Receiver hitches

37chief · Mar 25, 2015

I was parking my pickup, there was a truck in front of me. I know just about how much room I have in front of my pickup when parking. I was going in slow then crash. I got out to see what I hit. This truck had a ball hitch sticking out. That's what I hit. It didn't do any damage to his truck, but put a dent in my bumper, not very big, but a dent. Did I see on here some time ago it is against the law in some states to have the ball portion of the hitch sticking out when not being used. Stan

rrlund · Mar 25, 2015

How do you outlaw a receiver hitch sticking out though unless you outlaw permanent hitches? I remember one time when my uncle walked around behind his 56 Chevy and hit his shin on the trailer hitch on that. I never heard him curse,but he came about as close to it that day as I ever heard. lol

retired farmer · Mar 25, 2015

Sounds like you were trying to park a little too close. I always leave at least three feet. Don't want them to accidentally back into me if they leave first and can't find drive on the gearshift.

37chief · Mar 25, 2015

If I would have left three ft I would have been sticking out in the lane. This was at a swap meet at a foot ball parking area very tight. Stan

WCS · Mar 25, 2015

I hurt my knee the very same way as your uncle hurt his shin, only they did surgery on me and kept me in the hospital several days. This was 50 years ago.

JerryS · Mar 25, 2015

Like rrlund said, those SOBs are a lot of fun to find with your shinbone in a dimly-lit parking lot at night. It's worse when they make you fall on your face.

Russ from MN · Mar 25, 2015

I have heard that it's against the law in CA, and I wish it was in all states! They are a parking lot hazard. If it is a permanent drawbar that's another story, but there is no reason not to remove a ball mount. I always have grease on the ball so I pull it out and latch it into the trailer, and then put a lock on the coupler.

racsan · Mar 25, 2015

shoot, i leave a hitch head in the receiver just in case someone might get too close, in the winter i used to run a pintle hook in case i got rear-ended. last fall my personal inspection revealed that my receiver hitch was unsafe for use, so i built a new hitch, but used a tractor drawbar instead of putting in a 2x2 receiver tube, its the beefiest fixed drawbar hitch ive ever seen on a vehicle, the frame of my truck would be damaged before this hitch could be. i dont have too much sticking past my rear bumper, maybe 3" at the most.

sms · Mar 25, 2015

My question is what about these SUV's running around with a carrier sticking out 4' and nothing on it? No flag, no light, some have reflectors.

Brendon-KS · Mar 25, 2015

I've heard that Iowa has such a law but don't know that for a fact - just something I heard during a coffee-break conversation at work. Maybe one of our Iowa residents here can confirm or deny this. The states who have those laws probably have a congressman who bruised his shin once in a parking lot. Since I have to walk behind my truck in the garage to get to the driver's side (sometimes in the dark) mine is never in the receiver unless a trailer is involved. It lives in the toolbox with the straps and chains.

Mark - IN. · Mar 25, 2015

"I know just about how much room I have in front of my pickup when parking"

Stan, don't take this personal, but I don't think that you do. His truck was parked, and you crashed into it. Things happen.

Hmm. Posting looks different.

Mark

BANDITFARMER · Mar 25, 2015

If I go any ware I am 100% sure I will find the only hitch sticking out in a parking lot with my shin! Ever dang time! God my shin hurt's just thinking about it! Bandit

Chris Jones · Mar 25, 2015

Me TOO!!!!

SDE · Mar 25, 2015

LAW???? I some exhaust pipes for HD motorcycles. It was printed on them that they are not legal for street use. The LAW does not enforce that LAW either.

Geo-TH,In · Mar 25, 2015

If it were against the law, I would have many tickets. I never remove my hitch. After you hit it with your leg, you remember it's there. My hitch doesn't stick out but a few inches behind the bumper.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 25, 2015

I painted the drawbar orange and the ball bright blue.
It gets a lot of attention, and no one has hit their chins on it
Some have axed vhy I painted it o'range? I tell thum cause I didn't have no red paint!"

fixerupper · Mar 25, 2015

Here in Iowa I heard a story about a trooper banging his shin on a hitch and fining the pickup's owner because of it. Whether it's true or not depends on whether we want to believe it or not.

pedalguy · Mar 25, 2015

I've always wondered how the rumer started, I found this on the DOT website.

john in la · Mar 25, 2015

It is rumor in most states. Some states have had house bills to try enact the law but I have not seen one that has passed. But there may be some.

