Fact or Fiction, trailer ball receivers

[Switch]

Anyone know if it's against the law to leave your trailer ball receiver in your hitch while not pulling a trailer, my Son was warned by the local RCMP in Whitecourt as to such? I would thought they would have more important things to worry about.

 

[polarice]

Anyone know if it's against the law to leave your trailer ball receiver in your hitch while not pulling a trailer, my Son was warned by the local RCMP in Whitecourt as to such? I would thought they would have more important things to worry about.

unless it is blocking the license plate from being visible it is not
unlawful to have it in place

 

[Cyle]

Yea I heard it is illegal if your not towing a trailer. Mine is always in, mostly incase someone rear ends me. Never been warned about it though, and I agree that should have better things to worry about.

 

[Summitric]

yea i heard it is illegal if your not towing a trailer. Mine is always in, mostly incase someone rear ends me. Never been warned about it though, and i agree that should have better things to worry about.

a little off topic, but i saw a new corvette yesterday had slid on ice into an f150 that had a large trailer hitch. There didn't appear to be any damage to the truck, but the corvette was destroyed, and was tucked under the truck to the trucks rear wheels. The covette had a big slice through it from the trucks trailer hitch.....ouch!!!..... Wish i had a camera for that one....

 

[Big kid 33]

i always leave mine in it saves my bumper in parking lots

 

[bearclaw]

it is illegal in sask. i now couple guys got tickets, i take mine out simply cause i run into it with my shins.

 

[maxwell]

maybe people will pay more attention if everyone leaves them in lol

 

[06 Dragon]

If you get stopped, just tell them you are going to, or just dropped off your trailer left the keys for the hitch in your other jacket which ever.

 

[arff]

I was warned unless you are towing your trailer or going to get it you will get a ticket.

 

[four4all]

It certainly is in Sask. Father-in-law's friend got a ticket the other day. lol

I believe he commented that anything over 9" was just wrong. But then again, maybe that was another subject. :d

BTW - I highly suspect that the RCMP wasn't 'just' looking at your kids hitch - that may have been the only comment he made to your son, but it wasn't what they were after...

 

[blastoff]

it is illegal in sask. i now couple guys got tickets, i take mine out simply cause i run into it with my shins.

Maybe its because of the dazed look you have on your avatar you hit your shins.. llo

 

[Wildreaper]

Yes it is Illegal if you are not pulling trailer, in Alberta.

 

[2manykids]

I would love to see some literature on this

 

[Zar]

The hitch and ball sticking out defeats the purpose of the bumpers on a vehicle. The bumper is designed to absorb impact energy and not transmit the impact energy in the occupants of the vehicle. The dude with the F150 that left his hitch in and the Corvette ran into him could be in trouble if the guy in the Corvette got a smart laywer (see Summitrics thread ). Yet you see a lot of rue bumpers and push bars and home made receivers - no legal issues - same type of enforcement as tinted windows - only if they want to chanrge you they will . Just my 2 cents worth

 

[Cyle]

The hitch and ball sticking out defeats the purpose of the bumpers on a vehicle. The bumper is designed to absorb impact energy and not transmit the impact energy in the occupants of the vehicle. The dude with the F150 that left his hitch in and the Corvette ran into him could be in trouble if the guy in the Corvette got a smart laywer (see Summitrics thread ). Yet you see a lot of rue bumpers and push bars and home made receivers - no legal issues - same type of enforcement as tinted windows - only if they want to chanrge you they will . Just my 2 cents worth

Far as i'm concerned you rear end someone tough luck. The reason I keep mine is if someone rear ends you wrong your truck is written off, it doesn't take that much if they hit you wrong. My hitch has already saved me once, and saved someone from buying me a new bumper, they were happy about it....I think you'd have a VERY hard time passing the blame. But it is the world we live in, do something wrong hire a lawyer to try and pass the blame to someone else

I am willing to bet the law came into effect because some idiot high up in gov't caught their leg on a reciever on a truck and got pissed because they are stupid enough to do it.

I won't take mine out ever, if a cop wants to give me a ticket there is lots of things to pick from anyways

 

[poorboy]

was told illegal if it sticks out more than 10 inches from rear of bumper depends on cop i guess if in good or bad mood

 

[polarice]

Yes it is Illegal if you are not pulling trailer, in Alberta.

who said it was illiegal i talked to the city cops they said it was fine

 

[AreWeThereYet]

I am getting the same story,.. according to what I have been told its classified as a battering ram,.. how I am not sure since I don't drive my truck backwards through town.

 

[Summitric]

Imagine i'll get stopped one day..... I have an extended hitch on my little truck.......

 

[medler]

We had a truck come in the other day who got nailed right on the receiver(Shank) and it folded the frame rails up like a noodle.ALL the energy goes to one area and isn't distriputed throughout the vehicle..And i have bashed my shins on a few of them walking behind a truck i am working on .I take mine out ,,,,