8 Trailer Hitch Accessories That Will Make Your Life Easier

Even the hardest-working towing vehicles are not always hooked up to a trailer. And most drivers seldom use the hitch receiver at their vehicle’s rear. If you share their experience, why not put that often-neglected receiver to actual use? Whether it’s to make access easier or add extra functionality, there are many accessories designed to fit on trailer hitches that can make your life much easier.

Must-Have Accessories for Trailer Hitches

Here are some of the most useful and popular trailer hitch accessories on the market:

Truck Bed Hitch Extender

The truck bed is a major factor when you choose your pickup. You want a bed that’s large and long enough for the cargo that you usually haul. Do you sometimes have to haul long, flat, and wide objects that are too long for the cargo bed, such as a surfboard or a kayak? If so, then it’s a good idea to get a truck bed hitch extender.

Similar to a football goal post, a hitch extender attaches to the top of the trailer hitch. It lengthens the truck bed by several feet, while the sturdy hitch supports most of the cargo’s weight. Once you’re done hauling long cargo, you can remove the hitch extender and restore your truck’s appearance.

Hitch Step

It can be hard to access your vehicle’s truck bed, trunk, or roof rack if it has a high ride height, especially if it doesn’t have a step bumper. Make your life easier without having to replace your truck or SUV’s rear bumper by installing a hitch step on its trailer hitch.

The hitch step offers a stable platform for your feet. It usually has non-slip features to keep you from slipping even when it’s dirty, icy, or wet. It also helps protect the rear bumper against minor collisions.

Trailer Hitch Light

Driving at night or in bad weather is hard enough. Now imagine trying to work on something behind your vehicle in such low-visibility conditions. The tail lights can’t produce enough light for you to see in the dark, rain, or snow. Moreover, you might need both your hands free for the task, so you cannot hold a flashlight.

With these complications in mind, it pays to add work lights to the trailer hitch. These lighting accessories fit around the hitch without getting in the way of trailer hooks. Trailer hitch lights usually have powerful light sources, like LED bulbs, that can produce plenty of illumination for whatever you need to work on behind your vehicle. Some designs can also switch between a floodlight mode and a narrower spotlight beam.

Key Vault

Every driver who frequents the great outdoors has probably been worried about accidentally dropping their keys somewhere and getting locked out of their ride home. Leaving your vehicle unlocked is not a good idea either, especially if you don’t want a bear or a stranger to break into it.

Fortunately, you can turn your vehicle’s trailer hitch into a secure storage space for small but important items by installing a key vault. A compact lockbox that fits inside the hitch, the key vault is made from sturdy metal and protected by a combination lock. It will give you both peace of mind and a safe place to stash your car keys while you hike, surf, or bike.

Hitch Mount Bike Rack

Want to take your bicycle with you on a road trip? A hitch mount bike rack offers a safe and convenient way to transport your bike. It’s more secure than strapping the bike to the truck bed’s floor.

A hitch mount bike rack makes loading and unloading go faster and easier compared to a roof-mounted bike rack. You also don’t have to balance on the step bumper or hitch step while reaching for the roof.

Hitch Cover

Tired of having to clean out the junk that gets inside the trailer hitch whenever you take your vehicle out for a spin? Consider putting a hitch cover on it when you’re not towing anything.

The hitch cover or hitch plug fits over the trailer hitch’s opening. It keeps debris, dirt, and moisture out of the hitch, which helps prevent corrosion that can weaken the metal. The cover also reduces the risk of getting injured on the hitch’s sharp edges or damaging something when you accidentally back your vehicle too much.

Aside from sealing the trailer hitch, a hitch cover can also let you personalize your vehicle. Show your support for your favorite brand or team with a custom cover design.

Luggage Basket

Road trips, grocery runs, and other jaunts can fill up your vehicle’s interior and cargo space. The cabin can get crowded even faster if you have passengers along for the ride. Fortunately, you can expand your vehicle’s storage space by installing an external luggage basket on the trailer hitch.

A trailer hitch luggage basket is easy to load and unload. You can install it in preparation for a trip and remove it the moment it’s empty. In addition to open-air luggage baskets, you can get soft tops and hard shell containers that are designed to protect their contents from the weather.

Hitch Lock

Once you hitch up a trailer to your vehicle, it takes either a lot of force or deliberate meddling to lift the receiver and disconnect them.

A hitch lock will keep sharp jolts and thieves alike from unhitching the trailer whenever you are on the road or have to leave your vehicle for extended periods. It’s also a good idea to secure an unhitched trailer with a hitch lock to counter potential thieves’ attempts to hook up your trailer to their vehicle.

Trailer hitch accessories offer cost-effective ways to personalize your vehicle and expand its capabilities. Whether it’s a hitch step, hitch cover, hitch lock, or another accessory, there are many products to choose from. Don’t forget to check the trailer hitch accessory’s compatibility with your truck or SUV.