I consider myself to be a fairly good driver. I guess if you do anything for more than 45 years, you can become pretty good at it.
All that changes when I attach a trailer to my vehicle.
My first problem has always been getting the bumper ball anywhere near the trailer hitch. Many suns have set on me while I wasted tanks of fuel, trying to line the ball up with the hitch, neither of which I could see from my mirrors.
I saw this nifty idea described somewhere and decided to make my own. I would like to shake the hand of the clever guy who thought this up. I'm happy to report it works every time and now even I can hitch up a trailer on the first try.
These are two expandable/telescoping parts retrieval magnets I bought at my local car parts store. They're intended to let you reach and retrieve that tiny washer or nut you dropped deep down in the engine bay, where your fat hands and pickle fingers can't get it back. These are fancier than I needed ~ they have pocket clips on them ~ so they cost me $2 each. The tennis balls were old dead ones I had laying around.
I poked a hole in the tennis ball and pushed the fat end of the magnet all the way in there. They stay on solidly without further ado.
Now, all I do is place one magnet atop the trailer hitch and the other just ahead of the bumper ball, then expand the magnets until the balls are at the same height, visible in my mirror. I back up until the balls touch, and PRESTO! I'm perfectly lined up to lower the hitch onto the ball.
Disregard the duct tape you see wrapped around one magnet. I carry that to place a small piece of tape on the exact spot where each magnet should sit, to eliminate all guesswork. Then I'm spot-on every time I use the magnets.
These are now being marketed in $20 kits. I made my own for $4.
Just thought you should know.
Frank
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