rust on receiver hitch fix

[Swede71]

Have noticed how quickly the receiver hitch is starting to rust in less than a year of ownership with this vehicle. Short of applying bedliner material to it I guess Rust Oleum spray will be the only fix unless someone has another option.

 

[RPS99SHO]

POR15. Then hit it with Fluid Film to make sure the rust never returns.

 

[luderiffic]

POR15. Then hit it with Fluid Film to make sure the rust never returns.

POR15 has several steps they want to sell. I too have receiver hitch rust. Do I need to degrease, prep and then apply the rust preventative? Or can I just skip the first two steps? This stuff is kinda pricey

Thanks

 

[1engineer]

POR15 has several steps they want to sell. I too have receiver hitch rust. Do I need to degrease, prep and then apply the rust preventative? Or can I just skip the first two steps? This stuff is kinda pricey

Thanks

Truthfully? Take a wire wheel on a drill, take five minutes to knock the rust off and spray some semi gloss paint on it. Next year, do the exact same thing. Takes just a few minutes. Next year, do the same thing.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Truthfully? Take a wire wheel on a drill, take five minutes to knock the rust off and spray some semi gloss paint on it. Next year, do the exact same thing. Takes just a few minutes. Next year, do the same thing.

This. POR15 is great, but UV is not kind to it.

 

[luderiffic]

Truthfully? Take a wire wheel on a drill, take five minutes to knock the rust off and spray some semi gloss paint on it. Next year, do the exact same thing. Takes just a few minutes. Next year, do the same thing.

Ok, this is kinda what I figured but wasn't sure and saw all this other stuff. I just purchased a 2015 and it spent its first 2 years up in Cleveland so there are a few other spots on the vehicle that need preventative/fixing. Any tips for stuff on the undercarriage?

 

[WEAK_E90]

POR15 has several steps they want to sell. I too have receiver hitch rust. Do I need to degrease, prep and then apply the rust preventative? Or can I just skip the first two steps? This stuff is kinda pricey

Thanks

Fluid film x2 when its all black againarty:

 

[1engineer]

Ok, this is kinda what I figured but wasn't sure and saw all this other stuff. I just purchased a 2015 and it spent its first 2 years up in Cleveland so there are a few other spots on the vehicle that need preventative/fixing. Any tips for stuff on the undercarriage?

Some of these guys would recommend you take six weeks worth of food and water and all your recovery gear if you were making a trip to Home Depot...

Any rust paint is fine underneath. If you want to spray film or undercoat underneath that's fine too. There are no bad or good ways. There are just different ways.

 

[rocky.mtn]

I just sprayed Rustoleum (Tremclad) Rust Reformer on mine over the weekend, as well as all over my frame - after brushing any flaky rust with a wire brush. Looks good, but I'm guessing I'll have to do the hitch yearly.

 

[Northern 4Runner]

I used rust check on my 2016, after its first winter in Nova Scotia (which has harsh winters for vehicles, -30 one day, +10 the next, salt air, salt water, salt roads, etc) and I don't have rust anywhere. I bought my own professional spray gun with extension wands and put lots everywhere.

I can take pictures of my undercarriage after

 

[jafrush]

My hitch on my 2016 has rust too, haven't tried to tackle it yet.

I think I hit mine too many times off roading and knocked the paint off though.

 

[e60ral]

POR15 has several steps they want to sell. I too have receiver hitch rust. Do I need to degrease, prep and then apply the rust preventative? Or can I just skip the first two steps? This stuff is kinda pricey

Thanks

the little kit has a small can of each step, its more than enough. i did the full prep and the POR-15 has stood up to sliding on rocks. The 4oz kit will be enough for you to hit your trailer hitch and probably most of your rust spots underneath, I barely used any on the hitch and also painted a metal table and still had left over paint. I wouldn't buy a gallon unless you were planning on doing everything under your car.

This is the kit I used:
POR-15 45009 Gloss Black Super Starter Kit $20.17
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J594B5C/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I have no idea why you would want to wire wheel and paint this every year when you can just spend $20 and do it correctly the first time

 

[Swede71]

Will get under mine and spray in the next few days if there are any spots showing rust before the rci skids go on. Looks like fluid film is a good yearly option that I will have to get into the habit of applying as well.

 

[MeefZah]

Truthfully? Take a wire wheel on a drill, take five minutes to knock the rust off and spray some semi gloss paint on it. Next year, do the exact same thing. Takes just a few minutes. Next year, do the same thing.

This post should be titled "Trailer hitch owner's manual"

 

[JayceeP]

I used rust check on my 2016, after its first winter in Nova Scotia (which has harsh winters for vehicles, -30 one day, +10 the next, salt air, salt water, salt roads, etc) and I don't have rust anywhere. I bought my own professional spray gun with extension wands and put lots everywhere.

I can take pictures of my undercarriage after

I had O'Regans put that black permashine stuff on mine. The undercarriage looks great after 4 winters but the hitch has surface rust. I think it took a couple years for it to really be noticeable though.

 

[Northern 4Runner]

I had O'Regans put that black permashine stuff on mine. The undercarriage looks great after 4 winters but the hitch has surface rust. I think it took a couple years for it to really be noticeable though.

Is that a rubberized type coating? If so, Those do good for a number of years but dry out and salt creeps behind the coating and rusts the metal. You don't see it until years down the road and the dried up coating starts to flake off exposing the rust underneath.

At least this has been my experience with rubberized type under coatings.

 

[zcruiser]

Skip the POR and just shoot it with Fluid Film.

 

[Friggin Idiot]

Just did this last week, washed the truck, then hit it with this rattle can. Was specifically interested in something that would chemically convert the rust instead of covering it up. Time will tell how well it holds up. ~$6 at Home Depot, matched the matte powder coat of the sliders very well. One can was enough for heavy coats on trailer hitch, top & underside of sliders, as well as a couple trouble spots on the frame.

 

[JayceeP]

Is that a rubberized type coating? If so, Those do good for a number of years but dry out and salt creeps behind the coating and rusts the metal. You don't see it until years down the road and the dried up coating starts to flake off exposing the rust underneath.

At least this has been my experience with rubberized type under coatings.

Something like that. It's touched up every year though. This is a picture of my undercarriage on Oct 31, 2016 from the passenger side looking toward the front end. 4Runner has been on the road since March 2013. Can't say I have any complaints.

 

[Antman]

You guys are funny- too much thought put into this!

After I wash my truck and it dries I take a piece of cardboard (to control overspray) and touch up the hitch with hammer-finish Rustoleum black spray. The hammer finish covers up the nicks/rust and it's tough. I don't sand, wirebrush, detail clean- nothing.

Takes 2 minutes every summer. My hitch has definitely seen much, MUCH more use than most on this forum AND it looks almost new.

2 minutes per summer. Done.