The iBall Wireless Trailer-Hitch Camera

Getting hitched hassle-free

Written by Christopher Cunningham

From Issue January 2016

The iBall monitor has a gooseneck mount that plugs into a cigarette=lighter socket.

To get the two heaviest boats in my family’s fleet to the water, I have to back the car up to bring the trailer ball perfectly under the hitch. There’s too much tongue weight for me to lift, and the trailers are parked on a bit of a slope with the wheels chocked. Having someone guide me is often frustrating for both of us. Instructions get lost in translation and nerves get a little frayed before we even get to the launch ramp. Doing the job solo is next to impossible without some way of bringing the ball and hitch into alignment. I tried a device made of magnets, telescoping rods, and yellow balls, but it never lived up to its promise. A mirror I mounted to a suction cup did pretty well, but I had to be pretty much right on target to get the reflection of the hitch to appear.

The angle between the camera and its magnetic mount is easily adjustable. A light to the left of the lens indicates when the camera is on.

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Comments (3)

Jonas Abromaitis says:

January 1, 2016 at 11:34 pm

Sounds like just what I want for Christmas — no, wait, come and gone. How about my birthday!? I like its many alternative uses. Sure to improve my relationship with my wife when backing the camping trailer into a tight spot at the campground!
Ben Fuller says:

January 4, 2016 at 5:15 pm

Does indeed look useful, may be even for backing up when snowplowing. I wonder how many times I have made that short walk from truck seat to the trailer over the years?
Andrew Yen says:

January 26, 2016 at 1:28 pm

This is a great idea for connecting and backing trailers solo. I will have to find one of these iBall systems.
I have often called on my wife or children to direct me when I can’t see what’s going on behind the trailer. After getting frustrated with unintelligible hand signals and unclear messages shouted from behind—”Which left is that? My left? Your left? Which way are you facing?—I found another great solution. I keep two cheap UHF walkie talkies in the glovebox. With one given to my “eyes” and the other with me, I can now get detailed reports and answers to my questions as I reverse, and I don’t have to be looking at the person doing the guiding.