Talk about a "safety hazard"!!

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
Is the backside of the reciever open and unobstructed? I've seen guys with trucks turn their hitches around and slide in from behind to keep them out of the way when not in use.

THAT is a helluva good idea and I am going to try it out on Monday!
 

browniehound

Well-Known Member
They said this about DIAD 4, you had to lock in place so in the event of a rollover it wouldnt come loose and possibly hit you. My answer was, if the package car was upside down the last thing on my mind would be the DIAD coming loose.

When I first heard that I thought to myself "did I hear that correctly" and "He must be joking". Yeah, flying DIADS. Watch out, their killers. I think the loss of limbs or severe head trauma from the ground would be a more likely result of a rollover than the DIAD hitting you a few times.
 

hellfire

no one considers UPS people."real" Teamsters.-BUG
The object on the floor is a "stinger" that fits into the receiver on my hitch car. It is basically a 45 lb solid bar of iron with a trailer ball at one end and a hole in the bar for the hitch pin to insert into. It is awkward and an absolute bitch to handle; back in 2009 I dropped it on my foot and wound up with a broken toe. Its so heavy that if you drop it on concrete and it will knock chunks out.Theoretically at least, when not in use it is supposed to be stowed by inserting it upright into the square receptacle that is bolted to the floor. The problems with this theory are obvious; the receptacle's location in the corner beneath the shelf makes it impossible to stow or remove this heavy iron bar without a very dangerous end-range motion, plus if your car is full in the morning you have to unload a bunch of packages and get them out of the way in order to gain acess to the stinger. As a result of this incompetent design, most drivers simply leave the stinger lying in the rain gutter next to the door where it is more accessible. Unfortunately, this creates yet another safety issue; the stinger bounces around on rough roads where it beats up and eventually damages the wiring harness for the rear lights that pokes up thru the hole in the back corner. I wound up shorting out my brake and reverse lights on that side, and the mechanic told me I needed to start keeping the stinger in the receptacle again. In the car I used to have, the receptacle was bolted to the floor in the cab in front of where the passengers feet normally rest. This keeps the stinger in your "power zone" when you remove or replace it while standing upright outside the passenger side door. To keep it secure, all that is needed is to drill a hole in the recptacle big enough to put the hitch pin through, which will keep the stinger in place even in the event of a rollover. For some unfathomable reason, this modification was deemed "unsafe" and the receptacles were relocated to their current, functionally useless position.So....do I tear up my back and shoulder reaching all the way under there to dig that bitch out of the receptacle, or do I leave it lying in the gutter where it will beat up and short out the wiring for the rear lights? Is it too much to ask for UPS to think before they install equipment in such a foolish matter?


you must be the most miserable person on earth... quit,, you will never change the system,, i would figure you smart enough to learn and manipulate the system... obviously you are not
 

oldngray

nowhere special
When I first heard that I thought to myself "did I hear that correctly" and "He must be joking". Yeah, flying DIADS. Watch out, their killers. I think the loss of limbs or severe head trauma from the ground would be a more likely result of a rollover than the DIAD hitting you a few times.

I can't count how many times I just threw the DIAD on the front dash instead of in the holder between stops. After the wireless connection was removed from holder and put in DIAD ( I forget if that was DIAD 3 or 4 ) the holder became pretty useless.
 

Indecisi0n

Well-Known Member
you must be the most miserable person on earth... quit,, you will never change the system,, i would figure you smart enough to learn and manipulate the system... obviously you are not
tumblr_m6nc6hcMGz1ruy8wjo1_500.gif
 

dilligaf

IN VINO VERITAS
"Stinger" is a lot easier and quicker to pronounce than "ball mount for a receiver hitch." Plus, when you install it in the hitch it sticks out behind the bumper and looks similar to a stinger on a bee.

And if you run into it it STINGS the hell out of your shins. LOL
 

dilligaf

IN VINO VERITAS
you must be the most miserable person on earth... quit,, you will never change the system,, i would figure you smart enough to learn and manipulate the system... obviously you are not

Misery loves company, but you can leave anytime. I promise, your leaving won't hurt our feelings.
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
THAT is a helluva good idea and I am going to try it out on Monday!
I'm guessing that will be at least as far out of your power zone as what they've set up for you now. It would be an excellent idea if you only had to use it once a month, but getting it in and out of there daily may be a huge PIA.
Let us know!
 

dilligaf

IN VINO VERITAS
THAT is a helluva good idea and I am going to try it out on Monday!

I'm guessing that will be at least as far out of your power zone as what they've set up for you now. It would be an excellent idea if you only had to use it once a month, but getting it in and out of there daily may be a huge PIA.
Let us know!

And please, DON'T drop it on your head while you are under there. Your toe was bad enough. LOL:hugs:
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
you must be the most miserable person on earth... quit,, you will never change the system,, i would figure you smart enough to learn and manipulate the system... obviously you are not

Im not miserable.

I dont want to manipulate the system.

Im just trying to find a way to haul that thing around without damaging either my body or the vehicles wiring harness.

I see some guys who just stick them in the wastebasket up in the cab. BAD idea. In a rollover, that 40 lb iron bar would become a projectile that could take your head off. It needs to be secured somehow, in a manner that doesnt force me to use an awkward end range motion to retrieve it.
 

bham brown

Well-Known Member
We have no holder for our hitch. Mine stays attached to the truck. I have just learned to avoid hitting my shin every time. Too dang heavy to take in and out every day.
 
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