Click for Westport Click for Mulder Click for Mulder Click for Westport Click for Northern Lights

Is your towing gear still in the receiver of your vehicle?

Discussion in 'YachtForums Yacht Club' started by lovinlifenc, Jan 18, 2011.

  1. lovinlifenc, Jan 18, 2011
    #1
    lovinlifenc

    lovinlifenc Member

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2010
    Messages:
    135
    Location:
    Wilmington NC
    Do you leave your towing apparatus in the receiver of your truck? Just a heads up as I have just picked up my 2009 f250 after 8 weeks in the body shop. I had my towing gear in my receiver and was rear ended by a car that was going 40mph.

    The effect was that the load of the vehicle hitting me was transferred through my hitch directly to the frame of the vehicle before the bumper had a chance to stop the offending car. I have a new frame under my truck now after waiting for two months and driving a sardine can rental. I am sure that having the frame replaced has severely damaged the value of my vehicle.

    If you have a desire for a new truck and you think that frame damage would total your vehicle, go ahead and keep your gear in the receiver and hope to be rear ended.

    If you have a newer truck, remove the towing gear because a frame replacement and other body work, 19k worth of work, won't necessarily total your vehicle and you might regret the hassle and devaluation that such a repair may have on you and the value of your vehicle.

    Oh yeah, they had 8 weeks to get the 4x4 & off road stickers, but apparently they forgot about them until I mentioned it when I saw the truck today. Oh well, the saga continues..

    Cheers! :confused:
  2. YachtForums, Jan 18, 2011
    #2
    YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2002
    Messages:
    20,610
    Location:
    South Florida
    Now I know where your screen name came from. Guessing there's a good reason why you're "LovinLife" now. Are you OK?

    Never thought about the hitch transferring impact to the frame. I'm headed outside to remove it right now!
  3. AMG, Jan 18, 2011
    #3
    AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2004
    Messages:
    5,380
    Location:
    Sweden
    I am more concerned with what my car could do to others. Another owner of a Geländewagen recently had this accident. The Honda driver had a kid in the front seat who suddenly, in just about 25 km/h, managed to put the gear in P!

    With no brake lights, the fellow behind could not avoid the acciDent...

    Attached Files:

  4. Jimeril, Jan 18, 2011
    #4
    Jimeril

    Jimeril New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2009
    Messages:
    6
    Location:
    South Florida
    Cant wait to show this to my wife, she calls ours "the tank". I guess she is right, as always.
  5. Alaskanmutt, Feb 8, 2011
    #5
    Alaskanmutt

    Alaskanmutt Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2010
    Messages:
    33
    Location:
    Anchorage Alaska
    On problem

    Even with the slide in part of the hitch removed any vehicle hitting the rear of your vehicle hard enough to damage the frame will still be hitting the reciever hence the frame. I do not know about your setup but the slide in part of my hitch only sticks out 8-10 inches and then only 6 inches past the bumper. And that little 4 inch square chuck will just poke through the front of the car.

    More to watch out for is using your trailer hitch as a bump stop in parking garages. I all to often see people back up to concrete walls till the "tap" the hitch.
    Bang, whoops I am parked.
    This does transmit a shock wave through the hitch and I have seen the welds crack.

    I can understand the person with the Mercedes, My son rear ended a new Cadillac with his 96 S-10 ZR2 4x4. Tore the liscence plate bracket off his truck, creamed the back of the Caddy. and he was moving under 20 mph.
  6. JWY, Feb 8, 2011
    #6
    JWY

    JWY Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 22, 2004
    Messages:
    1,567
    Location:
    Ft. Lauderdale
    Hmm, confession time. Carl got to see pictures of my accident, but the pickup's trailer hitch actually saved me from more damage on my Caddy SRX. I rear-ended a truck (no I wasn't texting!). The truck had $800 worth of fender damage; my brand new (less than 200 miles) SRX had over $12,000 :eek:

    But the Caddy dealer said because I hit the trailer hitch, it punctured through the grill, radiator, etc., but the hit was too high to damage my frame. They thought I was lucky I hit his hitch!

    My car was in the shop for over 6 weeks and is now good as new. Btw, I drive boats better than cars :D
    Judy
  7. Loren Schweizer, Feb 9, 2011
    #7
    Loren Schweizer

    Loren Schweizer YF Associate Writer

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2004
    Messages:
    1,352
    Location:
    Coral Gables/Ft. Laud., FL
    "Btw, I drive boats better than cars "

    Sorry to hear of your accident, Judy. Can we assume that the SRX exceeded 9 knots at impact?
  8. JWY, Feb 9, 2011
    #8
    JWY

    JWY Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 22, 2004
    Messages:
    1,567
    Location:
    Ft. Lauderdale
    Cute! Cop thought so :mad:

    Too bad it wasn't steel though!

    J