Swift Hitch, first viewing

So a friend of mine recently returned from the Upper East Side of Manhattan reporting a New Yorker cartoon seen live: A madame parking her large and shiny SUV while getting backing directions from a lady friend stationed on the sidewalk via cell phone! No wonder there’s a Web site for rear-view cameras. Which, in fact, quite likes this portable Swift Hitch device. I’m fairly impressed too. It was just a matter of installing the li-ion battery in the display, charging it and the camera’s built-in battery with the dual 12v charger before I turned them both on and—lights, action!—everything worked fine. Hitting the main button reverses the image, which is helpful when also using the rear view mirrors, like above. I also tried it in the dark and the automatic infrared lights came right to life (the image goes to grey scale then, but is usually color, if not exactly rich color).

And, yes, it can definitely help you put your hitch ball right under your trailer’s socket. Better than anything else I’ve tried, though so far that’s only a pair of colored balls attached to extendible car antennas on magnets (does anyone know the product name?). Of course the price difference is major, with the seemingly well made Swift Hitch going for about $300. On the other hand, you could use it for, say, inspecting under your engine, or gosh knows what (the company has some ideas, but note the focus fails at about one foot). The sample I’m trying doesn’t come with any way to secure the display on a vehicle’s dash, but I’m told future versions will come with a simple hook’n’loop attachment. I would also say that a slightly wider field of view might be good, but then my tailgate is especially low. I use a cut away and slotted custom job especially so I can see better when backing to a trailer! (By the way, that green hull above is my old Rhodes 18, now getting some upgrades including a Tacktick wireless instrument system. Sailing soon!)