On the other hand the cops could write you for obstruction of license plate or some other trumped up charge.

My greatest fear would be someone rear-ending me and some slick lawyer dragging me into court trying to prove my receiver hitch caused more than normal damage to the car that hit me because the hitch disabled the crush point bumper.

mkirsch · Mar 25, 2015

If there is a law, it's because some politician caught his shin on a hitch, or hit it with his car and caused a ton of damage.

It's rumored that this is illegal in NY too but I cannot find a law on the books that mentions trailer hitches.

old popper · Mar 25, 2015

Last time this was discussed here, I talked to (then) Chief Deputy Doug Simon at the Threshermens show. He told me that there was no law against it in Iowa.

DeltaRed · Mar 25, 2015

Here in Colorado,EVERYTHING is orange/blue.......Denver 'donkeys' (Broncos). Seems everyone (but me) is "bat$#!+ crazy" about the Broncos.

gab · Mar 25, 2015

If there isn't a law there sure as hell ought to be, them things hurt. Tell you something else that hurts the chins, a few years ago I got up in the middle of the night to get a drink and go to the bathroom, I never turn on the lights , there's some from the vapor light that dimly lights up the kitchen. So I come down the stairs and head for the kitchen sink when wham, something takes my legs out from under me, going down I got a hand in the sink to brake my fall which pulled the counter top away from the wall, got up cussing and turned on the lights to see my wife left the dishwasher door open and went to bed, it pulled the mounting screws out of the counter top and twisted the door and gave me 2 very sore legs for a few days.

Pete in MD · Mar 25, 2015

As of last October it's against the law in Maryland to leave the hitch in the receiver. Haven't heard of anyone getting a ticket so far.
And the state motto is The Free State. Yeah right.

D beatty · Mar 25, 2015

My receiver hitch stays in from the first of April and comes off just before bad weather in fall. I don't pull my trailer in the salt. You only have to walk into one once to learn your lesson. Mine sticks out about 8" and if somebody hits it they are to damn close.

JayinNY · Mar 25, 2015

I was told that it was the law here in NY to remove them when not in use. A couple of things, my truck is hooked to the trailer most of the time, when it's not its because I have to dump the truck, so I have to pull the receiver out or the tailgate hits the receiver when the box is up and fall off the box, but I have never walked into the receiver if I leave it on the truck, I guess I just have a habit of walking far enought away from the truck.

Thomas(AB) · Mar 25, 2015

if they ever enforced that, i would have some issues, receiver went into the truck when it was new in '06, and its rusted solid now. Pulled the pin, and used the other trucks winch to try to pull it out, didnt budge.

Bret4207 · Mar 26, 2015

(quoted from post at 01:00:58 03/26/15) I was told that it was the law here in NY to remove them when not in use. A couple of things, my truck is hooked to the trailer most of the time, when it's not its because I have to dump the truck, so I have to pull the receiver out or the tailgate hits the receiver when the box is up and fall off the box, but I have never walked into the receiver if I leave it on the truck, I guess I just have a habit of walking far enought away from the truck.

Jay, I don't think it's law here in NY. But even if it is it will be enforced about as much as that "lights on when your windshield wipers are on" law or the law that says a dead horse must be buried 3 feet deep within 72 hours, or the law against adultery or the law that says the cost of any fence on a property line shall be equally shared by both landowners. There are lots of laws that are never enforced.

As far as the OP-You hit a parked vehicle. It's not the other guys fault.

dej(Jed) · Mar 26, 2015

In Pa I have heard it is against the law.

