WHY leave trailer hitch on !

[whip]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Originally Posted By: whip
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Originally Posted By: whip
To the crowd that leaves the ball mount in, in order to "teach the other guy a lesson", I wonder how you'd feel if someone started pulling the mount pin out, to teach you a lesson? Both seem equally ignorant, but I know one will get treated entirely different than the other.


I'm reducing the risk of damage to my vehicle by incompetent people. If they learn a lesson by destroying their radiator or getting a boo boo, that's on them.

Messing with someone else's property because you can't watch where you are going or maintain control of your vehicle is simply inexcusable.

If people would watch where they are going, put down the phone while driving, and not run into me at lights, I wouldn't feel any need to leave the ball mount in.

I suspect the same people who run into other cars at lights because they are playing on their phone are the same ones who get mad about a ball mount sticking out 4". Why they need to be within 4" of my truck is beyond me, let alone their inability to take responsibility for running into an easy to see stationary object.

I guess vandalism is the answer whenever you get upset about something trivial though. Sad.

If you leave the ball mount in place to damage someone else's vehicle more, how is that any different than someone pulling the pin? Like I said, both ideas are ignorant, but one would be defended.


Again, the purpose of leaving it in is to reduce damage to my vehicle. Reducing damage to my vehicle is not the same as trying to cause more damage to another. Any additional damage caused to the other party is an unintended consequence, but one I am not going to lose any sleep over. Why should I look out of the interests of people who aren't going to give the same courtesy back?

If you're not leaving the ball mount in order to teach another driver a lesson, than my post wasn't directed at you. Of course that begs the question why do you feel you have to defend yourself..........
You should look out for other people because it's the decent thing to do, but clearly, that's not going to happen.

 

[Zaedock]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Has anyone ever mentioned leaving it in for winter time retrieval purposes?


It's dangerous. I teach off road recovery. A hitch ball was not designed for that purpose and if it ever failed during a pull, it would take your head off.

Regarding straps themselves, most off road clubs and associations do not allow the use of straps with hooks, for the same reason.

 

[rjundi]

Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
Originally Posted By: rjundi
I walked into one in college one night. It smarted a bit.

Writhing in pain one of my friends a bit buzzed from a night out removed it and threw it into the ditch. Sucks for the owner.


Criminal act. You guys were drinking and impaired, and walked into the guys vehicle, so you throw the guys ball mount away. Nice. Wow.


I did not walk into a vehicle, I walked into a hitch ball sticking out 1' out at night that was sticking into a walkway. My drunk idiot acquaintances took it upon themselves to fix a "hazard".

People really get testy about their balls here.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: Zaedock
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Has anyone ever mentioned leaving it in for winter time retrieval purposes?


It's dangerous. I teach off road recovery. A hitch ball was not designed for that purpose and if it ever failed during a pull, it would take your head off.

Regarding straps themselves, most off road clubs and associations do not allow the use of straps with hooks, for the same reason.



I don't get that. The forces are applied lower on the ball than they would be during towing, no? I can see the danger of putting a wide strap onto something not meant to properly retain it; so I can easily see why someone would just buy the right tool for the task, if they were going to be pulling like this for any amount. I just don't see why a ball would fail from being yanked on, unless if the shock loading is above and beyond what could be seen while towing (sudden braking, hitting a massive pothole, the like). But it seems to be pointed out enough that I defer to that wisdom.

Now I have to figure out what to do with the tow strap I have--I figured I'd just use the hook to loop itself back on, if and when I ever used it. Maybe I'll just toss it--it is a cheapo one that I bought to pull a piling out of the ground.

 

[MNgopher]

For recovery purposes, I use a receiver with no ball. I use a clevis to attach my tow strap where the ball would normally mount. I usually carry another clevis for situations where the tow strap can't easily be looped around itself. That combination has worked fine for many, many years.

I've used a pintile style hitch for recovery purposes, but never just the ball.

 

[NHHEMI]

Originally Posted By: rjundi
Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
Originally Posted By: rjundi
I walked into one in college one night. It smarted a bit.

Writhing in pain one of my friends a bit buzzed from a night out removed it and threw it into the ditch. Sucks for the owner.


Criminal act. You guys were drinking and impaired, and walked into the guys vehicle, so you throw the guys ball mount away. Nice. Wow.


I did not walk into a vehicle, I walked into a hitch ball sticking out 1' out at night that was sticking into a walkway. My drunk idiot acquaintances took it upon themselves to fix a "hazard".

People really get testy about their balls here.


The ball mount is part of the vehicle when installed. Your "group" vandalized the guy's vehicle. Too bad you weren't caught on camera or by a witness so you could have been prosecuted.

I know that makes me sound like a jerk to you but IMO what you guys did( you were there and didn't stop them )was very wrong.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: NHHEMI

The ball mount is part of the vehicle when installed. Your "group" vandalized the guy's vehicle. Too bad you weren't caught on camera or by a witness so you could have been prosecuted.

