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Old 07-10-2016, 09:43 PM   #41
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ROFL. I put an extended stinger on my 2000 (bought new ) Ford F-150 and it stayed there for a dozen years. Never got a ticket and love the fact when I couldn't get the Scamp to unhook from the stinger I could stomp on the sucker and it would let go of the ball.


Never mind the time, I was at a red light at the bottom of a hill and the "low rider, rice rocket" rammed into the back of me... that stinger punched a hole through his radiator... no damage to my truck! hahahahahahahaha
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Old 07-10-2016, 09:51 PM   #42
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Yes, I thought about keeping it on which I did once but quickly realized that I like to back into parking spaces and that thing can really do damage if you hit someone's vehicle with it. We always take it off.
Good idea.
Some moron parked in the space end-to-end with mine at one point, and put the entire WD hitch head in my space. Since it couldn't be seen in my mirrors when I backed in, that could have been destructive. I was completely prepared to pull it out and drop it (from any convenient height) into his box, but it was locked in place.
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Old 07-10-2016, 10:02 PM   #43
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Lots of vehicles have blocked plates with all kinds of things.
Often on their ball mount.
True. That doesn't make it right, or even legal, although "accidentally" blocking part of the plate with a ball or even a bumper protection shield isn't nearly as bad as deliberately obscuring it with one of the anti-photo-radar devices.

If people can't hook up their trailers with something like this and their plates are obscured by it, they should just remove it when not towing. Incompetence has its price
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Old 07-10-2016, 10:10 PM   #44
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It seems that about all states require towing mirrors for towing or at least a lot of them.
I doubt that any jurisdiction (state, province, country...) actually requires towing mirrors. What they require is a certain range of vision; if your stock mirrors don't provide that, then you need to replace them with a different design, or add something on.

One consequence is interesting: if one vehicle has add-on mirrors for towing, and another otherwise identical vehicle has built-in mirrors of the same overall width, then only one of them would be required to change anything when not towing. Maybe not fair, but most built-in "towing" mirrors are retractable now.
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Old 07-10-2016, 10:28 PM   #45
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Yes, they do require side mirrors. If your rear view mirror is not sufficient for say, 200' behind, you are required to get side mirrors. Not sure why you are saying that they do not require towing mirrors. They do not simply say that you have to see 200' behind but how to do that --- by requiring side mirrors. Maybe you mean that they do not call them "towing" mirrors? --- guess that is what you mean.

If standard mirrors can show the 200', then it is only "unfair" to the person who has to go buy additional mirrors! He probably thinks it is unfair. But not really.

Of course, there may be those who believe that their mirrors are sufficient when they are not and they simply do not bother or pay for additional ones. And they never realize what the difference would be. There are a few people who tow trailers who do not even think to get other mirrors.
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Old 07-10-2016, 10:53 PM   #46
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Yes, they do require side mirrors.
Yes, all vehicles require at least one outside mirror (towing or not) and two mirrors are required so if you can't see with an inside mirror (you have a non-window van, or or towing a trailer) that means two outside mirrors. Essentially everything has two outside mirrors now, anyway... it's not like it was when I bought my first car and only the fancy version had a right-side outside mirror.

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If your rear view mirror is not sufficient for say, 200' behind, you are required to get side mirrors. Not sure why you are saying that they do not require towing mirrors. They do not simply say that you have to see 200' behind but how to do that --- by requiring side mirrors. Maybe you mean that they do not call them "towing" mirrors? --- guess that is what you mean.
They don't need to be especially for towing, whatever they are called. Any outside mirrors - including the ones that come stock on the vehicle - are fine if they provide the specified view.

My Sienna is so wide - as wide as a full-sized pickup truck - that with rented cargo trailers (boxes up to six feet wide) and narrower travel trailers the ordinary stock mirrors are adequate.

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If standard mirrors can show the 200', then it is only "unfair" to the person who has to go buy additional mirrors! He probably thinks it is unfair. But not really.
Apparently I wasn't clear; this has nothing to do with who might need to buy mirrors.
Two drivers have mirrors which are the same width overall. Both can see equally well around their trailers. They both unhitch their trailers. The one with removable accessory "towing" mirrors must remove them (according to the rule mentioned), while the one with permanently mounted big mirrors doesn't have to do anything, even though they're just as likely to hit something (presumably the reason that removable mirrors must be removed when not towing). Not really fair, but not a big deal unless the towing mirrors are pain to mount and remove... which some are.


