Show what you tow!

[romad]

Illegal to have tow ball installed w/o trailer?

I was just talking to my neighbor and he was stopped (but only given a warning) for having a towball mounted in his receiver but without a trailer attached. I've never heard of this before but then again this IS the CPR. Has anyone else ever heard of such an asinine law?

 

[GEFP]

I was just talking to my neighbor and he was stopped (but only given a warning) for having a towball mounted in his receiver but without a trailer attached. I've never heard of this before but then again this IS the CPR. Has anyone else ever heard of such an asinine law?

In Alberta the law is the same.

 

[[486]]

not in minnesota

we have an issue where the ball mount will rust into the receiver so solidly that you can tear a (rusty) truck's frame in half while yanking on it trying to get it out.

 

[where2]

I was just talking to my neighbor and he was stopped (but only given a warning) for having a towball mounted in his receiver but without a trailer attached. I've never heard of this before but then again this IS the CPR. Has anyone else ever heard of such an asinine law?

I haven't heard that one before. Can you have a receiver mounted bike rack installed without bikes on it? How about a receiver mounted step to get up into the pickup bed?

Sounds like it was dreamed up by some politician who smacked their shin on a receiver hitch one too many times and decided "their ought to be a law..."

 

[PB_NB]

I found this on an RV forum: This seems to capture the intent of the law in the US.

_________________________________________________
V C Section 28071 Passenger Vehicle Bumper Requirements
Passenger Vehicle Bumper Requirements
28071. Every passenger vehicle registered in this state shall be equipped with a front bumper and with a rear bumper. As used in this section, "bumper" means any device designed and intended by a manufacturer to prevent the front or rear of the body of the vehicle from coming into contact with any other motor vehicle. This section shall not apply to any passenger vehicle that is required to be equipped with an energy absorption system pursuant to either state or federal law, or to any passenger vehicle which was not equipped with a front or rear bumper, or both, at the time that it was first sold and registered under the laws of this or any other state or foreign jurisdiction.
If the trailer hitch is beyond the bumper, it's no longer the first contact in a collision.
______________________________________________________________

I found this on an Ontario forum:
__________________________________________________________
This urban myth seems to go around every so often, but this one is true because I saw the ticket first hand...Yes you can leave your trailer hitch in well not in use, that's not where this post is going.
What you can't do is block your rear licence plate in anyway.
Friend of mine here in town got a $250 fine from an OPP during a New Years eve RIDE check, for having his hitch in, as in the eyes of the LEO at the stop, it blocked part of his rear licence plate. Now this was on a car so, for those with trucks your most likely ok, because they hang low. But us car drivers who have a hitch that turns up to give the trailer tongue the room it needs to not hit the ground listen up.
He took the ticket to the local X-Copper legal service and they looked at his hitch and said, Yup it blocks the middle of the plate. They figure if he goes to court they cut the fine something lower but, but he is going to have to pay something and it also means a day off work to spend in court. The X-Copper dude said he was the 3rd person in this week with the same type of ticket.
So just a word of advice, take 30 seconds and pull your hitch out, if it could be seen to anyway block the rear plate, budgets are tight everywhere so looks like everything that is questionable will be questioned. Sure you can go to court in protest to tie the system up even more, but a $250 fine vs a few days off work for court what's cheaper for you in the long run?
_________________________________________________

 

[romad]

I haven't heard that one before. Can you have a receiver mounted bike rack installed without bikes on it? How about a receiver mounted step to get up into the pickup bed?

Sounds like it was dreamed up by some politician who smacked their shin on a receiver hitch one too many times and decided "their ought to be a law..."

So far the only thing I can find is nothing can obstruct the license plate, so bike racks have to be removed. However, I've never seen a ball mount blocking a plate on a car that has the plate mounted up on the hatches of wagons and small suvs; pickups yes.

 

[jason_]

I was just talking to my neighbor and he was stopped (but only given a warning) for having a towball mounted in his receiver but without a trailer attached. I've never heard of this before but then again this IS the CPR. Has anyone else ever heard of such an asinine law?

In Alberta the law is the same.

Please, reference to local jurisdiction and the reason for!

And yeah, salt + chloride + iron with never used condition = 5/8" pin just for looks.

 

[GEFP]

Please, reference to local jurisdiction and the reason for!

And yeah, salt + chloride + iron with never used condition = 5/8" pin just for looks.

In my case this law would be Alberta wide as there are no local jurisdictions on those issues.

What PB NB wrote applies to Alberta as well. At least that's what I've been told. If I put myself in the LEO's shoes I would probably be all to happy to write out a ticket if I bumped my shin on a hitch when I walked around the rear of the vehicle.

Also in Alberta a LEO cannot stop you without just cause. Just cause means that they have to have a legitimate reason for pulling a vehicle over. One ex RCMP bragged that it wasn't to hard to come up with a invented reason to stop someone. Something a simple as snow obscuring the licence plate is reason enough for them to stop you. As snow belt owners know you can be just driving down the road in snow storm and your licence plate has snow obscuring it. I always remove my hitches as it's one less reason for just cause. I also regularly check to see that all my lights are working for that same reason.

When I was a kid the LEO's were your friends. Now a days the majority are jerks and morons on a power trip. The less I have to do with them the better.

 

[kjclow]

In North Carolina, they don't even want you to have a license plate holder that covers part of the plate.

 

[SilverGhost]

I was told that in PA it is a ticketable offence. I have even heard of one person who will remove any ball mounts they see in parking lots and throw them in the bushes.

Mine takes a key to remove, is not blocking view of the lic plate, and has saved me from major bumper damage from inattentive driver hitting me, TWICE!

