-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Dunmyer <jdunmyer@toltbbs.com>

>Someone asked about a gadget for assisting in hooking up her trailer w/o
>having a helper top guide her. I ran across a site,
>http://www.ontheball.com, that has just the ticket. It's a removable
>plate that attaches to the hitch only while hooking up, and guides the
>trailer hitch right over the hitch ball. Fairly inexpensive, too, as in
>$59.00.

I have a much cheaper way of doing it. It is not a slick as the ontheball system, however.

I have a tall plastic rod with a magnetic base that I put just behind the hitch ball.

On the tongue of the trailer I have a tall plastic rod that has a "V" shaped gizmo at the top of the rod. The "V" is horizontal to the ground. This plastic rod with the "V" attaches to the tongue with a magnetic base. (I bought this unit at my RV store and it cost about $15 Canadian as I recall)

When I back up I see both the rod on my car and the one on the trailer. I aim the rod on my car towards the bottom of the "V". It works quite well.

I do one other thing, however, because you can not actually see the hitch. I have a piece of galvanized steel (actually cut from a piece of heating duct, very cheap) I place this sheet of metal between the ball and my bumper. Should I over run the ball the tongue will hit the sheet of metal thus avoiding damage to my bumper.

This system has worked well. The best way, actually, is to have my wife stand where she can see what I am doing and guide me via the CB radios we have. She uses a Radio Shack single channel hand held unit while I have the more usual kind in the car. This is a very convenient way also of backing into tight places where you can not easily see behind yourself.

Sincerely,

Pete
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Peter K. Kaiser
Thornhill, Ontario
http://members.home.com/pkaiser