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01-06-2018, 01:38 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Outdoors RV Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,539
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Do you lock your hitch head to the truck?
We will be traveling a lot this year and many places we will drop the trailer and drive to places where we may leave the truck unattended for a day. I would rather not remove the hitch head every day, is there a reliable hitch pin lock? Is it strong enough to use all the time?
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2020 F28 RKS Titanium
2017 Creekside 23 RBS Sold
2016 F250 Super Crew XLT Overworked
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01-06-2018, 01:53 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Southern California
Posts: 557
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__________________
2019 ORV Creekside 21DBS
2018 Ram 2500 Diesel Mega Cab 4x4, AEV Lift/Wheels, 37" Toyo RTs, ARB On-Board Air, Snugtop XV
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01-06-2018, 01:56 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,807
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I always removed it. Leaving it in makes an already long truck even longer. I even had a small 2x2 receiver welded to my TT A-frame so I could slide it in there for storage.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...n?cm_vc=-10005
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01-06-2018, 02:41 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Outdoors RV Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 855
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I had a pin lock but the lock mechanism quickly accumulated grit and grime. One day I went to take it off and the key wouldn’t work. No amount of lubricant could get it clean enough to work. I watched a YouTube video and ten minutes later I had it off using a cheap propane torch. I figured if it was that easy to remove it wasn’t worth much as a theft prevention device. I now keep it in my tool box when I go places where I am worried about it walking off. My toolbox lock isn’t much better but at least it is out of sight.
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2019 Outdoors RV Timber Ridge 27 bhs
2017 Ram Cummins 2500
Soggy side of Oregon
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01-06-2018, 04:36 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 282
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I didn't have a lock on my hitch for 6+ years and never had one stolen. Then I had 1 stolen and less than 6 months later some other Nagging Nelly took it off, stuck it by my driver's door, and left a lengthy note about how it was illegal to leave it installed when not towing (it's not...).
Next day I bought a locking pin but ended up having to cut it off after the first winter from salt corrosion. So the next one I just started lubing it with WD40 about once a month and haven’t had a problem since with it seizing up.
I know it won't stop a determined theif, but generally this isn't something someone would bother spending more than a few seconds to swipe.
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01-06-2018, 04:37 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Oregon
Posts: 6,657
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I always removed it. It was a chin wacker at best.
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01-06-2018, 06:01 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: DEL-MAR-VA
Posts: 377
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I didn't realize how big of a deal it was for some people to take there hitch out until I came on here. Been around trucks and trailers my whole life and we always left the ball mount in the receiver.
Since I have been made aware that people are funny about this issue, I always say that it you are close enough to touch my hitch YOU ARE TO CLOSE TO MY TRUCK. I keep mine locked in the receiver when traveling.
__________________
2016 Jayflight 32 BHDS Fiberglass sides. 16" wheels and LT TIRES
2017 Ford F-250 CCLB 6.2 with 4.30 gears
Traded06' Chevy CC Dually 6.0.
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01-06-2018, 06:11 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Rigby, Idaho
Posts: 3,946
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I use a simple pin style lock to keep my ball mount from walking away, and remove it when done. It's not too hard to remove one of these, none are burgler proof. Mine just makes it harder.
One of my associates leaves his on his pickup24/7/365 to guard his big "I'm a Truck Driver" mudflaps, I guess to impress the impressable. He tried to remove it to find the pin had welded itself inside the draw bar. Nice......
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Cheers,
TonyMac
2006 Monaco Safari Cheetah 40PMT
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01-07-2018, 07:01 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Liberty, NC
Posts: 829
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I have a locking pin as well. I'm not pulling that heavy SOB out every time we get to the campground. I take it out between trips, and always give the lock a spritz of silicon lube when hook up the next outing. Never been really nervous about someone stealing it, but I know if the pin is locked it isn't gonna come out until I take it out.
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2016 Keystone Outback 328RL
2019 Chevy 3500HD DRW
1 Slobbering English Bulldog for ballast
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01-07-2018, 08:45 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Outdoors RV Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,539
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Thanks guys. To be clear I only would leave it in for a couple weeks at a time so not worried about it getting stuck or rusted in. Just don't want to heft that 70 pound hunk twice a day if I don't have to.
I was a commercial fisherman and later owned a painting business, both for more than a decade so lifting is normally not an issue for me but I am having rotator cuff surgery this month and will still be re-habbing when spring gets here so the less I have to move the heavy stuff the better.
Nobody mentioned one bending or breaking so I guess I will just pick one. Thanks for the input.
__________________
2020 F28 RKS Titanium
2017 Creekside 23 RBS Sold
2016 F250 Super Crew XLT Overworked
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01-08-2018, 07:09 AM
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#11
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: 4 Corners
Posts: 70
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Better take em out. FWIW ...A neighbor always left his in and one day he walked around behind his truck and caught his shin on it and it put a nice gouge in his shin. The cut got really infected and put him in the hospital. A couple of weeks later he was dead from the infection. Better safe than sorry.
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'13 F-150, XLT, HD, Screw, Eco
'14 26 sab Cougar 5er
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01-08-2018, 11:26 AM
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#12
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Utah
Posts: 68
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I leave mine installed when camping and need to drive around, I use the Bolt Lock. It uses your ignition key so you don't add another key to the 500 you already have to take when camping. I have had zero issues with it.
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01-08-2018, 11:35 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Country Coach Owners Club Solo Rvers Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 37,725
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Quote:
Originally Posted by campnfool
Better take em out. FWIW ...A neighbor always left his in and one day he walked around behind his truck and caught his shin on it and it put a nice gouge in his shin. The cut got really infected and put him in the hospital. A couple of weeks later he was dead from the infection. Better safe than sorry.
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Wow, that's unfortunate and unexpected!
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2009 45' Magna 630 w/Cummins ISX 650 HP/1950 Lbs Ft, HWH Active Air
Charter Good Sam Lifetime Member, FMCA,
RV'ing since 1957, NRA Benefactor Life, towing '21 Jeep JLU Rubicon Ecodiesel
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01-08-2018, 02:45 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Outdoors RV Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Roseville, CA
Posts: 598
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I run a cable thru mine. It's a B&W and they could take the head of it if someone wanted it. The other end of the cable goes thru the see-thru tail gate cause it's not locked either.
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Jim & Linda Kelly
2017 Landmark 365 Newport
2015 F-350 DRW 2WD 14k GVWR, 5660 payload
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