WHY leave trailer hitch on !

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That's weird...a few years ago, the Charger, Magnum, and 300 were rated for 2000 with the V6 and 3800 with the Hemi! (SRT8's are not rated to tow.) I didn't realize they had dropped it that much.
 
Originally Posted By: supton
I thought Panthers lost the towing ability in late 90's? Not sure I want a 10 year old car on a family vacation. Not sure what it'd cost to rebuild one so that it'd be reliable.



I'm curious what would make you say this? Heck, our newest car is 13 years old and I'd trust it to drive cross country tomorrow.
 
Originally Posted By: The_Eric

I'm curious what would make you say this? Heck, our newest car is 13 years old and I'd trust it to drive cross country tomorrow.


And my newest car is 17 years old and I would drive it to every state twice.

Now, what would make supton question the reliability of older vehicles? Perhaps the overall probability of engine/component failure in a 10, 13, or 17 year old car vs. a new car. Friction, heat, thermal cycling, and time wear all parts, and unless you replace every single thing every X # of years, ignoring infant mortality your probability of problems is likely still higher than that of the average new car. Sorry.
 
Not only that, but who took care of it for the prior 10+ years? If I start buying well-used vehicles then I'm gambling on the unseen. Which I wouldn't care too much if it was just me in the vehicle. One breakdown with the wife&kids screamin' in the backseat... one good repair while on the road by JimBob's Hole-in-the-Wall garage... with unknown quality? All while taking up precious vacation time.

Family vacations often push a vehicle past how it is usually used. Loaded to the gills and driven on hot days.
 
Originally Posted By: Traction
It should be illegal. I use mine a lot, but it is simple to remove, and I will do it twice a day if needed. And what are you going to teach someone who rear ends you? It is hard enough to maneuver around long vehicles in parking lots, let alone have the hitch hanging off the back doing nothing.


So becuause you are too lazy to take 2 extra steps, you want the world to submit to your wim? You probably have more to worry about if you are backing into other vehicles. If the hitch didnt hit it, your bumper would have anyway.

The original hitch on my motorhome was a fixed ball mount. Not a receiver tube. It's also a 1978... 70s vehicles rear ended by anything build after about 1985 will be totalled if it runs intoit at any great amount of speed... hitch or not. Now it has a receiver tube welded on to the original fixed ball mount, BUT it still sticks out past the bumper about 8 inches just like it always has. Ony difference is now I can use my hitch mount bike carrier. You gonna ban those too?

Like that 1990 Chevy Blazer that rear ended my moms 1980 (70s design..) Ford LTD. His SUV was totalled.. her car had a bent down bumper, a dented truck and broken tail lights.
 
Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
It is not a "hitch" 1st of all. It is a ball mount or draw bar. The hitch is the part mounted to the vehicle's frame or bumper( called the receiver ).

Nothing wrong with leaving them in. If you can't avoid one while walking around a vehicle you are blind and pretty darn dumb and deserve to bang you shin. Watch where you are going!



what if it is dark out?
 
I leave mine in to increase the damage to the fool that hit me. With no hitch, a mild contact maybe the bumpers will get scratched or slightly dented. With most vehicles having plastic bumpers, hopefully my hitch sticks out far enough to stab their radiator.
 
Originally Posted By: Whizbanger
I leave mine in to increase the damage to the fool that hit me. With no hitch, a mild contact maybe the bumpers will get scratched or slightly dented. With most vehicles having plastic bumpers, hopefully my hitch sticks out far enough to stab their radiator.


I use mine to tow trailers.
 
Originally Posted By: FXjohn
Originally Posted By: Whizbanger
I leave mine in to...


I use mine to...


FXjohn- apples and oranges, perhaps? It's quite possible Whizbanger USES his to tow trailers also, he just said he LEAVES IT IN to inflict additional damage to rear-enders. Nice try, though.
 
Originally Posted By: Whizbanger
I leave mine in to increase the damage to the fool that hit me. With no hitch, a mild contact maybe the bumpers will get scratched or slightly dented. With most vehicles having plastic bumpers, hopefully my hitch sticks out far enough to stab their radiator.