Jason

EDIT: Talked to a guy who move to Florida from PA - it is a ticket able offense in PA. Back story he told me is a ball mount came off a vehicle and hit someone, fatal injuries. First thing I thought and said was "good thing there wasn't a trailer attached at the time, it would have been even worse."

 

[skyking1]

my bike rack splits the plate in two, and no issues here in WA state. Of course it's a huge YMMV.

 

[Geordi]

Cops are jerks. If they are low on their quota, they WILL find something to write on you, and no amount of prior planning will stop that - they can just as easily make something up and guess what: It's your word against theirs, and you lose by default.

The best interaction with a cop is NONE.

 

[SilverGhost]

Cops are jerks. If they are low on their quota, they WILL find something to write on you, and no amount of prior planning will stop that - they can just as easily make something up and guess what: It's your word against theirs, and you lose by default.

The best interaction with a cop is NONE.

I had to laugh/cry because a cop reminded me of that this morning. He basically said the dept was low on money so they are stepping up speed enforcement. Worse was getting busted for the speed the guy PASSING me was doing.

Jason

 

[romad]

I had to laugh/cry because a cop reminded me of that this morning. He basically said the dept was low on money so they are stepping up speed enforcement. Worse was getting busted for the speed the guy PASSING me was doing.

Jason

BTW, a couple of weeks ago I was stopped because I forgot to turn on my headlights in a "Daytime Headlight Section". I have a court date on 3 October.

 

[TornadoRed]

BTW, a couple of weeks ago I was stopped because I forgot to turn on my headlights in a "Daytime Headlight Section". I have a court date on 3 October.

What about your daylight running lights?

 

[romad]

What about your daylight running lights?

They don't meet the requirement for HEADLIGHTS according to the CHP.

 

[jason_]

True.

I did get a bunch of crap for not having my tailgate in the up right position, while having a trailer hitched up (if it made any difference in his head)

I argued there's nothing in the box of the truck to fall out. He said doesn't matter. Tail gate must be in the upright and closed position when driving.

I said ok ok. I'll go home and bolt on a flat bed, that has no sides plus there's no tailgate to question.

He snapped his book closed and shortly said have a nice day.

/me shrugs.

 

[ATR]

I had to laugh/cry because a cop reminded me of that this morning. He basically said the dept was low on money so they are stepping up speed enforcement. Worse was getting busted for the speed the guy PASSING me was doing.
Jason

All the more reason to have a dash cam!

 

[SilverGhost]

All the more reason to have a dash cam!

The mount broke 2 days earlier and was sitting on the seat You'd be surprised how many times the cop looks at the dash cam and kinda makes a speech or excuse and lets you go.

Jason

 

[sandmansans]

I was told that in PA it is a ticketable offence. I have even heard of one person who will remove any ball mounts they see in parking lots and throw them in the bushes.

Mine takes a key to remove, is not blocking view of the lic plate, and has saved me from major bumper damage from inattentive driver hitting me, TWICE!

Jason

EDIT: Talked to a guy who move to Florida from PA - it is a ticket able offense in PA. Back story he told me is a ball mount came off a vehicle and hit someone, fatal injuries. First thing I thought and said was "good thing there wasn't a trailer attached at the time, it would have been even worse."

Literally every pickup around here drives around with the hitch on year round. I've never taken mine out, never had any problems. I've never heard of anyone getting pulled over or ticketed for that.
However, tinted windows will get you pulled over and fined ASAP!

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

 

[cfa5]

My Lil Bigfoot, updated frame.
1600 lbs, 130 tongue weight

 

[nicklockard]

Made updates to post 3443 to document failure of Execuhitch/Hidden Hitch

 

[PB_NB]

Loaded up the Beetle again and went camping in the rain!

 

[where2]

Made updates to post 3443 to document failure of Execuhitch/Hidden Hitch

I'd definitely keep an eye on the new hitch parts made of 316L. 316L really feels like non-hardened steel when I've galled the threads on a 1/2" 316L bolt/nut combo and had to use a cheater bar to sheer the bolt to remove the nut that was locked in place.

P.S. good thing you were only going 1mph when the Execuhitch let go...

 

[redbarron55]

Here is a picture of Treggy and Frank on our Great South West Tour.

 

[Lightflyer1]

You blow the thread margins out when you post a huge picture like that. Better to post a smaller one that links to the original size if needed. Then you don't have to scroll back and forth to read the posts and those that require a giant high rez pic can get to it if needed.

 

[SilverGhost]

Is that a mini split sitting on the tongue?

Jason

 

[Lightflyer1]

Is that a mini split sitting on the tongue?

Jason

That just doesn't sound right.

 

[nicklockard]

I'd definitely keep an eye on the new hitch parts made of 316L. 316L really feels like non-hardened steel when I've galled the threads on a 1/2" 316L bolt/nut combo and had to use a cheater bar to sheer the bolt to remove the nut that was locked in place.
P.S. good thing you were only going 1mph when the Execuhitch let go...

Yeah, I thought 316L a bit of an odd choice for the application too. I have yet to re-attach the Hensley Arrow Cub though, which I feel imposes more torque moment. At this point, I'm not willing to test the limits of 316L for the application, billet or not. I'm just going to add reinforcements to help prevent rotation: I'll have the chain hook 'eyes' flanges recut out of thicker steel and box it in up front with some buttressing. I'm beginning to think that load leveler bars really help because they prevent porpoising which seems to stress this union the worst.

 

[redbarron55]

That just doesn't sound right.

Yes it is a mini-split heat pump on the tongue and it works well as both A/C and heat.
Sorry about the margins as I had a hard enough time just posting.