Receiver Hitch Must be Empty if No Trialer Attached?

[JPope]

While at a local farm fleet type store buying some gates/fence poles etc. to be hauled in the bed of the truck, the store manager commented on the visibility of my 8" drop receiver (painted bright red to match truck w/ red relective tape to the rear). His comment was that it should be visable now but did say that an adjacent town was starting to enforce their local ordinance that the hitch must be removed from the receiver if no trailer was being pulled. My contact in that towns police force is on vacation till next week, so I cannot confirm .



Has anyone heard of such an ordinance?



We are in a big time farm area, but the two local towns in question are a liberal university town, and a upcoming strip mall/fast food/motel community. Harvest is in full swing, so you see lots of PU's, tractors, etc. pulling grain trailers etc. plus lots of PU's on errnads while the trailer sits in the field to be filled. I do not live in this town, but have to travel there for some things not available elsewhere.

 

[nps]

Let's hope it is not true - that is one of the biggest loads of %$*# ever if it is.

 

[CUMMINZ]

Pretty crazy ordinance but have you ever cracked your shin on someone's hitch?

 

[rowilson]

Pretty crazy ordinance but have you ever cracked your shin on someone's hitch?

If you crack your shin on someone elses truck then I'd say you deserve it as you're too close to someone elses truck :{

 

[SKargo]

It's probably a safety issue. I remove mine when I'm not using it, it weighs a freakin ton.



But if you want to be "that guy" and drive around with a big honkin piece of steel hanging out the back, good on ya.

 

[CSnyder]

JPope, what town do you live in? I'm also from Iowa and i want to make damn sure I stay out of that store. Next thing you know he will tell you that you need to switch to Fram oil filters like my local tractor supply store did when I asked about them ordering in fleetguard filters so I could buy my oil and filter in one store. I found a store that sells both now! Chris

 

[SnoKing]

I believe in California it is the law. Durning accidents the cars get locked together and are hard to remove from the road. So they passed a law on hitches sticking out with balls on them. Without a ball, I believe that you would be ok in California. SNOKING

 

[CUMMINZ]

rowilson

Have you never walked in a parking lot with cars/trucks parked close to one another/facing one another and had only 24" between them. Most of the time you are not looking down. And I also think that air is free.

 

[Erniek]

It's probably a safety issue. I remove mine when I'm not using it, it weighs a freakin ton.



If you're in an accident I would think it would be safer having it installed and pinned in place rather than having it flying around inside the cab (for those who store it under the seat), or flying out of the bed of the truck!!

 

[Sleepy Creek]

I've got a big tow hook in both my front and rear reciever. I've not heard anything about that being a problem here in VA.

 

[JPope]

To answer some of the comments:

-Liberal university town is Iowa City, you know the one is nuclear free zone

-Other town susposedly with ordinance is Coralville, and IH 80 goes through Coralville.

- Store is Oschleins (sp. ). I think the manager was trying to alert me rather berate me

- I live outside Kalona, biggest Amish community around, so the issues there are related to horse drawn carts (and I have horses, so love it), what goes clip---clop clip---clop clip---clop, bang-bang, clippity-clop clipppity-clop clippity-clop, Amish drive by shooting , and steel wheeled tractors some with lugs (Amish here cannot have rubber tires) that tear up pavement !



Yes I have hit my leg on the hitch , did I mention it is painted bright red and that I have reflector tape on the backside, for when I commuted to Minneapolis, really helped keep the tailgators back a ways



I had never heard of this, so was curious what the TDR group had ever heard or seen about this?

 

[Thomas]

... really helped keep the tailgators back a ways...

Here's mine: https://www.turbodieselregister.com/user_gallery/sizeimage.php?&photoid=20387&width=2

I look at it as anti-submarine gear. The three that tested it did not go under and did zero damage to my rig.

 

[Tee]

I have a 28" extension for use when I have my Camper on the back and am towing. At the lake a couple months ago I had removed the camper and re-hooked to the boat for daily launch and retrieval. No biggie, I always do it. Well later in the 3rd day I was out of canned refreshments and quickly unhooked the boat and ran into a town about 15 miles away. Got stopped by the local friendly Highway Patrolman on my way into town. He told me that I should remove it. I asked why when you can legaly have a board or pipe or whatever hanging out up to 3ft behind the truck without a flag and my deal was only 28".



He quickly told me that I was correct in the actuallity of the law and that his request was only a suggestion.



Upon leaving the place of beverage purchase I walked behind the truck and promptly clothslined my shins. I then realized he was right. I should take that #%$!@&*$%# thing off if there is nothing hooked up behind me



Damn, I forgot my point here... .

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.



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Oh yea, a regular drop hitch seams stupid to have to remove. But anything more I now understand.

 

[DHayden]

I leave mine on because there is an epidemic here of tailgaters and if they hit my truck I'm going to do as much damage to them as I can. I know chances are good I will get hosed because most of the Illegal Mexican's are driving without insurance so I'm going to have to pay for repair to my truck and I'm going to do whatever I can to incapacitate their vehicle so it stays off the road.



Now if I was dealing with Amish instead of illegal mexican's I certainly wouldn't want to spear a horse that rear ends me. (he better have insurance though :-laf )

 

[SKargo]

It's probably a safety issue. I remove mine when I'm not using it, it weighs a freakin ton.

If you're in an accident I would think it would be safer having it installed and pinned in place rather than having it flying around inside the cab (for those who store it under the seat), or flying out of the bed of the truck!!

That's probably why you should ensure it's either left at home, or secure it, like you always are supposed to do. It's not hard.



I personally leave mine at home, but I know that's not an option for everyone. If I do need to have it with me, it's in the toolbox.

 

[KBalzuweit]

I heard this a while back also, but it was one of the NE states that had the law. Mine is in 24 7, used to take it out once and a while just to make sure it did not rust in.

 

[Rams-n-Hogs]

A few months ago when I visited my dad in Il, he told me they had just passed a law requiring the hitch to be removed from the receiver when not towing. It hadn't gone into effect when I was there, but it probably is by now.



Jim

 

[Got Smoke?]

I used to leave my 6" drop hitch in 24/7/365 because I don't run anything less than 33" tires on my trucks. That makes it much easier for a tailgater to go under my truck which I DO NOT want happening.



Since sled pulling season has been on for the last little while I have my pulling hitch in, but I guess with winter time coming I need to put "ye old trusty hitch" back in. :-laf

 

[klenger]

So, what do they do about non-receiver style hitches that are permanently attached to the vehicle? What about a bumper mount ball?

 

[Trent]

I'm not sure what the law is here but a friend got rear ended in his jimmy and it totalled the other car. He had his hitch in at the time and he didn't get touched. Ever since that me and several people that know him try to run with ours in at all times.