Draw-Tite Hitches...beware

[4x4CPOSEADOG]

If you need to replace that hitch, I have an OEM laying around in my garage in perfect condition. Let me know.

Whenever you wash your truck, make sure to wash under the truck too especially during spring time to wash any salt deposits under the truck that accumulated during the winter time.

 

[TrustyToyota]

The hitch on my '92 is completely rusted through on the entire bottom side... It looks like some winter road salt got in the open ends of the hitch and rusted through from the inside out. I've got minimal surface rust on my frame too, but the hitch is definitely shot. It seems like all brands of receiver hitches have the tendency rust out much faster than the vehicle they are installed on (at least in MN!), so I would say the friendly warning should be extended to all brands of receiver hitches. Its not a bad idea to take a look every now and then to see the condition of the hitch before you hook up a load. I'm just glad I found it before I tried to tow with it!

-TT

 

[Beowulf]

... I sent the pics to Draw-Tite. 6 days letter I had a new hitch unexpectedly on my front doorstep along with a letter thanking me for being a customer. Have you given them a chance to make this right yet?

Right-Click.... Save.

Do you have an e-mail addy for Draw-Tite customer service?

-B-

 

[flintknapper]

No. If Draw-tite had used a quality finish, the hitch would not be in this condition. The frame of the truck does not look like this and its been in the exact same environment.

Post some shots of your frame (from the same area) and the bolts, etc...from under your truck..and let us decide.

You guys that live in the "Rust Belt" should routinely inspect your vehicles for soundness. Road Salt is your enemy...and I have seen many vehicles "from up North" come through here that are just eaten up with rust. I guess its unavoidable and accepted in areas that treat their roads in the wintertime with salt.

I will be happy to compare pics. from my Texas truck to those from the RB, the difference will be readily apparent.

If you really feel that the finish on the hitch was "defective" then contact Draw-Tite and see if they will honor their Limited Lifetime Warranty.

I imagine most vehicles in the Rust Belt would incur what amounts to a thousand hours of salt spray over the course of just a couple of winters. But their warranty is as below:

Black Powder Coat Finish - Withstands 1000 Hour Salt Spray Testing per ASTM B117 Standards


Draw-Tite hitches carry a nationwide, limited LIFETIME WARRANTY for as long as the purchaser owns the vehicle on which they were installed.

DRAW-TITE'S LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY
THIS WARRANTY APPLIES SOLELY TO THOSE TRAILER HITCHES AND RECEIVERS, TRAILER HITCH BALLS, BALL MOUNTS, DRAWBARS AND TOW BARS (THE "PRODUCTS") MANUFACTURED BY DRAW-TITE.
PRODUCTS SOLD BUT NOT MANUFACTURED BY DRAW-TITE WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY AND ARE NOT WARRANTED FOR ANY PURPOSE BY DRAW-TITE.
1. Warranty and Warranty Period. Draw-Tite warrants to the original Purchaser/Consumer of the Products that Draw-Tite will provide free of charge the replacement of any Products which are defective in material or workmanship (the "Warranty"). This Warranty applies only to the original Purchaser/Consumer of the Products for as long as the original Purchaser/Consumer owns the vehicle on which the Products were installed. Defective Products returned to Draw-Tite become the property of Draw-Tite.
2. Limitations on the Warranty. The following limitations apply to
the Warranty:

a. The Warranty applies only to Products which are defective in material or workmanship. This Warranty does not cover normal wear and tear. The Warranty does not cover service or labor charges which are incurred in removing or replacing any Products.

b. The Warranty does not cover the finish placed on Products by Draw-Tite. Accordingly, Draw-Tite will not replace, repair or refinish any Products if the finish on the Product is worn in any manner.

c. The Warranty does not extend to Products which are damaged or which fail as a result of the Products being abused, neglected, or misused in any manner, or as a result of any accident, or which are misapplied, overloaded, improperly installed, or altered in any manner by anyone other than Draw-Tite.

