What a tragedy

[oldpilgrim]

A VT state trooper is telling you about Ma state law, and my 70 years here makes MY knowledge irrelevant. How about my son being a MA cop or is that irrelevant too?

 

[Btown]

Got that tidbit from my neighbor. He is a VT state trooper (Captain) I took it for fact, maybe something like dingle balls hanging from the mirror. I doubt you time of residency has anything to do with it.

Like I said earlier. I have never heard of this law. There may have been one in the legislature at some but was not passed. It is not in the Mass General Laws (MGL). But if it fell off a vehicle here in MA they can cite you for it.

 

[George2615]

There were rumors of NY passing a law to remove the hitch when not in use but that's all it was, rumor.
Personally I remove mine when not in use because 1) They are too easy for someone to steal if you don't have a locking pin. I lost two to theft. 2) Mine are higher tow rating and they are too expensive to replace if stolen and 3) Less chance of walking into them with your leg and getting grease on your clothes.

 

[Btown]

There were rumors of NY passing a law to remove the hitch when not in use but that's all it was, rumor. Personally I remove mine when not in use because 1) They are too easy for someone to steal if you don't have a locking pin. I lost two to theft. 2) Mine are higher tow rating and they are too expensive to replace if stolen and 3) Less chance of walking into them with your leg and getting grease on your clothes.

I hear you on theft. Someone took the pin from my weight distribution hitch. I went and grabbed a small 9' landscape trailer and I heard a slamming. Got out to check. Everything looked ok. Kept driving and it made the slamming noise again. Looked a little better. Saw my hitch was sliding out of the receiver. Was about 1/2 mile from home. Slowed down and put the locking pin back in when I got home.

 

[CalG]

A VT state trooper is telling you about Ma state law, and my 70 years here makes MY knowledge irrelevant. How about my son being a MA cop or is that irrelevant too?

undies too tight?

 

[newbury]

On the subject of being hit by flying objects -

I may have posted this before but:
About 20 years ago I was driving my Dodge B120 van down to Kings Dominion for a fun day at the waterpark. I had three boys with me, from about 9 to 13.
We were in the middle lane, moderately dense traffic, about 65 mph.
A boat trailer in front of me lost a right wheel, one of two.

The darn wheel and tire flew up in the air, probably 30 feet high and coming directly at me. I couldn't swerve to either side without hitting a car. I floored it and hoped for the best, trying to get it so it would hit the roof instead of the windshield. Didn't have time to get scared, just time to react.

It hit dead center above the window frame and left a dent about an inch deep, bounced off and was someone else's problem.

It was just like heading a soccer ball.<snip>

And then in 2012:

I just had an accident with a U-Haul car dolly last Thursday. I was pulling a Honda Civic down from Alexandria, VA.
Driving about 55 on 72/20 in North Alabama the wheel and tire broke off the passenger side of the dolly. Luckily I was in the slow lane. Unluckily the wheel spun off and hit a house with minor damage.

As soon as I heard the noise I knew something was wrong and pulled to the side. My F350 was partially loaded

View attachment 285695


with about 1800 lbs of pallet rack and I didn't notice any "pull" on my dually until I got the tow dolly off the pavement and the axle stub started "plowing", even then it was only a slight pull. I first thought a chain or something had broke and was dragging, not the entire dolly. I left a groove in the asphalt about 50 to 100 yards long.

U-Haul is not maintaining their equipment well. I had to grease the ratchets to get the tire straps to work, the 4 wire for lights frayed and broke.

/edit - in retrospect a dually is nice.

So I've been on both the getting end and giving end of flying trailer tires.

 

[Pixguy]

undies too tight?

Admit your mistake and move on.

 

[GLyford]

I remove mine every time these days. On my previous truck, I had a tri-ball that I could only use one way...because it was too tightly rusted in to get out again and flip or stow. So not so much for everyone else (bumpers or shins or looks) as much as for me (I want the option of swapping which side is up, or switching to the pintle).

 

[mjw357]

Massachusetts law has it unlawful to have a removable hitch mounted when NOT pulling a trailer.

Stow that hitch!

Oh sweet molasses, not this again.

 

[TractorGuy]

I have always removed my ball mount when not in use. Leaving it in negates the design and function of the bumper. You could probably be liable for excess damage even if a car hits you from behind and is at fault. Receiver type hitches should be the only type hitch allowed and it SHOULD be against the law to leave the ball mount in when not in use.

On the unsecured loads discussion I had some friends that suffered a total loss on their F350 and partial damage of the trailer they were towing. An unsecured mattress came off a vehicle, got caught under their truck, caught fire and burnt the truck completely up. They saw the vehicle the mattress fell off of turned around and passed by but when they saw the burning mattress under their truck they didn't stop. They were too busy getting stuff out of the trailer and such to get the tag number.