I leave mine in all the time. I don't have a rust issue. Keep it locked though. Nothing like going to hook up and have it missing (happened to me, probably stolen for scrap)

 

Mine's aluminum so it wont rust in there. However since I have a $210 aluminum hitch, I thought it would be wise to put a locking pin in, so no one would walk off with it. Well now the damn pin is seized up. I can spin it in it's location, but I can't get it to unlock. Time to grind that thing off... $30 for that stupid pin too. I should just use a regular pin and take the hitch out when I'm not using it. I do like the quick adjust features though. It's a Diversi-tech drop hitch. 2" and 2 5/16" ***** on it, just flip it over.

 

I take mine out as soon as the trailer is off. We can get a ticket for these in IL...although unlikely that a cop will care...

 

I take mine out. I dont need it walking off.

 

IIRC there is a legal limit how far an object can protrude from a vehicle,the most problem comes from when you are parked and a conartist smacks their shin and decides to sue.

Another trick is when cons pull up behind in a parking lot,hit you and claim you backed into their car since they were already there-unless the lot has cameras on it.

Liabilty is a risk you take leaving the ball mount in when not towing-that and thieves staling it from you when unattended.

 

I leave mine in 24/7. In fact I even drilled new holes so that it would stick out even further. So far 2 small cars have kissed it with damage to theirs and none to mine. Both drivers young girls texting while driving.

I talked my mother into leaving hers on also, on her Yukon. Good thing b/c that same day, she was "kissed from behind" at a red light. I had also drilled new holes to make it stick out more. The Prius that hit her ended up with the whole front end being yanked off when the driver backed away from mom's rear bumper. The front plastic bumper of the Prius was literally hanging off the ball mount/ stinger. The female driver claimed her cigarette fell btwn her legs. No damage to mom's Yukon.

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Both mine and mom's stingers are padlocked, so not worried of it being stolen.

 

My brothers tri-ball saved him on his 95 dodge dually cummins on an icy day. Some guy in a pretty darn new black Chevrolet with a factory front bumper that came up to the red light my brother was sitting at too fast and brilliantly decided to slam the brakes. He went sliding at around 15 or 20 mph and hit the triball at around 5mph. If the triball was not in place, that guy would have plowed that chevy into my brothers ranch hand pipe bumper on the back. It left a good sized dent in the Chevy bumper along with a trailer ball grease smudge, but no damage to that pipe bumper on my brothers truck. The guy saw no damage to my brothers truck so he just kept going. Me and my brother just smiled. What was funny was my Mom was the one in the truck asleep and it didnt even wake her up!!!!!! If that hitch was not there, there would haved been a major deal with insurance. There is no salt and it is very dry here so no rust problems.

 

I take it mom's a heavy sleeper???

 

No, fart too loud and she wakes up. But then again she only had around 4 hours of sleep the night before.

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I take it back, she kinda half woke up, asked what that sound was, and my brother and I both just said that we didnt know. She leaned back over and fell asleep again. We have always left the ball mount in our trucks for that reason and for ease of trailer hookup. Hasnt saved my dad yet, but has a couple of hsi co-workers before though

 

Got it..... How loud do ya'll fart?????