Yap, I always suspected the motive was passive-aggressive. New we have it in writing.

For the record, I tow too, but I'm considerate to remove it when I'm not towing.
 
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek

Yap, I always suspected the motive was passive-aggressive. New we have it in writing.


friendly_jacek- "the motive" implies EVERYONE who leaves their hitch in shares the same motive. From what I've seen here, others leave it for other reasons, such as:

1. People are more cautious when driving behind your vehicle when they see the hitch

2. Additional protection in rear end accidents

I wonder why you are so quick to dismiss these other motives. I'm also curious as to how the motive you seem most concerned with is passive-aggressive. Do tell.
 
Originally Posted By: FXjohn
Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
It is not a "hitch" 1st of all. It is a ball mount or draw bar. The hitch is the part mounted to the vehicle's frame or bumper( called the receiver ).

Nothing wrong with leaving them in. If you can't avoid one while walking around a vehicle you are blind and pretty darn dumb and deserve to bang you shin. Watch where you are going!



what if it is dark out?


What if it is? Again, watch where you are going. The ball mount still shows in the dark. If it is dark and things are harder to see you just need to be more careful and pay more attention. Common sense.
 
Originally Posted By: moving2
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek

Yap, I always suspected the motive was passive-aggressive. New we have it in writing.


friendly_jacek- "the motive" implies EVERYONE who leaves their hitch in shares the same motive. From what I've seen here, others leave it for other reasons, such as:

1. People are more cautious when driving behind your vehicle when they see the hitch

2. Additional protection in rear end accidents

I wonder why you are so quick to dismiss these other motives. I'm also curious as to how the motive you seem most concerned with is passive-aggressive. Do tell.



Add this to your list...

3 - person has a physical disability and removing a ball mount( especially when a locking hitch pin is used )is difficult. So, the ball mount is only removed when the person knows it won't be needed for an extended period of time.
 
This is a timely thread. My coworker just reported an experience he had parking in a school parking lot that was compromised with mounds of snow. Coming out of the school he noticed one of his friends had a nice gash on the side of their car. It looked like it was opened with a can opener. They determined it must've been some schmuck with a trailer hitch who couldn't maneuver his truck properly. The car was legally parked.
 
Originally Posted By: moving2
Originally Posted By: FXjohn
Originally Posted By: Whizbanger
I leave mine in to...


I use mine to...


FXjohn- apples and oranges, perhaps? It's quite possible Whizbanger USES his to tow trailers also, he just said he LEAVES IT IN to inflict additional damage to rear-enders. Nice try, though.


I use mine to tow. NOT to childishly try to intimidate people or cause damage to things or to pedestrians.
 
Originally Posted By: moving2


I wonder why you are so quick to dismiss these other motives. I'm also curious as to how the motive you seem most concerned with is passive-aggressive. Do tell.



Well, for starters, because one of you admitted the main motive is to inflict the maximum damage to others.

But, I understand there are some other motives, similar to hanging metal testicles:

blurredcar.gif
 
I figure if your going to f' my day by crashing into me, I need to make sure your day is just as fun. Don't like it, don't hit me. As far as people banging in to them, I could see if it is on a vehicle that sticks out past a normal parking space. In that case you need to be courteous and remove it or park accordingly.
 
Originally Posted By: FXjohn

I use mine to tow. NOT to childishly try to intimidate people or cause damage to things or to pedestrians.


Again, Whizbanger may also use his to tow. Not sure why you are hesitant to consider this possibility. He also uses it to cause additional damage to people who rear-end him. Not sure why you make all those emotional assumptions about the latter.
 
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek

But, I understand there are some other motives, similar to hanging metal testicles:
blurredcar.gif



friendly_jacek-

1. What do these motives have to do with hanging metal testicles?
a) People are more cautious when driving behind your vehicle when they see the hitch
b) Additional protection in rear end accidents

2. You still haven't explained the passive-aggressive thing, nor why you were so quick to assume a singular motive based on 1 poster's response.
 
I had people with their hitch back into me on 2 occasions, major damage one, bumper damage the other time.

what does the law say about it?
 
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