3. Obligations of Purchaser/Consumer. To obtain the benefits of the Warranty, the Purchaser/Consumer must complete the following steps:

a. The Purchaser/Consumer must present the defective Product(s) together with proof of purchase to any of Draw-Tite's branches or its factory or to any authorized Draw-Tite dealer listed in local telephone directories.

b. The Purchaser/Consumer must pay all handling, transportation, and shipping charges incurred for the return of the defective Products to Draw-Tite and for delivery of the replacement Products by Draw-Tite to the Purchaser/Consumer.

4. Obligations of Draw-Tite. Subject to the terms and limitations set forth in this document, Draw-Tite will provide replacement Products to the original Purchaser/Consumer free of charge.

5. Legal Rights and Limitations of Purchaser/Consumer. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS AND YOU ALSO MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE. ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ON ANY DRAW-TITE PRODUCT SHALL BE LIMITED TO ONE (1) YEAR FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE AT RETAIL TO THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
DRAW-TITE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LOSS OF THE USE OF ANY VEHICLE, LOSS OF TIME, RENTAL OF VEHI-CLES, LOSS OR DAMAGE TO PERSONAL PROPERTY, EXPENSES SUCH AS GASOLINE, TELEPHONE, LODGING, OR TOWING, OR ANY OTHER INCI-DENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OR OWNERSHIP OF ANY PRODUCTS. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION SET FORTH BELOW MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. REPLACEMENT OF THE PRODUCT IN THE MANNER PROVIDED ABOVE SHALL CONSTITUTE FULFILLMENT OF ALL LIABILITIES OF DRAW-TITE TO THE PURCHASER/CONSUMER WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE.

 

[Ebag333]

If you really feel that the finish on the hitch was "defective" then contact Draw-Tite and see if they will honor their Limited Lifetime Warranty.

I imagine most vehicles in the Rust Belt would incur what amounts to a thousand hours of salt spray over the course of just a couple of winters. But their warranty is as below:

Suprised you didn't point out this part:

c. The Warranty does not extend to Products which are damaged or which fail as a result of the Products being abused, neglected, or misused in any manner, or as a result of any accident, or which are misapplied, overloaded, improperly installed, or altered in any manner by anyone other than Draw-Tite.

Living in a area where the conditions are hard on the vehicle and not regularly inspecting/maintaining your equipment is no ones fault but your own.

If you live in the rust belt drop the hitch and sand and repaint once a year (or even every few years). I personally do not much care for powdercoating as rust can get under the coating and it'll *LOOK* sound but be entirely rusted over. Paint is usually more apparent when it's rusted.



Draw-Tite is entirely in the clear here. That being said, I'd probably contact them and see if I could get some free schwag.

 

[46/71 Hybrid]

Suprised you didn't point out this part:




Living in a area where the conditions are hard on the vehicle and not regularly inspecting/maintaining your equipment is no ones fault but your own.

If you live in the rust belt drop the hitch and sand and repaint once a year (or even every few years). I personally do not much care for powdercoating as rust can get under the coating and it'll *LOOK* sound but be entirely rusted over. Paint is usually more apparent when it's rusted.



Draw-Tite is entirely in the clear here. That being said, I'd probably contact them and see if I could get some free schwag.

I agree you need to maintain your equipment but I can't imagine Draw-Tite taking the stance that since you didn't remove the hitch once per year to touch up/inspect/etc., is classified as neglect.

In this instance, I would be VERY surprised if Draw-Tite doesn't make this right. True, it's not entirely their fault, but their "cost" of sending out a hitch is much cheaper than having to repair a negative reputation.

I vote that you write a professional, polite, and gramatically correct letter, and post up their reply. You might also point out this is being followed in a thread, and yourself, along with several other posters, believe that Draw-Tite will take care of the customer and once again show why they're one of the better hitch manufacturer's on the market, both in terms of product and customer service.

