Trailer Ball Cover

Have you ever paid attention to the trailer ball on the back of someones truck while driving? You know, that metal ball, made for pulling a trailer, positioned below the bumper. Maybe youve never noticed but theyre often rusted. They sell ball decorations to go over those metal balls but who wants to pay that much money for such a small item? There are several different ways you can cover such a ball so that it wont rust.You dont necessarily have to be a tennis nut to use a tennis ball as a trailer ball cover. The rubber inside the ball will protect the trailer ball from water and rust. Just take a craft knife and cut a hole on one side of the ball. Make the hole a bit larger, and a bit larger, until its the right size. Make it too large and it can possibly blow off of the trailer hitch. The tennis ball should fit snugly over the metal ball but should not be difficult to slide on and off.A Styrofoam ball is another option for protecting your trailer ball. Purchase a ball thats much larger than the one on the trailer and create a hole in it. Cut a hole on any side of the Styrofoam, lay a piece of sandpaper over the end of a pencil, then use it to file the hole larger, if needed. Styrofoam is easy to shape when you use sandpaper or even an emery board.Turn the Styrofoam ball into a smiley face or other design by painting it. Use tempera paints, which dont melt Styrofoam, to create the image you want. Or, after painting the ball, write "Have a Good Day" or another wish, using a paint marker.Make a cover that looks really nice, and is protective as well, by using a scrap of thick plastic or vinyl. Cut a circle to be larger than the ball. To get an idea of how large the circle should be, drape the vinyl over the trailer ball, then cut a circle thats well below the ball.One way to finish the ball cover is to simply sew elastic around the edges of the circle. Sew a straight stitch down the center of a piece of quarter-inch elastic, tugging slightly at the elastic as you sew, and sewing it all the way around.If you have no elastic, fold the edges of the circle under, then sew around it to make a hem. Slit the hem and feed through a cord or drawstring. Whereas the elasticized version can simply slide over the trailer ball this version must be tied on.Now that youre aware that your trailer hitch ball might be rusting you can take steps to do something about that. The ball will not only be protected but it will look good, too.