 2" on my daughters Jeep Liberty. Some chick backed in to her in a parking lot and tried to claim that her hitch damaged her vehicle. Daughter did not have ball mount in. Speaking of ball mounts I am trying to get a good answer from Toyota GM why they are even offered on Tundras. Half the trucks I look at have them. Why would I want to buy a over priced Toyota ball mount when I have all that I need.

 

Yes, work truck and I tow with it....

 

I leave mine in all the time. I also bolted on an anti-rattle clamp so I never hear it over the bumps.

 

I doubt it, the drop down part of the bumper is low enough for me to use as a step and I'm only 5'8".

The plastic one would be gone the first time I went offroad, and there's no way in HELL I'd pay nearly $500 for an aluminum brick sticking out the back of my truck billet or not.

If you really need a step that's lower than the bumper drop down in the center just take an old drop hitch and weld some plate to it, spray paint it black add some skate deck tape and you're done for like $5 if you have to buy the deck tape.

 

The one day I left mine out I got rear ended. Only damaged the center piece but could've avoided any damage had it been in.

 

I've seen some that were left in so long they rusted solid. Like pull the pin out and bash it with a massive hammer and it still doesn't come out solid. So in while using and out when not for me.

 

Yeah, but your aren't supposed to be hitting cars in the first place. The hitch has nothing to do with it.

 

In my state there is no law against leaving the hitch/ball in place. In addition, if you rear-end someone, it's your fault regardless of the circumstances, even if they hit the brakes in the middle of a busy highway, the law presumes that you leave enough room between you and the car in front of you to stop in enough time to avoid an accident. I realize that might be impractical or impossible under some circumstances, but it's the way it is. Don't follow too close. Period. Unfortunately, I see a lot of people, generally younger, literally hugging the bumper of a car they are following at 75mph, while looking at their iPhone or device. Do people not know that when something goes wrong at 75mph, shit happens real fast?

My concern is the rust issue. I don't really care whether I leave it in or not. I have a stainless ball and hitch, but the tow package on the truck is not stainless. I wonder if they could still bind up if left long enough. On my old truck, I used to remove the hitch periodically and try to clean it out, wouldn't leave it in place for years at a time.

 

My window passenger side started to squeak when rolling down. Grrrr

 

What brand is this? Are the rubber covers/washers a separate item?! I must know! This looks sharp

 

I used to leave mine in all the time, it's saved me when I got rear ended, it keeps people from parking too close, it acts as a feeler when backing up to a wall etc.....BUT.....now that i've bought a new house....it doesnt fit in this garage if I leave it in.

 

This is absolutely not true. It may work out to that 9 times out of 10, but it's not a rule.

Try stopping in the middle of an open highway and see what happens when you get hit. Do you know how many people have gotten screwed by getting hit after "brake checking" someone? Or stopping on a state highway (this is also illegal)? Someone gets it on video, or an eye-witness, and you're going down - hard. My mother rear-ended someone stopped over a blind hill right in the middle of a 55mph divided highway...police showed up, cited driver in front, and they were later declared 100% at fault by both insurance companies. Thanks to dash cam!

 

If people drove the way the should we wouldn't need bumpers anyway. Or seat belts, air bags, or any of the other things the DOT and Insurance companies now insist upon. Those things are there because people just keep insisting on driving badly and manufacturers are tasked with taking that into account. Fault isn't the issue, damage is, and the hitch has everything to do with that. Personally, I wouldn't mind having a good skewer back there.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hay-bale-spear-fits-2-receiver-hitch-with-39-spike-/330817502316

Say (hay) no more!