Ball Mount saved bumper!

So last night while sitting at a stop light, I get rear-ended by a red honda civic. My truck was the only one in the turn lane so when it lurched forward luckily I didn't hit anyone else. Only damage was red paint from her bumper on the ball mount. The civic's front end was punched in pretty good barely missing her radiator. (sorry no pictures, she was crying, upset about her mom in the hospital, apologetic, etc.)

Now mind you, I just got the truck back a couple of weeks ago from repairing a minor hit & run
Right now, the mount lock is frozen from road salt so I'm unable to take the lock off right now & its seems this situation saved my rear so to speak

So question? Do you keep the mount in the receiver or take it out? Seems like it saves some damage.

 

mine is always in there to for the same reason.

 

I keep mine on all winter jik. Sticks out about a foot. Never had anyone hit me yet but you never know. Better safe than sorry IMO.

 

I keep mine out, only because i dont have a locking pin yet. I've had a hitch stolen in the past, it sucks.

 

Good idea SS!

 

mine is always on. I just tried to take it off the other day to make it easier to walk around the garage with the truck in there without bustin my shins on the hitch.When i did that i broke the key off. so mines in there permanently. Not worth the hassle to cut the lock off

 

my reciever saved me a bunch of times. (1)within the first week i got rear ended by an altima. No damage her bumper destroyed. (2) backing out of this girls driveway I didnt see the 2 foot drop where the driveway turned, baboom! the whole rear end dropped, landed on the reciever, I couldnt go back up over the wall so I put the truck in 4x4 and dug a 2 inc gash in the dirt road. No damage not even a scratch amazing. (3) this sucked. Last week Im backing up in a spot and Baboom again! I hit one of those steel poles they set in the ground to protect gas meters and stuff. I hit it squarely on the hitch (hard mind you) no damage. The pole was below the gate so i never saw it. Ive checked underneath nothing loose, or bent.

 

I keep mine in just for that reason. Drivers suck around here. My last truck was a GMC Jimmy that i got rearended in 3 times in one year. The hitch saved me twice. Third hit was just left of the hitch. I would like to add a brush guard to the front like the one in the pic above ^^^^ to help protect the front as well.

 

I had a honda civic back in to me in a parking lot at the window tint shop and hit my ball mount. No damage to my truck but his brand new car was going to need a new bumper. He drove straight from the dealer to get his windows tinted...poor guy only had like 10 miles on the car.

 

My last car got rear ended 4 times. I made sure I have a big nasty hitch and ball for taco.

 

I've seen hitches punch through grilles and destroy radiators, fans, and other parts of cars. In a minor bump, my chrome bumper isn't going to take much damage, and I'd rather not have it cause more damage to the other driver regardless of who is at fault. It just ends up costing everyone more in insurance rates.

Mine comes out unless I'm towing.

 

Mines out so I can get a new Kennesaw Mountain Rear Bumper! Think of it as my mod strategy. If I was thinking I would have searched harder when I got rear ended last time, and better spent that $1000.

 

just make sure you guys dont cause damage w/ those things sticking out! my wifes old car had a nice mark in the rear bumper from the guy that parks across from us in our apt garage as he was backing out. i didnt see it, but there was a mark that matched his hitch at the exact same height, and silver paint from my wifes bumper still on his hitch.

 

leave mine out...saw some guy smack his knee on one and procede to taking it out and beating the shit outta the suburban and threw it in the back window!

 

Mines in again because at school i have this really bad driver who parks behind me and i know one morning shes gonna mistake the gas for the brake again, plus i know if she hits me and i have no hitch and i get damage she will refuse to pay, she did that to her bestfriend, except she clobbered her honda into the back of a grand cherokee

 

please take them out when not in use. atleast for the guys who work on your trucks.i speak from exsperience they leave a nasty gash and lump.and i've heard but never seen for myself people getting knocked out by this.plus i know in atleast a few states you can get fined for that.

 

I leave it in for that reason and the fact that I use it almost everyday so it would be a pita put in and take out.

My mom and I got rearended in her suv by a chevy truck at a red light. Absolutly no damage to my moms car but the chevy lost his bumper. it was actually attached to our hitch. We dragged it to a parking lot about 100 feet from the accident. She thanked me for buying the hitch cuz I used it for lawncare.

 

I get lazy when I put it on but, I usually prefer it off cause it looks cleaner... If someone rear ends me they're still getting more damage than I will if it's a little car. If it's a larger truck, it's a wash anyway and the receiver won't do crap against it. Also, it's harder to judge the distance backing into spaces when another car is behind you... always afraid I'll go just to far and damage someone else's ride.

I will say though, if you do leave it on, and someone walks into it... they're the idiot, not the person that left the receiver on. If you can't watch where you're walking and placing your body, you deserved it. There shouldn't be ANY law about forcing you to remove it, that's just stupid.

 

Wanna bet? They are tinfoil. Dude at the body shop (after mine was rear ended by a drunk illegal alien) bent it in half with his bare hands.

 

I used to do that too... but uh, I never hit them because I was looking at my surroundings... ...