I know that makes me sound like a jerk to you but IMO what you guys did( you were there and didn't stop them )was very wrong.


They simply removed it so no one else would get injured.

 

[NHHEMI]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
Originally Posted By: NHHEMI

The ball mount is part of the vehicle when installed. Your "group" vandalized the guy's vehicle. Too bad you weren't caught on camera or by a witness so you could have been prosecuted.

I know that makes me sound like a jerk to you but IMO what you guys did( you were there and didn't stop them )was very wrong.


They simply removed it so no one else would get injured.


It wasn't their vehicle so removing it was vandalism/theft. Throwing it in the ditch isn't right either.

Some of the people on here make me laugh. If you did something with your vehicle that others didn't like, and they did things to your vehicle as a result, you would be all up in arms.

Very sad state of affairs and shows how low our country has sunk. Not the ball mount thing( which frankly is silly )but rather the way people against them being left in talk and the things they do or say they will do.

 

[cutter]

I have to parallel park on the street. Mine's off. I hope yours is too if you visit the city.

 

[rjundi]

Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
Originally Posted By: rjundi
Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
Originally Posted By: rjundi
I walked into one in college one night. It smarted a bit.

Writhing in pain one of my friends a bit buzzed from a night out removed it and threw it into the ditch. Sucks for the owner.


Criminal act. You guys were drinking and impaired, and walked into the guys vehicle, so you throw the guys ball mount away. Nice. Wow.


I did not walk into a vehicle, I walked into a hitch ball sticking out 1' out at night that was sticking into a walkway. My drunk idiot acquaintances took it upon themselves to fix a "hazard".

People really get testy about their balls here.


The ball mount is part of the vehicle when installed. Your "group" vandalized the guy's vehicle. Too bad you weren't caught on camera or by a witness so you could have been prosecuted.

I know that makes me sound like a jerk to you but IMO what you guys did( you were there and didn't stop them )was very wrong.


This was a long time ago but my reason for posting was it can injure someone. And then some idiot can vandalize or steal the thing which sucks for apathetic owner.

I am indifferent to what happened as it was so long ago and statue of limitation has since long passed on this one. College was crazy but we all turned out to be a mellow successful bunch.

 

[mcrn]

Originally Posted By: whip
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Originally Posted By: whip
To the crowd that leaves the ball mount in, in order to "teach the other guy a lesson", I wonder how you'd feel if someone started pulling the mount pin out, to teach you a lesson? Both seem equally ignorant, but I know one will get treated entirely different than the other.


I'm reducing the risk of damage to my vehicle by incompetent people. If they learn a lesson by destroying their radiator or getting a boo boo, that's on them.


Messing with someone else's property because you can't watch where you are going or maintain control of your vehicle is simply inexcusable.

If people would watch where they are going, put down the phone while driving, and not run into me at lights, I wouldn't feel any need to leave the ball mount in.

I suspect the same people who run into other cars at lights because they are playing on their phone are the same ones who get mad about a ball mount sticking out 4". Why they need to be within 4" of my truck is beyond me, let alone their inability to take responsibility for running into an easy to see stationary object.

I guess vandalism is the answer whenever you get upset about something trivial though. Sad.

If you leave the ball mount in place to damage someone else's vehicle more, how is that any different than someone pulling the pin? Like I said, both ideas are ignorant, but one would be defended.


Because taking the pin out is a deliberate act to cause harm...so that would be the same as leaving the ball and hitch in place and then backing up into peoples cars. Pulling the pin does direct harm......leaving the ball and hitch in place does no damage on its own.....it takes the act of the "victim" to cause damage to his or her own car or shin.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: whip

If you're not leaving the ball mount in order to teach another driver a lesson, than my post wasn't directed at you. Of course that begs the question why do you feel you have to defend yourself..........
You should look out for other people because it's the decent thing to do, but clearly, that's not going to happen.


I figured your post was directed at all of the trailer hitch evildoers.

Yes, looking out for others is the decent thing to do, except when they won't give the same courtesy. The people who run into trailer hitches are only looking out for their phones, why is it on me to look out for them? I'm not going to risk more damage to my vehicle in order to reduce the potential damage for someone who just doesn't care. Courtesy is a two way street, and I have no sympathy for people who are as engaged in driving or walking as they are sitting on their couch. People who pay a marginal amount of attention to what they are doing will never have a problem with someone else's trailer hitch.

 

[moving2]

Originally Posted By: whip

If you leave the ball mount in place to damage someone else's vehicle more, how is that any different than someone pulling the pin? Like I said, both ideas are ignorant, but one would be defended.


Originally Posted By: mcrn

Because taking the pin out is a deliberate act to cause harm...so that would be the same as leaving the ball and hitch in place and then backing up into peoples cars. Pulling the pin does direct harm......leaving the ball and hitch in place does no damage on its own.....it takes the act of the "victim" to cause damage to his or her own car or shin.


