Camco 51611 Flag Pole Hitch Mount, 2 In Receiver

If you want to fly a flag off the back of your rig without drilling holes or clamping onto a bumper, the Camco 51611 hitch mount is about as straightforward as it gets. It's a single piece of powder-coated steel that slides into a standard 2 inch receiver, the same receiver you'd use for a ball mount or a cargo carrier. Drop it in, run your hitch pin, and you've got a solid base for a flag pole up to 2-11/32 inch in diameter.

We see these on all kinds of setups. Boaters run them on trailer receivers at the ramp so the crew can spot the rig in a crowded lot. RVers use them at the campsite to fly a flag off the tow vehicle. Tailgaters like them because the flag stands up high and clear of the crowd. And plenty of small-boat owners mount a dive flag or a Coast Guard flag off the stern receiver on a pontoon or center console. Anywhere you've got a 2 inch receiver, you've got a mounting point.

The build is honest steel with a black powder coat. That finish does two jobs. It keeps the tube from rusting, and it gives the whole thing a clean, low-key look that doesn't clash with your trailer or your truck. There's nothing fancy here and that's the point. Fewer moving parts means fewer things to fail out on the road.

Pay attention to the pole diameter. This mount is sized for flag poles up to 2-11/32 inch across, and that ceiling matters. A pole that's too fat won't seat, and forcing it is a good way to crack the collar. If your pole measures under that number, you're fine. If you're not sure, measure the base of your pole before you order. Most standard telescoping flag poles and aluminum RV poles fall well within range.

Install takes about a minute. Slide the shank into your 2 inch receiver, line up the pin holes, and drop in your hitch pin. We'd steer you toward a locking hitch pin here, both to keep the mount from walking loose over bumps and to make it harder for someone to lift your flag rig out of a parking lot. If you tow at highway speed, a rubber flag-pole base or a thin shim inside the collar goes a long way toward killing vibration and the rattle that comes with it.

Run it around saltwater? Give it a freshwater rinse now and then, same as you'd do with your trailer hardware. Salt spray is hard on any steel part, and a quick rinse after a day at the ramp keeps the powder coat looking good and the tube solid. Store it inside over the winter and it'll last you years.

Because it's receiver-mounted, it's also easy to move. Fly the flag at the campground this weekend, pull the mount and store it flat during the week, then swap back to your ball mount when it's time to tow. No permanent hardware, no holes, nothing bolted to the boat or the bumper. That flexibility is a big part of why folks keep one in the truck year round, from summer boating season through the holidays.

A couple of honest notes. This holds one flag, not a bank of them, so if you're after a big multi-flag display you'll want a different setup. And it's built for flag duty, not for hauling gear, so don't treat it like a cargo mount. Used the way it's meant to be used, off a 2 inch receiver with a properly sized pole, it's a clean, sturdy answer to a simple question. How do you fly your flag off the back of the rig?