Rust-resistant hitch?

[nickcrowhurst]

I spend too much time each year scraping rust and paint off the hitch under the Ram truck. Every year I paint it with Rustoleum black paint. I've searched this forum and Googled and failed to find a supplier of galvanized hitches. In the UK I would buy a painted hitch, have it shot-blasted and hot-dipped galvanized, zinc chromate etch it, and then paint it. Any ideas for a supplier of corrosion resistant hitches here in the USA?
Nick.

[CanoeStream]

Good question Nick. My powder coated GMC receiver looks awful after 4 years. And I'm not even a heavy salt-road user. Hope you generate some good leads with this thread!

[easyride]

Next time you get it all cleaned up try some Por15 on it,it will hold up alot better than Rustoleum. Dave

[Lumatic]

I've never thought of painting my hitch any more than my truck frame. I have never heard of hitch rust to a point of loosing structural integrity. Am I wrong?

[memgrove2000]

You bet your butt they rust till they fall apart!... The thing is here they rust on the inside untill you draw up the WD hitch bars and "CRACK POP SNAP!" weekend cancled!
My 98 chevy hitch went in the spring 2008 first time out. I am glad it went in the driveway....

[Bluto]

Curt makes a nice receiver hitch with a top quality paint job.

[ESCAPE POD]

While "googling" POR 15, I ran into the RustBullet website: Rust Inhibitor Paint | Stop Rust | Rust Corrosion Inhibitor | Rust Converter
Online reviews suggest it's what you may be looking for.

[dwightdi]

It is interesting that Rust Bullet claims they have two patents but fail to give the numbers anywhere on their website, so you can check them for validity. They do not even give their corporate name or their size to see if they have sufficient size to afford to do broad testing. Several of the tests they quote are simple atmospheric lab test that do not replicate the environment found under the back of a car in states using salt on their roads. I am not saying the product is bad, just that advertising claims are just that without proof.

[JFScheck]

Wow - my German built hitch on the Cayenne (and now on the "T-Rex") just laughs at the salt - maybe one of the many reasons why those hitches cost more than the other "off" brands that can be bolted up to our vehicles.....

Yea - Rust sucks - loss of integrity, looks, its just a nasty side of "Mother Nature"...

[markdoane]

Originally Posted by dwightdi

It is interesting that Rust Bullet claims they have two patents but fail to give the numbers anywhere on their website, so you can check them for validity. .

They do have one patent 6,809,150 which issued in 2002 to Rust Bullet LLC. It sounds like a polyisocyanate paint and may be similar to POR-15.

I haven't tried it and have just browsed the patent claims.

[barts]

I've been using Aluthane on various surfaces; this stuff works very nicely for painting areas subject to corrosion.

- Bart