A device for a aligning a trailer hitch ball with a trailer coupling includes an elongated guide strip that is positioned on the ground with a portion immediately beneath the ball on the towing vehicle and a second portion immediately beneath the trailer coupling. A first target is mounted on the trailer hitch ball while a second target is mounted on the trailer coupling. A convex mirror assembly is mounted on the rear of the towing vehicle using any one of a plurality of adjustable mounting brackets. The mirror is positioned such that the towing vehicle driver can see the trailer hitch ball and the target mounted thereon. The towing vehicle driver reverses the vehicle while guiding the first target along the alignment strip. When the driver observes that the first and second targets are aligned, the coupling is properly aligned with the trailer hitch ball.

A visual alignment aid to assist in the proper alignment of a 5th wheel RV hitch to a 5th wheel trailer king pin when the view of the 5th wheel RV hitch is obstructed, due to extended cab length or other restrictions in the front portion of the bed area, such as but not limited to a tool box mounted in the front portion of a tow vehicle bed area.

A guide member mountable on the rear portion of a carrier or boat trailer, which would include a mounting bracket for mounting onto a rear, for example, bumper of the trailer, a post portion hingedly engaged to the mounting bracket, the post portion having on its upper end a reflective surface in the shape of a circle or the like, and on its lower end, a counter weight. There is further provided a spring member engaged between the mounting bracket and the post, so that the guide would normally be in the vertical position with the reflective surface extending a distance above the trailer visible by the driver of the vehicle, but when a boat or other material is loaded onto the trailer, the guide would move into the horizontal position against the bias of the spring and the counter weight, held in the horizontal position by the material or both placed thereupon. When the boat or material is retrieved from the trailer and the trailer is empty, the guide would automatically spring to the vertical position for viewing by the driver of the vehicle.

Apparatus and methods especially useful for the alignment of trailer hitch components by an unaided individual are described. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a visual guide attached to the top of a mast which is mounted in an angularly adjustable mast mount on the winch strut of a trailer, and a target mounted on the rear of a towing vehicle, visible to the driver. The position of the visual guide is pre-adjusted so the visual guide strikes or nearly strikes the target on the towing vehicle when the trailer hitch components are aligned. The target and mast are then removed, or placed in a stowed position for towing. When alignment is again desired the target, mast and mast mount are returned to the pre-adjusted position, and the driver of the towing vehicle uses the pre-adjusted position of the visual guide to guide maneuvering of the towing vehicle to align the trailer hitch components.

A trailer hitch coupling device includes an elongate rigid member mountable at a first end thereof to a forward end of a trailer so as to dispose, when the first end is mounted to the forward end of the trailer, a distal end of the rigid member forwardly of the forward end of the trailer into proximity to an applique when the applique is mounted to a rear surface of a towing vehicle. The applique is mounted so as to: (a) be viewable by a driver of the vehicle when the vehicle is translated rearwardly; and, (b) vertically align a hitch hood on the trailer with a hitch ball on the vehicle.