2 Old 2 care · Mar 26, 2015

If it were a law, it should be known as the Shin Protection Law. I can live with a dent in my bumper, but a trailer hitch to the shin....Well....That's another story entirely.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 26, 2015

People should watch where thay are going. We can't put soft rubber pads on everything.

Mel in SW Iowa · Mar 26, 2015

I drove my first vehicle with a rear receiver hitch in 1967 and every vehicle since then has had one. I believe that by 1990, I stopped hitting my shins on them. Only 23 years, but I still have the scars on both shins. Surprised that I didn't learn any quicker.

Karl in MD · Mar 26, 2015

You mean the "People's Republic of Maryland"? It's also called the "Old Line State" I think thats because if you ask lawmakers a question, you get the same "Old Line".

wilson ind · Mar 26, 2015

Maybe we all should remove mirrors when parking . Possible for some one to hit their shoulder on one between cars. Get a life!!

john *.?-!.* cub owner · Mar 26, 2015

I have never run into one either with my shins or a vehicle, however, since I am absent minded and only tow occasionally I remove mine when not in use as a matter of self preservation. I did see one on a jacked up 3/4 ton about 6 months ago that ought to be removed when not in use. It was in a parking lot and the hitch alone stuck out 2 feet behind the truck and was way out in the traffic lane.

wilson ind · Mar 26, 2015

Thinking back a few months, stopped at gas station. Pickup was setting blocking both sets of pumps, driver in truck just setting. I pulled as close as possible just touching the double ball hitch. Female jumps out yelling You hit my reproducing (real word not allowed) truck. Hit me funny as I said I never knew trucks had a reprductive orientation. Other females came out yelling . Female (notice I said female not woman or lady as she was neither by my thought with her filthy mouth} said I owed her an apology . I replied I would not apologize to her but to the truck. I said truck I sorry I hit you in the reproducing body parts. She enraged called the cops. Other females yelling that reproducing ( real word not allowed) was not a reproducing thing to which you sure could have fooled me. Cops come up ask me what happened, I replied I was trying to get close to gas up and gently tapped back of truck. Not know the truck had a reproducing preference, I would not apologetic to a female with her filthy ways .But did apologize to your truck. Cop started laughing as he also did .not know truck was reproducing ( man is this filter thing strict) ,and said lady he apologized to your truck!! Cop and I told her if reproducing ( real word not allowed) was not reproducing then neither he or I would want to live in her world. Both cops and his partner and I drove off laughing, females were still yelling obscenities.

Pair-a-dice farm · Mar 26, 2015

It's the American way now days, it's ALWAYS someone else's fault.

DENNIS MIN · Mar 26, 2015

Russ,

What if my tailgate is down with a ball hitch in receiver?

Nanny state comes to mind.

D.

jackbrit3 · Mar 26, 2015

Massachusetts inspection station would not put a state inspection sticker on car until I removed the draw bar. I think inspector said it could stay and get a sticker if it was welded in making it PART of the car. I removed it got the sticker and put it back in. Later in the year I was rear ended at a yield sign by a big suv that left on a tow truck. The bar punched a hole in the radiator support and hit the transmission line. I only had damage to the draw bar plate where ball mounts. No other damage to car.

DENNIS MIN · Mar 26, 2015

Jackbrit3.

Is the engine bolted in?

D.

DENNIS MIN · Mar 26, 2015

Wilson,

If what you type is true, I think I'd take offense of you intentionally hitting any part of my vehicle, especially when you could have avoided my car, and I'd be even further upset when you did it intentionally.

Forgive my navy colored language, but you may be wrong.

Also, give the same forgiveness if I am wrongly assessing your description.

D.

wilson ind · Mar 26, 2015

i JUST WANTED TO GET CLOSE REALLY DID . NOT INTEND TO BUMP IT. HOWEVER HER FOUL MOUTH GOT ME TO LAUGHING AT THE IDEA OF THE IMPLIED ACT WHICH SHE SEEMED TO THINK HER TRUCK CAPABLE OF sorry didnot. realize caps on I know I have a very low threashold of admusment

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