+1.

mcrn- well said!

 

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted By: MNgopher
For recovery purposes, I use a receiver with no ball. I use a clevis to attach my tow strap where the ball would normally mount. I usually carry another clevis for situations where the tow strap can't easily be looped around itself. That combination has worked fine for many, many years.

I've used a pintile style hitch for recovery purposes, but never just the ball.


I have a pintle type of slide-in from a Peterbilt truck (that slides into the square holes in the front bumper). It slides into my receiver with just a little of play, but works perfectly for pulling.

 

[gfh77665]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
As for hitting your shins, it's not too hard to watch where you are going. That seems like something that's pretty easy to avoid.


I strongly disagree. Some parking lots are dimly lit, some not at all. In the rural area I live in its not uncommon for parking areas to be just an unlighted grass feild.

With no lighting, or very little lighting, in the dark its EASY to not be able to see down between the rows of cars and trucks parked, even with perfect eyesight.

Its irresponsible and callous to purposely leave a hazard sticking out for the public to skin a shin on.

 

[gfh77665]

Originally Posted By: TrevorS
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
After reading all these posts, I think I'll take mine out after every time I use it because it seems like a lot of folks are walking into them in parking lots. I think it's important to be considerate to others.


Thank you and well done good sir!

Being considerate of others will surely make this world a better place for all of us.

 

[NHHEMI]

It amazes me the number of people having a fit over this and claiming they can't see them and walk into them all the time. I am just 46 but that is still 46 years. I have NEVER walked into a ball mount in a parking lot. NEVER. Not at night( lighted, dimly lighted, pitch black dark )and not in the day. As said earlier the only time I have banged my shin on one was while loading/unloading something from the vehicle.

I can't even begin to imagine how anyone would do so while waking past a vehicle? Well, obviously I can see it in my mind's eye but what I mean is how do you let it happen? You must be walking very close to the vehicle with the ball mount to begin with and that would be too close IMO. You also have to not be paying attention to where you are going to do it as well.

Yakking/texting on a cell, talking with someone with you, or looking ahead to where you are going and not paying attention to where you are is the only way I can see it happening. Bottom line if you walk into a ball mount in a vehicle it is on you. No reason for it to happen to anyone who is paying attention.

You can all holler and whine about how we "evil towers" that leave ball mounts in the receiver should be courteous of you/others and take them out but really if you just took some personal responsibility for your own actions it would not be an issue. It is not my fault if you are careless. Watch where you are going. Also, how about some courtesy for guys like me who has disabilities( MS )that make it difficult to get down and remove a locking hitch pin. Why should I make all the effort?

My ball mount isn't hurting anyone as long as people don't walk into it AND it is perfectly legal for it to be in there( states with laws against it are out of their minds - totally ridiculous ). Seems to me that this is more about careless and inattentive folks than it is the evil folks leaving their ball mounts in. You want to blame us for your own carelessness. Sadly that is what this country has become. Blame everyone else for dumb things we do. No responsibility anymore. It is always the other guys fault.

This thread has to qualify for one of the most ridiculous ones ever here at BITOG.

 

[gfh77665]

Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
It amazes me the number of people having a fit over this and claiming they can't see them and walk into them all the time. I am just 46 but that is still 46 years. I have NEVER walked into a ball mount in a parking lot. NEVER. Not at night( lighted, dimly lighted, pitch black dark )and not in the day. As said earlier the only time I have banged my shin on one was while loading/unloading something from the vehicle.


Not "having a fit" at all, but just responding to this topic:

Once I remember I was in a parking lot with a 4 year old and an infant in my arms. After shopping, I added a box and a bag to carry. With a child and the stuff in one arm, and holding the 4 year old by the hand, and WATCHING FOR CARS to protect my children, I did indeed bang smack into a long hitch & ball someone had sticking out. Thankfully I did not fall over with an infant in my arms.


Yeah, its easy to smash your shin, when more important things have your attention.

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: gfh77665
Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
It amazes me the number of people having a fit over this and claiming they can't see them and walk into them all the time. I am just 46 but that is still 46 years. I have NEVER walked into a ball mount in a parking lot. NEVER. Not at night( lighted, dimly lighted, pitch black dark )and not in the day. As said earlier the only time I have banged my shin on one was while loading/unloading something from the vehicle.


Not "having a fit" at all, but just responding to this topic:

Once I remember I was in a parking lot with a 4 year old and an infant in my arms. After shopping, I added a box and a bag to carry. With a child and the stuff in one arm, and holding the 4 year old by the hand, and WATCHING FOR CARS to protect my children, I did indeed bang smack into a long hitch & ball someone had sticking out. Thankfully I did not fall over with an infant in my arms.


Yeah, its easy to smash your shin, when more important things have your attention.


I understand your situation, but how is that any different than walking into a parked car, a curb, a light post?

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
It amazes me the number of people having a fit over this


The only person having a fit in this thread is you.