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Custom designed to fit your vehicle so it can be safely towed behind your RV, this base plate has easily removable arms that offer a seamless look when you're not flat towing. Base plate bolts directly to your chassis, so no welding is required.
Features:
Specs:
This base plate's hidden design creates a clean and seamless look. The bracket arms are easily removable, creating a slick appearance when you're not flat towing. Because the arms can be removed, you also won't have to worry about banging your leg into any protruding arms when you walk by.
Attaching and removing the bracket arms is a breeze. To attach the arms to the base plate, simply insert them into the receivers and rotate them until they lock into place. Once you're finished towing and want to remove the arms, pull the pin to disengage the lock, rotate the arms, and remove them from the receivers. Finally, plug up the now empty receivers with the included receiver covers to help keep dirt and debris out of the base plate and provide a finished look.
Flat towing your vehicle is much more convenient than using a trailer or a tow dolly. These other options take up much more storage space, leaving you less room both at home and at the campsite. In addition, securing your vehicle to a trailer or tow dolly can be a hassle and more time consuming than hooking up with a tow bar.
There are 5 basic components needed when flat towing a vehicle: a tow bar, a base plate kit, a safety cable set, tow bar wiring, and a supplemental braking system.
The tow bar links your towed car to your motorhome. It attaches to the custom-fit base plates that install on the frame of your towed car. Safety cables ensure that your towed car does not separate from your motorhome in the event that your tow bar becomes detached. Tow bar wiring allows your towed vehicle's signal lights to sync up with your motorhome's tail lights, which is required by law in most states. Finally, the supplemental braking system - also required in most states - brakes your towed car when the brakes in your motorhome are activated, preventing wear on the motorhome and decreasing braking distance for your entire setup.
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (17 Customer Reviews)
Custom designed to fit your vehicle so it can be safely towed behind your RV, this base plate has easily removable arms that offer a seamless look when you're not flat towing. Base plate bolts directly to your chassis, so no welding is required.
BASEPLATE FAILED. BENT AND BROKEN INTO 2 PIECES!
The Blue Ox BX2690 Baseplate was bought from etrailer in March of 2023. Installed on my Ford Maverick in May 2023. Tow bar used was an NSA Ready Brute Elite 2. The NSA towbar cable braking system was removed and a NSA straight bar was installed. The braking system used in the Maverick was a RVI Brake 3.
After towing approximately 4000 miles with the Blue Ox BX2690 baseplate, I had to brake the motorhome hard to avoid a merging vehicle. While stopped a few miles later, I noticed that the passenger side baseplate was angled to the outside approximately 1.5 inches. I stopped towing at that point in the trip.
After getting home and removing the Mavericks front fascia, I found the passenger side baseplate to be bent, cracked and after removing the baseplate hardware, also found that the baseplate was broken into 2 pieces.
I started a warranty claim with Blue Ox and the claim was denied. The reason given was “The wrong towbar was used”. At the time of purchase there was never anything on the Blue Ox website, etrailer website or in the BX2690 installation manual that stated that a certain towbar could not be used or that a specific towbar was required to be used.
The tab width on the BX2690 baseplate is 41”. There is a thin metal bar between the left and right baseplate that is there only to attach the electrical connector and emergency brake control. There is no structural support between the left and right baseplate. Because the tabs are 41” apart, force applied to the baseplate as in a hard brake or a tight turn, forces the baseplate outward instead of straight back. Therefore, as in my case bending and breaking the baseplate.
There is another owner that has had nearly the exact same failure. For more information on my or his Blue Ox baseplate failure, please visit the Maverick Truck Club Forum at mavericktruckclub.com and search Blue Ox Base Plate Failure. Please feel free to contact either one of us in that forum if you have any questions or have had your own BX2690 baseplate failure.
Has worked real well on our 2022 Ford Hybrid Maverick
Couldn't be any happier with this base plate, Blue Ox quality in general, and etrailer's outstanding customer support!
etrailer shipping was prompt and the base plate was received in a few days. I installed these myself in one day. I have not yet towed the Maverick but I do not foresee any problems. I chose the Blue Ox base plate over the RoadMaster because the RoadMaster required extensive modification to the Active Shutters. The Blue Ox instructions skip some details that end up taking time to resolve. There are clips holding the fascia to the fender that broke when I pulled the fascia, maybe they could have been released from the inside before pulling. There is a black box on the driver's side frame that has to be temporarily removed to install the base plate. The base plate bolt interferes with installation of the black box. I bent the black box bracket to get it to fit but now the box contacts the marker lamp on the fascia (I'll have to watch for future wear/damage). Cutting holes in the fake fog lamps was time consuming as there is a lot of guess work about the location. Although the instructions say start cutting holes for the tow tabs, it's the safety chain connections that are challenging. The problem is trying to hold the fascia up in position while the base plate pushes it away from the truck. The cutouts end up being a little crude but not really noticeable in the grand overview.
Works perfect
Delivered in a timely manner.
I think etrailer is a fantastic company. I always get great service and when I call I always talk with very friendly and knowledgeable people. I did not expect to receive the baseplate for my truck for about a week, and got it in two days. Keep up the great customer service.
Everything came in a reasonable time and in good condition
Easy to find, delivered quick, no snags!! Everything you could ask for when ordering
they are not installed as of not but very impressed with quality and directions to install.
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Jenny N.
4/24/2024
Based on this review, I reached out to Blue Ox and did find that some tow bars will not be compatible with this base plate because of the 41 inch spread between the base plate attachment points. Tow bar part # BX4370, # BX7420 or # BX7470 will work with it. Tow bars that have shorter arms can cause the base plate to twist and break.