Towing
05-28-2015, 08:14 PM
#11
Everyone calm down! Haha. I got a Reese hitch off amazon in "used" condition for 72 bucks and free shipping. Had it in 2 days. Installed in a couple of hours.
Pulled the boat all the way from St. Louis to Nashville on 7 cylinders. Number 8 has no compression. Haven't had a chance to figure out why. Truck made it. Transmission was not happy though. I tightened my bolts to tight when replacing the fluid so the gasket is bulging. It also spat out fluid while driving :-/.
But hey I made it home and for me that's what counted.
Pulled the boat all the way from St. Louis to Nashville on 7 cylinders. Number 8 has no compression. Haven't had a chance to figure out why. Truck made it. Transmission was not happy though. I tightened my bolts to tight when replacing the fluid so the gasket is bulging. It also spat out fluid while driving :-/.
But hey I made it home and for me that's what counted.
05-29-2015, 09:18 AM
#12
Salvage Yard Pro
Some of this is a little off topic, so please excuse me. I guess I do not get the deal with using a bumper and ball with a light duty trailer. Every pickup that I've ever seen or used, had a ball mounting location on the bumper. Ford even says that my '95 F150 is not recommended for towing (4.9l, SWB, 2.73 gears, 5 speed) and it came with a bumper with a ball mount and is stamped with the tongue and trailer weight and it is a factory bumper. Yes they can be overloaded. Most bumpers are rated for at least 300lb hitch weight. I use both a receiver hitch and a bumper ball depending on what I'm doing. I have a box trailer that sits very low to the ground and I have to use my receiver and a drop to tow it without dragging the rear bumper of the trailer. My trailer that sits up higher has an 1 7/8" coupler and gets the bumper treatment. I have two ***** on my Silverado and a class 4 hitch for my travel trailer. My wife is a cop and we'd love to see one state law that says that a bumper ball combo is illegal because it blocks the plate. Yes, all state laws state that the license plate must be clearly visible and a ball is not considered an obstruction. Add a trailer such as a box trailer with any kind of hitch and the plate becomes obstructed. Since some states do not require license plates on some trailers (N. Dakota, Tennessee, Main, Wisconsin, Georgia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Alabama (pre 1990 trailers) for example) the license plate requirement on the trailer usually defeats the blocked vehicle license plate requirement. So are trailers now illegal? I just cannot imagine such a law to be in existence. If a police officer pulls this on you, you have the right to go to the station and ask for the RS Code in which he claimed the violation and to speak with a Supervisor who can change the officer's mind. Manufacturers don't install bumpers with ball mounts for looks. They do however put ratings on them. The bigger problem lies with receiver hitches. A large percentage of receiver hitch users do not pay attention to the class rating of the hitch and don't even know what the rating is and overload them causing massive failure. I have worked many many wrecks with trailers still hooked to broken receiver hitches. We see it every summer when the hay shortage hits and every guy with a pickup finds out how much he can make hauling hay. The police are cracking down severely on overloaded trailers. It's all about being smart with whatever hitch you decide to use. Don't rule out the convenience of what Ford and every other truck maker provides you from the factory. Also consider that there are many lawsuits around the country from an idiot in a parking lot running their shin or knees into your hitch in a parking lot because you forgot to remove your hitch. The idea that a bumper mounted ball is somehow dangerous under proper usage with a bumper in good condition is absurd to me. One last item for thought. I have a home built trailer purchased and registered in Texas. Louisiana will not register a home built trailer registered in another state, so my legally purchased trailer cannot be registered in Louisiana. I went to state police headquarters and was told "Just use it and don't worry about it. If you get pulled over, ask them to contact LSP and we will try to explain. If you get a ticket, tell it to the judge and ask the judge how to remedy the situation. Per experience, the judge will toss the ticket.".
Last edited by unit505; 05-29-2015 at 09:33 AM.
