I will rarely be towing with my truck (3-4 times a year?), so I am trying to avoid putting on a receiver. For what I will be towing, the ball in the rear bumper should be plenty. My question is if anyone makes some sort of a plate that I can lay over the plastic in the bumper well where to ball goes, so I don't gouge the hell out of it. I guess I could go find someone with a metal shop and see if they could just cut me a piece of diamond plate and drill out a hold to mount the ball through, but I was hoping someone know if there was someplace that already thought of this?

 

I'm not familiar with the '09 but previous models came with a plug in the hole.
The plug 'head' was bigger than any circle mark a ball would make.

The plug could be put back in the hole when the ball came out and no problem.

Maybe you are missing a plug?

 

No, I'm not worried about the ball scratching things up. I'm worried the receiver on the trailers (some are old and a little rusty) will come down to the plastic and scrape it up. My dad trailered his boat a few weeks ago, and actually cracked the plastic when the trailer reciever dropped onto the ball.

 

i like the diamond plate idea, however it will get all scratched up as well.

My suggestion would be some kind of rubber, maybe like an old conveyor belt or something fairly thin that you can put the trailer ball through and then tighten it on, that should give you the protection you need.

 

Not knowing the loads to be towed I never would tow on the bumper, but that might just be me.