I too have been rear-ended and my truck had a few paint scrapes while the other guy had radiator fluid leaking out. poor guy's day went from bad to worse when he was also driving on a suspended license....

 

Mine hasn't been removed from the truck since I bought the truck, so that has been almost 4 years. And my girlfriend has been driving trucks long enough that she knows the hitch is back there. She also knows not to park my truck near other cars, so that shouldn't be an issue...

 

Mine has been in since at least December of last year. The only reason I would ever take it out is if I needed to put a tow strap through my reciever.

I was rearended a couple years ago when I had my Dakota. I had stopped quickly when the van in front of me slammed their breaks. Before I xould even remove my foot from the break I got hit by a small SUV that was going upwards of 40 mph. He pushed my truck forward about 10 feet with all 4 of my wheels locked. My front right tire was pushed up and over a curb. I got out and figured that my truck was completely demolished back there.

My trailer hitch had ripped their entire front end off, put a hole through their Radiator which was steaming and spewing Antifreeze all over the palce, and pushed everything between the bumper and the engine up against the front of the engine block.

My Dakota had the bumper curled in on both sides, both bed sides had been bent, and the tailgate was jammed shut. But the reciever hadn't moved an inch. The entire bumper was mangled, but the reciever saved them from folding my bed like an accordian.

 

I've got a locking hitch pin in mine and it stays on all year. I've had cops behind me on the street and the hitch is clearly visible but I've never had an issue with it.

My dad has a rather large custom made weight/d hitch on the back of his truck and this guy rear ended him. No damage to the truck but the car's grill/rad/hood were toast. The guy got out and was yelling at my dad to pull forward so he could get to work. Dad showed him the hitch buried in the grill. The guy totally freaks and yells at my dad to "move his POS so I can get to work" Dad says ok, puts the truck in gear and took the guys grill and part of the rad with him. Cop gets there, dad explains why there are car parts hanging off his hitch. Cop laughs his *** off and writes the other guy up.

 

I dont tow anything nor do I plan on doing so. I have a rubber cap on the hitch to cover it, ideally I would like it off but it would be a big job to do it.

 

I bought my truck, then bought a hitch. That was four years ago and it hasn't been taken off since. I didn't know there were actually laws against that, but either there isn't a law in GA, or no one cares.

 

My hitch stays in the receiver all the time just for the reason that it'll screw up somebody else's car if they hit my truck.

Ive got a locking pin and its rusted together and I cant get it off anyway.

 

I'm with you

 

I leave my hitch in year around.

I also use it as a bumper for anybody that decides to rear end me.