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Please remove your hitch

bedell
Explorer
Explorer
Yesterday my wife hurt her knee on a hitch on the back of someone's pickup in a parking lot. I don't know if it was a TT owner's truck but the lesson was clear. We need to be considerate and remove the hitch after we are done towing.
96 REPLIES 96

Steeljag
Explorer
Explorer
I remove mine as soon as we return from camping. It is maybe 30 lbs? No biggie, simply take it off and put it away,

In open parking areas, If your not physically able to remove it, none of my business. I do get irritated with those who back into spaces where the bumper hangs over the sidewalk, and the hitch extends another foot over the sidewalk. I just worry about kids and the elderly.
2018 Forester 3011DS
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Highway_4x4
Explorer
Explorer
My hitch gets locked in place to the truck when I leave and is removed when I get home. On the trip when nit in use I tape a trash bag over it so you won't get grease on you when you walk into it while you are texting. I always park way out in the parking lots leaving the close spots for those that can't walk as far and they don't have to walk past my hitch, or truck. I am not going to be removing my hitch in an RV park so it can get re-homed. If I never take the locking pin out, I'll never forget to put it back in. I don't want to hurt someone with my TT loose on the freeway. I was going to mount a winch on the front of my truck but I fear someone might walk into it.
2014 Ram Cummins Laramie, Crew cab, 4x4, Loaded, Snugtop camper
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Big spoiled Bernese Mountain Dog

DE88ROX
Explorer
Explorer
GMandJM wrote:
I'm sorry to hear your wife was injured.

Those hitches can be a pain to remove since they are so heavy. And then there's the issue of where to store them while they're off. They can't generally be stored on the TT since they're so heavy -unless one has a jack or stand to hold it up. And you might have to worry about it "walking away" from your campsite, as well.

That said, after running into our own TT hitch a time or two and getting ball grease all over me, I did cover the it with a plastic Target bag. Maybe that would cause someone to see it more readily and not run into it. Worked for me, anyway.

-J-half


i have a 3 drawer horizontal file cabinet in my garage. about 4' wide by about 18" deep. bottom drawer in my hitch, anti sway bar and towing mirrors. works out pretty good.
[COLOR=]TV- 2010 GMC Sierra Z71 EXT. cab
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mich800
Explorer
Explorer
Personal responsibility is a two way street. If you are incapable of parking your vehicle (the entire vehicle including the hitch) within the parking space so pedestrians do not need to walk into oncoming traffic you should move.

Much like the considerate individuals that back their truck into a space so the overhang and hitch covers the entire sidewalk.

nomad297
Explorer
Explorer
I take mine out because I think it looks like doggy doo doo.

Bruce
2010 Skyline Nomad 297 Bunk House, 33-1/4 feet long
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toedtoes
Explorer III
Explorer III
TomG2 wrote:
Old man Freud would have a picnic will all you old guys that like to have something to stick people with. Cars, kids, look out! Here comes grandpa with his stinger out.


That's a really offensive comment.
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Huntindog
Explorer
Explorer
Personal Responsibility

Unforunantly, today many always look for someone to blame...

I just saw a lady at the store... Walking down the isle while texting on her phone. The guy in front of her abrubtly stopped and turned in front of her to go down another isle. They collided... She blamed him... Got pretty mad at him. I guess he should have had eyes in the back of his head... Or maybe, just maybe, she should have been looking where she was going?

I found it hilarious.
Huntindog
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hawkeye-08
Explorer III
Explorer III
Some have commented about the attitudes folks have, but I think it is not about the "me" attitude, but rather more about folks just getting plain tired of others thinking that they can tell them what to do... It is really none of your business if I leave my hitch in or not and I don't really care if you think you can tell me what to do.. mind your own business and take some personal responsibility for a change.

To the OP, sorry your wife got hurt.

TomG2
Explorer
Explorer
Old man Freud would have a picnic will all you old guys that like to have something to stick people with. Cars, kids, look out! Here comes grandpa with his stinger out.

ChooChooMan74
Explorer
Explorer
Mine is off and I got my utility trailer drawbar on now, but if you walk into mine, you have to be very close to me. The first pic is with my 225/75s before I put on the 245/70s. The 2nd is rear shot with my 245/70s.



Great American Anti-Towing Conspiracy
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rexlion
Explorer
Explorer
The Texan wrote:
What ever happened to "personal responsibility" instead of trying to place the blame on someone else? Have I walked into someone's hitch? You darn right I have and did I run tell them that they were to blame, NO I knew who was at fault and cussed him out. Suck it up and put the blame where it lies, NOT on everyone else.

+1. Next thing we know, we'll be asked to not park in the parking lot because someone might run into it and blame us for being there.

I tow a cargo trailer every weekday for work. I'm not going to unscrew the immobilizer pin and remove the drawbar every weekend. If someone in the parking lot walks that close to the back end of my vehicle, they're too close for safety.
Mike G.
Liberty is meaningless where the right to utter one's thoughts and opinions has ceased to exist. That, of all rights, is the dread of tyrants. --Frederick Douglass
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Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Explorer III
Nope
Is it time for your medication or mine?


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old_guy
Explorer
Explorer
my son will never remove his because of an accident where a guy ran into the rear of his truck. nothing happened to his truck but the guy's car took a terrible hit. almost totaled the car.

colliehauler
Explorer III
Explorer III
rcmiller32 wrote:
I would take mine off if not using it for a few days, hated listening to the back up system going off all the time. Left on if only out for the weekend at a camp ground. Had a friend that had purchased a nice new expensive head and bars and backed into a couple of cars in parking lots with it on. He did not like to remove it due to its weight. One day he comes out to find someone had unbolted the main head and left the slide in piece in the receiver. Nuts and washers were laying on the ground. Had to purchase a new unit again. He now removes it after use. They also messed up the lock pin trying to remove it.
Now that's brazen to take the time to unbolt the head.

rcmiller32
Explorer
Explorer
I would take mine off if not using it for a few days, hated listening to the back up system going off all the time. Left on if only out for the weekend at a camp ground. Had a friend that had purchased a nice new expensive head and bars and backed into a couple of cars in parking lots with it on. He did not like to remove it due to its weight. One day he comes out to find someone had unbolted the main head and left the slide in piece in the receiver. Nuts and washers were laying on the ground. Had to purchase a new unit again. He now removes it after use. They also messed up the lock pin trying to remove it.
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