Hitch receiver rust on 2009 Silverado

[MaverickZ71]

Took my truck to the car wash yesterday to get all of the salt brine crud off of it. They spray enough of that stuff on the roads around here, it's a wonder everyone's cars don't completely rust out within 5 years of being new.

 

Noticed my factory (class 3?) receiver hitch now has rusty spots (surface rust) all over it. When it was new (installed at the factory in Silao, MX) it almost looked like it had been dipped in a tank of black plastic-kote paint.

 

Can I get this paint at a GM dealer? I'm trying to keep everything factory original. Or should I just buy a spraycan of black rustoleum at Wally World? I'd like to have the whole thing powdercoated black, but I've never had anything powdercoated and am guessing that would cost some $.

[mike94silverado]

I repaint mine every spring with Rustoleum. Works fine.

[oldmann]

Just spray with cheap black flat or semi gloss paint. Make sure it is clean and all the scale is removed. A lot of guys have black paint in their washing/detailing kit.

[dtspitcherguy]

Third, on the black paint. I used Rustoleum on my 09 Sierra and it has done the trick for two winters now and looks like the factory finish.

[MaverickZ71]

Thanks for the responses. The way it looked when it was new, I would've figured that would've been the LAST thing to rust on the truck, but nooooo. This truck has taught me a lot of things I didn't necessarily want to know.

[esox07]

Hmmm, my truck is just now going through it's first winter but I know from previous vehicles that this eventually becomes an issue with trucks up north. So, when you guys put a fresh coat of Rustoleum or whatever spray paint on them, do you sand off all the rust first or just spray it as it is. Also, do you do it on the truck or do you remove the hitch first?

 

I assume we are talking about the actual reciever (part attached to the truck) and not the hitch that slides into it and is removable.

[TedH]

I repaint mine every spring with Rustoleum. Works fine.

Ditto on Rustoleum. I apply with a brush from a small can of flat black. No rust this spring after Spring 2013 application.

[RyanbabZ71]

Like this?

 

 

Cleaned it walked to the shelf picked up a spray can of rustoleum walked over and sprayed

 

 

 

Ryan

[harleyboy63401]

I took mine off and had it professionally powder coated! $75...Good for 4 winters now!!

[SarahsGMC]

Powder coat is a relatively cheap thing to do if it's black because that's a cheap popular color so your price is divided up among however many other people take theirs in to be done.

 

sent from my truck in a field