Rusty hitch

[Drewfus]

The class II hitch on my '94 jimmy has some rust on the frame of the hitch. The underside of the frame is the worst and when i poked it with a screwdriver some metal flaked off. There still seems to be lots of solid metal there though. Should it be alright to tow like that? My 14' aluminum boat and trailer weighs less than 1000 pounds. It is a u-haul hitch and they advertise a lifetime replacement policy, and i will go to them,but i want to go fishing this week and i won;t have a chance to het to u-haul.

 

[JB]

Re: Rusty hitch

Howdy, Drewfus.<br /><br />It's probably okay to use with that light weight to tow.<br /><br />Take a hammer and a steel brush to it and make sure that the rust hasn't penetrated deep enough to weaken the hitch.<br /><br />When you get a chance, clean ALL of the rust off and paint it with Rustoleum or similar rust preventive paint.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[aeronutt29]

Re: Rusty hitch

I second the opinion that your hitch is OK. It's very unlikely that the rust has penetrated deep enough to make a significant structural difference. After you get back from fishing, I would suggest removing the hitch completely so you can get a power drill with a wire brush attachment into all the corners. Rustoleum "rusty metal primer" is the second best primer to prepare for a new topcoat of shiny stuff. Don't worry about the first best, it's WAY too much overkill for your project and will kill you if you breath it! Wouldn't be a bad idea to spend $10 on new bolts to put it back on with too.

 

[6MISFITZ]

Re: Rusty hitch

Before and after each winter, I cover the rear bumper of my van with 2 pieces of newspaper. I wire brush any rust if any and I put a piece of foam or a small newspaper ball in the hitch hole. I then use a spray can of black rubberized undercoating and spray my hitch platform. If I am not towing anything during the winter, I leave the foam or paper ball in the hitch hole to keep out the salt and snow.<br /> <br />The black rubberized undercoating protects the hitch from winters and makes the hitch look like new after months of sand and salt blasting.<br /><br />If only boat boat maintenance were that quick and easy!