What inspired My Hitch Caddy?

When I was growing up, our family went camping a lot. I loved seeing new places and spending time in the woods. My dad, Tom Bostedt, towed our camper everywhere. As a result, he was constantly dealing with troubles related to his trailer hitch. My father was a great dad and an equally great inventor. During his career in Research & Development and model-making, he helped develop several patents. Naturally, he had a problem-solving mind. So, he decided to solve the problem of receiver mounted hitches getting lost, stolen, rusty, or in the way.

Inventing a Versatile Bracket for Towing Gear

The first thing that a "My Hitch Caddy" needed to do was easily store the hitch so it wasn't in the way but still easy to use and access. That was pretty simply figured out but now what do you do with the pin? Since a hitch holder wouldn't be sufficient without holding the pins so they don't get lost.

Like Thomas Edison while he was creating the incandescent light bulb, Dad came up with many designs that were only mediocre until finally. That lightbulb lit in his head and came up with a way to store everything inside the bracket so that all the parts are safe and secure in every position you choose to mount the bracket and that design included a way to lock it to keep everything safe from theft.

Sadly, Dad passed away from a rare cancer, called Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma, shortly after getting his invention. He was diagnosed and told that he'd be lucky to live another 6 months but he was a FIGTHER! I learned so much about perseverance during his fight.

He went to work at the Kohler Company in Sheboygan, WI every day. Went to Chemo treatments on his lunch break and went back to work. Then he played in a sport each day of the week during the summers participating in 3 golf leagues and 2 softball leagues. On top of that, he had rental properties he tended to and was the life of the party until the day he died 18 months after his diagnosis.

After seeing what he went through and did, I no longer had any excuses to not do something because "my belly hurt" or "my head hurts" or "__________"....... He taught me to push through even though the road looks impossible and the point seems unpromising.

Patent-Pending Ball Mount Trailer Hitch Storage

Years later, after several moves.  I was cleaning the basement and found a box of drawings, ideas, notes, research papers, and a piece of paper with “Hitch Caddy” written on it. About 30 minutes later, my cousin called to say he had a box of parts from my dad’s house for something called “Hitch Caddy.” Was this a coincidence or a heavenly nudge from my dad? Either way, I had all I needed to fulfill his vision of developing a ball mount trailer hitch storage bracket. I modified Dad’s design to be more versatile for any hitch or reducer sleeve, applied for another patent on changes for my new design, and launched My Hitch Caddy in 2023. This innovative hitch holder securely stores any ball mount, pintle hitch, weight distribution hitch, the cotter key, and hitch pin when the hitch is not being used.

The Easy Way to Store Your Hitch Away

If you’re towing a boat, camper, RV, or trailer for work or play, My Hitch Caddy is an essential tool to have on hand. The adjustable, versatile storage bracket stores hitches safely, efficiently, and conveniently. It helps you maintain your gear so its in the best working condition for maximum safety and convenience. I’m so thankful I could fulfill my dad’s dream of developing My Hitch Caddy. I know he’s proud of the father and the inventor I’ve become and is with me every step of this journey.

Sincerely,

-Jonathan Bostedt, founder of My Hitch Caddy