And having to remove stuff was how this whole sidetrack started.
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Old 07-10-2016, 10:54 PM   #47
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Right, 200 feet is what CA requires. Interestingly I've found that the Milenco mirror extensions we bought for our Highlander/17B combo aren't needed with the 21/Yukon combo and I don't miss the vibrating image and having to tighten down the screws periodically or removing them when not towing.
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Old 07-10-2016, 11:13 PM   #48
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Apparently I wasn't clear; this has nothing to do with who might need to buy mirrors.
Two drivers have mirrors which are the same width overall. Both can see equally well around their trailers. They both unhitch their trailers. The one with removable accessory "towing" mirrors must remove them (according to the rule mentioned), while the one with permanently mounted big mirrors doesn't have to do anything, even though they're just as likely to hit something (presumably the reason that removable mirrors must be removed when not towing). Not really fair, but not a big deal unless the towing mirrors are pain to mount and remove... which some are.
I see what you mean on this. I am not familiar with most of the large stock mirrors and just supposed that, if they equal our mirrors plus add-on mirrors, that they would be retractable. And they would simply be required in a few cases to retract them. But I guess there are just some really big mirrors out there that are not retractable.


I was not clear obviously on the requirement for side mirrors. I meant, when you cannot see 200', it is required to have side mirrors in addition to the standard ones. Thus, (additional) side mirrors are specifically mentioned as required by law.
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Old 07-11-2016, 04:06 AM   #49
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I don't mind leaving my stinger on I have a back up camera and can see it very well when parking but I am concerned that it will rust in place so probably i should remove it
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Old 07-11-2016, 06:01 AM   #50
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I have always been afraid of those on bikes that like to split the lanes (which is illegal in most areas) and they hit those extended mirrors lots of us may be using....
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Old 07-11-2016, 07:08 AM   #51
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...I was at a red light at the bottom of a hill and the "low rider, rice rocket" rammed into the back of me... that stinger punched a hole through his radiator... no damage to my truck! hahahahahahahaha
Same thing happened to me with no damage to my vehicle. I warned her, but she drove off with her radiator leaking heavily. Since that incident I now leave my ball mount on my vehicle. It's only a short fixed mount. If you hit it you were way closer than you should have been anyway. If you've never driven in NJ consider yourself lucky.
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Old 07-11-2016, 07:19 AM   #52
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If you've never driven in NJ consider yourself lucky.
I did a lot of driving there a couple weeks ago. Yeah, not for me at all. At times I wondered where people lived and worked, as it seemed to be mostly intertangled roadways.

I gave me a new appreciation of our traffic issues here in Calgary. LOL
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Old 07-11-2016, 07:26 AM   #53
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Same thing happened to me with no damage to my vehicle. I warned her, but she drove off with her radiator leaking heavily. Since that incident I now leave my ball mount on my vehicle. It's only a short fixed mount. If you hit it you were way closer than you should have been anyway. If you've never driven in NJ consider yourself lucky.
Here's one, the SuperBumper. Looks like a dandy step too.

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Old 07-11-2016, 12:01 PM   #54
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I have always been afraid of those on bikes that like to split the lanes (which is illegal in most areas) and they hit those extended mirrors lots of us may be using....
Firmly in the "not my problem" category.
... although there would be the annoying reporting and paperwork, and damage to the mirror.
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Old 07-11-2016, 12:06 PM   #55
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... If you hit it you were way closer than you should have been anyway.
While the driver in the rear is usually at fault for following too closely or driving without due care and attention, they can also be an innocent victim, rammed by the vehicle behind them - this can happen when you and the person behind you are already stopped. The battering ram in your hitch increases damage to the front of their vehicle while transmitting higher shock to you in your vehicle in front.
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Old 07-11-2016, 02:15 PM   #56
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The battering ram in your hitch increases damage to the front of their vehicle while transmitting higher shock to you in your vehicle in front.
I have one of those super bumpers. It has rubber shock absorbers inside the hitch bar that are supposed to minimize damage to my vehicle. Haven't had to test it yet, thank you.

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Old 07-11-2016, 09:09 PM   #57
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We were part of a Jeep Grand Cherokee sandwich once during rush hour traffic (not towing). The JGC in front of us slammed on it's brakes. We got stopped - just barely in time, but the JGC behind us didn't. The biggest damage of the whole thing was what the rear bumper and hitch of the JGC in front did to our grill and radiator. Our hitch pretty much saved our rear bumper. JGC behind us had to pay for damages to us and the JGC in front of us. We still cringe every time we have to drive that same stretch of road in rush hour traffic, which thankfully, is rare.
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Old 07-12-2016, 01:25 AM   #58
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Just to let you know, Jim, I figured that out with my knee cap.
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