05-29-2015, 01:53 PM
#13
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Some of this is a little off topic, so please excuse me. I guess I do not get the deal with using a bumper and ball with a light duty trailer. Every pickup that I've ever seen or used, had a ball mounting location on the bumper. Ford even says that my '95 F150 is not recommended for towing (4.9l, SWB, 2.73 gears, 5 speed) and it came with a bumper with a ball mount and is stamped with the tongue and trailer weight and it is a factory bumper. Yes they can be overloaded. Most bumpers are rated for at least 300lb hitch weight. I use both a receiver hitch and a bumper ball depending on what I'm doing. I have a box trailer that sits very low to the ground and I have to use my receiver and a drop to tow it without dragging the rear bumper of the trailer. My trailer that sits up higher has an 1 7/8" coupler and gets the bumper treatment. I have two ***** on my Silverado and a class 4 hitch for my travel trailer. My wife is a cop and we'd love to see one state law that says that a bumper ball combo is illegal because it blocks the plate. Yes, all state laws state that the license plate must be clearly visible and a ball is not considered an obstruction. Add a trailer such as a box trailer with any kind of hitch and the plate becomes obstructed. Since some states do not require license plates on some trailers (N. Dakota, Tennessee, Main, Wisconsin, Georgia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Alabama (pre 1990 trailers) for example) the license plate requirement on the trailer usually defeats the blocked vehicle license plate requirement. So are trailers now illegal? I just cannot imagine such a law to be in existence. If a police officer pulls this on you, you have the right to go to the station and ask for the RS Code in which he claimed the violation and to speak with a Supervisor who can change the officer's mind. Manufacturers don't install bumpers with ball mounts for looks. They do however put ratings on them. The bigger problem lies with receiver hitches. A large percentage of receiver hitch users do not pay attention to the class rating of the hitch and don't even know what the rating is and overload them causing massive failure. I have worked many many wrecks with trailers still hooked to broken receiver hitches. We see it every summer when the hay shortage hits and every guy with a pickup finds out how much he can make hauling hay. The police are cracking down severely on overloaded trailers. It's all about being smart with whatever hitch you decide to use. Don't rule out the convenience of what Ford and every other truck maker provides you from the factory. Also consider that there are many lawsuits around the country from an idiot in a parking lot running their shin or knees into your hitch in a parking lot because you forgot to remove your hitch. The idea that a bumper mounted ball is somehow dangerous under proper usage with a bumper in good condition is absurd to me. One last item for thought. I have a home built trailer purchased and registered in Texas. Louisiana will not register a home built trailer registered in another state, so my legally purchased trailer cannot be registered in Louisiana. I went to state police headquarters and was told "Just use it and don't worry about it. If you get pulled over, ask them to contact LSP and we will try to explain. If you get a ticket, tell it to the judge and ask the judge how to remedy the situation. Per experience, the judge will toss the ticket.".
05-29-2015, 02:08 PM
#14
Salvage Yard Pro
Receipts! I have to have receipts for the materials that the trailer was built from. Not to mention that I've already attempted to register it through the state police who stamp the vin number. The state police know that the existing law is stupid and the local cops used to be able to do home built trailer inspections. The locals had that privilege yanked from them and basically said screw it. They try their best to look for stolen trailers. If they run a tag, they have to have cause to do so in case they are audited, so they can't just cruise around running trailer tags. Stolen trailers are nearly impossible to recover, so state laws are basically ignored as far as plates. We also have an unwritten law here in Louisiana - "DFF"......Don't F**K With Farmers. So many ragged farm trailers and tractors running up and down the highway, that again, cops don't mess with them. Louisiana needs to join the list of states that waive trailer tags completely and be done with it if you cannot register a legally purchased trailer.
Last edited by unit505; 05-29-2015 at 02:15 PM.
05-29-2015, 06:55 PM
#17
Salvage Yard Pro
Yeah.........they want receipts or sworn statements where you go the scrap. Tried that. At this point, I'd go before a judge with a ticket before I registered it. I have a legally registered Texas trailer with a bill of sale purchased with a reasonable expectation of using it as a trailer and not a yard ornament. I've taken it to the state police who could not legally register it because of a flawed state law. Maybe a judge could make something happen or order the state to register it. I don't know, not do I care at this point. I use it and so far have not been pulled over. This is the state's loss.