Early rust on trailer hitch

So, I haven’t even had the chance to tow anything yet, and put an armored step in the hitch receiver since that’s useful to me — and today noticed that at 6000 miles with this thing mostly garaged, some of the black paint had peeled back at and around the receiver’s opening and it had started to rust at the edges.

Is this just a lifetime battle with the hitch receiver? When I bought my old Ford Ranger, year’s back I just accepted the nonstructural rusty bits (like the tow ball) as “character”. Not so much on the new Runner.

 

I noticed the same thing within the same number of miles, always garaged and hitch not yet used. There were a couple pieces of paint that flaked and fell off. I haven't done anything about it, buts curious what you'll find out.

 

I had some paint flake off my never used hitch too.

I cleaned it up and touched up with Krylon when nobody was looking.

 

It’s totaled

 

He might be able to sell it as a parts truck...

 

Get a Small Can of Black POR-15 clean the entire receiver real good then coat it with the POR-15 you just take a small 1/2 inch paint brush and apply it and be done with it.

 

Thanks, all. Just wondering. Figured I would hit it with some Rustoleum, but just wanted a quick gut check.

 

Just hit it with some fluid film.

 

I see you're in New York.

It's not going to be a lifetime battle with the hitch, it's going to be a lifetime battle for the whole truck, lol. Any metal exposed to humidity or road salt is going to rust. (on any vehicle really, but BOF Toyotas seem especially prone to it).

I highly recommend you get the undercarriage Fluid Filmed (or similar) before winter hits. It's going to take some vigilance on your part to make sure it stays relatively rust free.

 

Agreed but Made in Japan never had the crappy frames like Taco. You want that fluid film done by a pro to first descale it and second make sure that the inside of the frame is sprayed thick. Fluid film is great because of the way it creeps and clings. It is not expensive.

 

A friend of mine suggested spraying fluid film on a wax applicator pad and putting on tow hitch, I also plan to do that on the bracket where the trailer wires go in.

I need to find someone good to do fluid film. My dealers said to watch the the rubber seals though as they will expand. They recommended Ziebart which does not seem like good idea.

Crazy...trying to find someone to trust who knows how to spray this (at least in Michigan the rustbelt for sure)

 

Spraying isnt hard, it’s just a royal mess if you are going to be thorough. I got a cheap airless sprayer from harbor freight and a gallon of wool wax. I also got 4 cans with the wand to get inside of frame. Very messy. The airless paint sprayer worked ok, but was easy to over spray or under spray. Not very precise

If I had to do it again, Id consider brushing the bulk product on, and using cans and wand to do inside of frame

 

No need to be all fancy with the fluid film, no need to use any wax applicator pads or anything. Just spray it directly on the hitch, it'll even itself out.

I had mine sprayed before the winter at an off-road shop, a hundred bucks to do the undercarriage. They spray it from a spray gun and have a couple different wands that they used to get up around and inside the frame. Definitely worth it, considering a case of six spray cans is about 50 bucks.

I would find a new dealer. Fluid film is lanolin based and does not attack any rubber seals or gaskets or lines, also Ziebart is complete trash. It looks nice on the outside, Meanwhile your frame is rotting from the inside out. Here's a little video that perfectly illustrates that:

https://youtu.be/nXvl9nt57Kg

 

Any body on frame Toyota got the crappy frames. If you live in a road salt area, it's going to happen. Look at 100-series Land Cruisers, those are made in Japan and those will rot out. Same with the 3rd and 4th gen 4Runner. I stopped looking for a 3rd gen in New England because all the frames looked like they came up off the Titanic.

 

I have some spot rust forming on my hitch I am going to scrape off and paint over with Rustoleum. My question is, what color black is the hitch? Matte, satin, gloss, etc....? I want to get the correct color paint.

 

Most receivers I have seen have surface rust. POR15 if it bothers you?

I remember the frames being fairly glossy on my 4Runner and Tacoma when delivered.

 

Yes glossy is I think how they look. Most receivers have rusting yes and it IMO looks terrible. So I want to fix mine.

 

I wish I could remember, mine is more shiny but I put fluid film all over it since new.

On my old Explorer I had the hitch removed by a body shop, sanded it and it sprayed it with a rubberized undercoating and reinstalled the hitch. That was years ago and for me a great decision problem was solved.

Once my 4R hitch gets that way that’s my same plan. Only difference is have to remove rear bumper to remove the hitch

 

The hitch is bolted to the rear bumper steel, which is welded integral with the frame. The attached Utube shows rear bumper removal and it doesn’t look that bad. https://youtu.be/lrA6vKRzIAc

 

Planing on removing hitch receiver this summer, getting it prepped and powdercoated and replacing mounting hardware with stainless available at a local hitch shop.

 

I did POR15 on mine and it has not even shown a scratch since and I use it nearly every week end.

 

From what I've been reading, POR 15 is for painting over rust; that is even what it stands for, Paint Over Rust, but does not bond well with raw metal. But I have no intention of just painting over the rust, I will remove the rust then paint it.

 

You use the Primmer that is from POR15 on Raw metal never will have to paint it again.

And BTW I would never just simply paint over rust.

 

I’d just get used to painting it. I bought a little can of rustoleum that I use to touch it up every year with a little brush. It’s probably the type of high strength steel that wants to rust no matter what.

 

is there a particular priming product? I heard por 15 is considered a primer to begin with.

 

I use gloss black for touch up. It will dull over time.

 

Good info on the POR15. My receiver starting flaking and rusting within weeks of ownership. I do tow with it.

 

If you are going to use the receiver it is going to rust where the paint gets worn off on the inside. Can't avoid it.
You can get some OSPHO or Phosphoric acid at any automotive paint supply or even some home centers to etch and prep the bare metal. Then Rustoleum brand metal primer and black gloss paint will finish the job. Will last a long, long time, touch up wit black when necessary
After all it is only the hitch receiver, don't sweat it.

 

Yes how ever still need to clean for best results I have used POR15 for Boat trailers and other large applications (we did an entire car frame once too much work thought).

 

Thanks! I’m making a steel roofrack right now out of square tube. I’m trying to keep it simple, but figured that should probably look into painting it properly to avoid rust stains on my vehicle paint. Etching as a seperate step vs self -etching primer…does it matter you think?