 

[millatruse]

Wow that is scary! Looks like it was made in China! Their 80% steel and 20% lead Formula doesnt look like it has the longjevity they were hoping for. Better to find out now than when you are on the interstate and your boat illegally passes you on the right!

 

[AJP]

Based on the comment that the frame looks good ... maybe the hitch has acted as a "sacrificial anode" ... personally - if that's what happened - I'll be bolting a few more Draw Tites to my frame ... rather the replaceable hitch than the virtually irreplaceable frame!

 

[nuclearlemon]

looks like standard midwestern rust. i've seen cruiser frames rusted to the point where you can poke a finger through it. hitches are like any other item, they need to be maintained, especially in the rustbelt. i used to clean and rattle can my frame every winter.

my 80 came from the midwest and the underside is hideous...majority of it is rusted solid.

 

[wxm]

Just took my Valley hitch off my 96 LX450 for re-paint. It took quite an effort to take it off after 12 years. Has some suffice rust (nothing close to yours). Sanded the rust off, put down two coats of primer and repaint. It looks like new now

 

[Lugboot]

meh. My OE hitch was close to that bad when I took it off to replace with a DrawTite in May 2007. Rust never sleeps.

 

[Napoleon047]

I could draw the same conclusion about my OEM hitch then, couldn't I? Toyota obviously makes low quality finished goods then too, huh?

Sure. Whomever Toyota contracted to make the hitches put a poor finish on it. Toyota has used lots of parts with poor finishes, under the hood there are numerous parts that dont even really get wet, yet are rusting. I'm sure you have seen at least one 84-88 Toyota pickup with the bed rusted through. Guess what? The inside of the bedsides WEREN'T PAINTED AT ALL. I guess that counts as a poorly finished Toyota product too.

Salt is your enemy, not the hitch, not the finish, not the installer.

Really? If the hitch were hot-dipped galvanized, would it be in this condition? I doubt it. That may sound overkill, but maybe not. I might have the replacement hot-dipped galvanized (only $1.25/lb locally).

Post some shots of your frame (from the same area) and the bolts, etc...from under your truck..and let us decide.

Forgive the copious amount of liquid wrench I used to remove the hitch. See? surface rust only.

If you really feel that the finish on the hitch was "defective" then contact Draw-Tite and see if they will honor their Limited Lifetime Warranty.

I don't expect Draw-Tite to replace the hitch, I am not the original customer.


At the end of the day, whatever your opinion, the moral of the story is: INSPECT YOUR EQUIPMENT!

 

[DANTIP]

Rusted Receiver Hitch

I have a '96 80 with a Draw Tite hitch and it is rusted through on the bottom of the square tube. Chunks of delaminated/rusted steel can be pulled out of the inside of the tube. My frame also has minor surface and it was exposed to the exact same environment and "care". Certainly there is a significant difference in materials, manufacturing and corrosion protection.

 

[Ebag333]

See? surface rust only.

That might be surface rust only, but that's some serious amount of rusting compared to any cruiser I've seen in person.

But then again I see mostly west coast rigs.

I guess you get a lot of practice at cursing when unbolting anything under the rig. One of the local mudders here has a rig that spent a few years back east, and every single bolt has rust on it. Zero rusting on the frame, however. He has a nightmare anytime he has to unbolt something.

 

[Napoleon047]

I guess you get a lot of practice at cursing when unbolting anything under the rig. One of the local mudders here has a rig that spent a few years back east, and every single bolt has rust on it. Zero rusting on the frame, however. He has a nightmare anytime he has to unbolt something.

I worked at a local off-road shop when we would do a simple bolt on lift, we pretty much just torched the nuts off of bolts and then drove them through with a punch. Customers would ask "Why am I getting charged for new bolts? Why couldnt you just re-use the ones that were on there?"

But you are right. If it isnt a through-bolt that can be cut completely, lots of liquid wrench, impact wrench and heat with the torch are in order.

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

I don't expect Draw-Tite to replace the hitch, I am not the original customer.

It never hurts to ask

You'd be surprised at how many big companies are willing to bend over backwards for their customers