Picture this: you need to get a load of 14 ft lumber from the lumber yard to the job site. You’ve got your 8 foot enclosed trailer hitched to your short bed pickup. That’s a problem.
Picture this: you’ve hitched the camping trailer up and are ready to head to the high country for a nice long weekend. The kids are throwing a fit because they want to take their bikes. That’s a problem.
Finally, picture this: you’re trying to fit your three golf buddies, four sets of golf clubs and everybody’s luggage into the back of your SUV. You have 300 miles and five hours before your first tee time. That’s a problem. . . .or maybe not. If you’ve got a tow package on the back of your vehicle with a receiver hitch and the right hitch accessories, you’ve got your problems solved.
Trailer hitches, like the vehicles they are attached to have come a long way in the past few years, and manufacturers have awakened to all kinds of new uses for them. New trailer hitch accessories are easier to use, more widely available, safer, and provide conveniences you might not have even thought of. Read on and find out that your receiver hitch can do so much more than the ball your daddy had mounted on his bumper.
First of all, make sure you have a receiver hitch. Unfortunately, those of you with just a ball mounted to your bumper are out of luck for anything except towing. A receiver hitch is a square tube generally mounted below your rear bumper (although a hitch mounted up front is really handy too). You should have a ball mount—the metal tube that slides in to your hitch and has a hole for a hitch ball to use in towing. You should also have a trailer hitch cover—a short, square metal “tube” that fits into your receiver with a decorative emblem on one end (think professional and college sports logos, outdoor hobbies, boat propellers, etc.) that protects your hitch and keeps it clean all the while showing the world a little bit of who you are.
Now, when you’re not towing anything, your receiver hitch can be fitted with all kinds of goodies to make your truck or SUV more functional and more comfortable when you need to transport your toys, or even do a little work.
You’ve probably seen a hitch mounted bike rack before. These handy items can carry up to five bikes, and some will let you tow a trailer or attach another accessory besides. There are adaptors that will change your hitch mounted bike carrier to a hitch mounted ski carrier for 6 pairs of skis or two snowboards. Some hitch mounted bike racks will fold down or swing away from the back of your vehicle to allow easy access to other cargo you may have back there. You can also find vertical bike carriers that fold down and allow you to mount the bike on the carrier without you having to lift the bike off the ground.
Similar to the bike carrier is the hitch mounted spare tire carrier, which I figure is pretty self explanatory. You can also get a receiver step which is basically a hitch mounted step that allows easier access to anything stored on the roof of your SUV or in the bed of your truck. I’m a big fan of trailer hitch winch mounts (handy on both the front and the back of your vehicle) and hitch mounted tow hooks.
If you need to transport something really long (think lumber, ladders, and canoes), you can purchase hitch mounted bed and roof extenders which are vertical metal supports with a crosspiece at the top which will support any cargo longer than the bed of your truck or the roof of your vehicle. I’ve even seen trucks with these roof extenders mounted on both front and back hitches for carrying extra long canoes.
One of the most over-the-top trailer hitch accessories is a hitch mounted grill. These grills are great for tailgate parties, camping, boating, or almost any outdoor activity where you want to cook. The grill mounts to your receiver hitch when you’re ready to go, but swings away from your vehicle for grilling. It even comes with a back yard stand if you want to use it at home or take it off your vehicle once you get to your destination.
Speaking of destinations, I often see trucks with ATVs in the back. And I often wonder how the ATVs got in there. If you are one of those people who drives your ATV into the bed of your truck, you might want to check out hitch mounted ramp supports which protect your tailgate when you want to drive an ATV or other heavy equipment into the bed of your truck. Pretty handy, I say.
If you’d rather tow your ATV, but don’t want to bother with the expense or trouble of a trailer, you can get a special bar which allows you to tow your ATV behind your vehicle. And if you’ve got two ATVs, you’ll need a twin ball hitch, which is basically an 8 foot bar that hitches to your receiver and has a hitch ball attached at each end. With an ATV hitch bar, you can tow two ATVs side by side, eliminating the need and cost of a trailer!
Finally we come to the cargo carrier which is one of my favorite trailer hitch accessories. Hitch mounted cargo carriers can basically be described as metal platforms that are 48 to 60 inches wide and 20 to 24 inches deep (that’s how far they stick out from behind the vehicle) with a shank that mounts into your receiver hitch. That sounds simple enough, but there are many features to consider for your cargo carrier. Many of the platforms fold for storage when not in use. Some fold up from the shank toward the back of your vehicle, so they don’t stick out behind you. Some have hinges in the platform so it can fold in half. When these are mounted and folded, they stick out behind you, but not to the sides. Some even fold twice this way, making them smaller to store when not in use. Most cargo carriers have a metal mesh platform that is lightweight and easy to clean, making them the ideal place to carry messy or dirty items that you don’t want in your car. The height of the side rails on the platform varies, but all can be used with a cargo net or straps to hold your cargo securely. You can also purchase weather proof cargo bags to fit your carrier and keep your items clean and dry as you travel. Some cargo carriers include a cargo box which is generally made of heavy duty molded plastic and locks for security; these are often big enough to hold four sets of golf clubs. Look for hitch mounted cargo carriers that have tail lights for safety.
Now, if all you’ve been doing with your trailer hitch is towing a trailer, that’s okay, you obviously didn’t know any better. But, now that you’ve been educated and exposed to the wide world of trailer hitch accessories, there’s no reason to be left out any more. Get out there and have some fun with your trailer hitch!
