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  1. Tow Bar Base Plate
  2. Blue Ox
  3. Removable Draw Bars
  4. Twist Lock Attachment
Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms

Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms

Item # BX1304
Our Price: $592.85
Tow Bar Base Plate

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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. Great Prices for the best tow bar base plate from Blue Ox. Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms part number BX1304 can be ordered online at etrailer.com or call 1-800-940-8924 for expert service.
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Blue Ox Tow Bar Base Plate - BX1304

  • Blue Ox
  • Removable Draw Bars
  • Twist Lock Attachment

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:

  • Custom-fit base plate provides attachment points for your tow bar when flat towing
  • Hidden design provides a clean, seamless look
    • Arms remove with a simple twist when not in use
    • Brackets won't protrude past the front of your vehicle
  • Sturdy design spreads towing force evenly to prevent stress on your vehicle's suspension
  • Integrated mounting points let you easily attach an electrical connector plug with bracket (sold separately)
  • Receiver covers keep dirt and debris out of the base plate when arms are removed and provide a finished look
  • Durable steel construction is powder coated to resist rust and corrosion
  • Straightforward installation - no welding required
    • Base plate bolts securely to your vehicle's chassis with included mounting hardware
  • Sturdy lugs pair with Blue Ox tow bars to form a secure and reliable connection
    • Adaptable for use with Roadmaster tow bars - adapter (RM-031 or RM-031-5) sold separately
    • Adaptable for use with Demco tow bars - adapter (BX88310) sold separately
  • Made in the USA


Specs:

  • Distance between brackets: 22"
  • Bracket height: 13-1/2"
  • 3-Year warranty


Simple, Hidden Design

Blue Ox Base Plate With Arms AttachedBlue Ox Base Plate Arms Removed

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.


Blue Ox Base Plate Removable Arms

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.


Guide to Flat Towing

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.


Towing Basics

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.



BX1304 Blue Ox Baseplate - Removable Tabs

Installation Details BX1304 Installation instructions

This Product Fits The Following Vehicles




Customer Satisfaction Score:


Customer Reviews

Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms - BX1304

Average Customer Rating:  4.8 out of 5 stars   (3069 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.

by:

Well, I'm glad I'm good with tools, grinders, drills, and such. It was not just bolt-on dal. The car grill was able to be used any longer as it was too tight of a fit. Some of the lower fascia had to be trimmed and also removed OEM nuts from the front, the angle wouldn't allow the stock nuts to work. But in the end, I got to work out. So prepare to spend around 4-6 hours playing with it to get it to work. I am positive it's going to work as intended.

Mr. C.

5/3/2024

The tow bar is still working as intended, and there are no issues. I traveled over 10K miles towing my TOAD and planned another 5-7k this summer. The hardware is solid, and I am happy with the finished project.



by:

a little overpriced



by:
2012 Chevrolet Equinox

The eyelet holes that attach to the front of the vehicle didn’t even come close to matching up.

An install that should have taken 3-4 hrs took 11 hours - and the base plate didn’t fit through the bumper cover as shown.



by:

Life is easier with the new tow adapter. It takes 5 mins to be hooked up. The help on picking the right adapter was very helpful and the delivery to us in Canada was fast.



by:
2009 Mini Cooper

Great product, great price, fastest delivery I've ever seen, nice people to deal with. I'm happy!!



by:
2007 Mini Cooper

Service excellent de



by:

Great product
Great price
Great
service



by:

Superior product
Thank you



by:

Great service and quick delivery



by:



by:

The size of the box terrified me but I had to do this one myself.
This project is not for the faint of heart. When you think about what could go wrong you could wet yourself. I went with my gut and just opened the box. Hmmm, packaged very well with everything you need for the install. No going to the hardware store for this or that. Sat there with a cold sarsaparilla and read the very detailed instructions, went back to the etrailer web site and checked out some vids and pics. Hmm, it didn’t seem that daunting of a job. On my 04 Lexus GX470 most of the holes were drilled. Before I knew it 5 hours had past and I owned a toad! I took it to my local Rv service center for an inspection and it was deemed safe to use.
This thing is awesome, tracs straight as an arrow.
Now, I have to figure out this diode lighting kit. Camping is fun! Yah!!! :) Noah and etrailer made this a tolerable project. I urge everyone to take advantage of the resources that are on this sight. I always learn something when I’m there. See y’all on the trail….Rod



by:

everything bolted up easy, i simply drilled hole’s into were needed and supplied my own bolts straight through for easy installation.



by:

I am really happy, not only with the product but the customer care I received. Very quick and helpful!!

I would make one suggestion. Take the headlights out when doing this on a Chevy Cobalt. It will make it much easier to get to the 3 bolt holding the fender to the fascia.



by:

This kit fit well, had decent instructions, and performed perfectly every time once installed. If doing the install yourself, you'll need some metal fabrication tools to notch the D-ring plates behind the bumper but it's not complicated, just a little time consuming depending on the tools you're using. The look is also a little weird on the front of a new Bronco since you're losing the burly bumper D-rings, but it's a well engineered setup overall. I only used the tow bar setup a couple times before the vehicle was lost in a wildfire so I can't comment on the longevity, but I have no doubt it would still be working fine today.



by:

I will start with the people that work here at etrailer are great to deal with and very helpful! These baseplates for my 2023 bronco have been great. i bought and installed myself. install pretty straight forward. and these work great for flat towing my bronco behind my motorhome.



by:

Installed successfully on my 2024 Trax LT. However, with respect to the following installation steps, I made some changes:

All - Don't use a reciprocating saw! An oscillating tool and saw attachment works best, allowing more precise cuts.

Step #8 - After consultation with BlueOx Tech Support, I elected to re-install the plastic shroud. Wasn't difficult and I felt better about maintaining the integrity of the original equipment.

Step #28 - I moved the temperature sensor to a forward facing position in the grill section directly above the baseplate.



by:

eTrailer was very helpful in choosing the correct hitch for our rv and car. They also provided a special brake application in the car that makes it super easy for toad braking.
I am 72, and I hook up this toad and pull it with confidence. The instructions to hook up the toad was presented with ease. They knew exactly what they were doing, and we didn't rush through the demonstration. I would recommend eTrailer to anyone.



by:

Baseplate installation went pretty smooth with no surprises. I chose to separate the lower grill piece while I had the bumper cover off. This allowed me to install the bumper cover over the baseplate and then accurately determine where to make my cuts in the grill for the baseplate protrusions. The Blue Ox base plate is well made and fit perfectly.



by:

Etrailer offered competitive pricing for the base plate and the package was shipped promptly and arrived very quickly...much faster than I had anticipated.
The packaging was excellent and included all documentation. Installation was very straightforward and the unit was a perfect fit with minimal modifications to the car itself. Only a few small pieces of plastic had to be trimmed for a perfect fit.
We did have some trouble with 2 of the nuts-with-wires attached in that the bolts did NOT want to thread in to them. For some reason, they just did not want to 'start' easily and this made the blind installation of the nuts on the bolts extremely time-consuming. The nuts/bolts did not cross-thread and there were no other issues once we were able to use a tool to jam the blind nut and stop it from moving so that the bolt could be tightened and torqued. 4 of the 6 went in smoothly and with zero issues, so do I not believe that it was 'installer error' (!).
In the end, a perfect installation and the base plate is nearly invisible. I would definitely purchase from eTrailer again and can easily recommend their products based on this experience.



by:

It took all afternoon to install it by myself, but the online video was perfect and the product fit without an issue. Our second vehicle to use their tow plate and we have been very happy each time!Great product and dealer.



by:

Pretty easy to do my self but the instructions could have been a bit larger with more pictures. I think the hardest part was drilling the holes to attach the two brackets as there was only one hole on each frame. Getting the square nuts with wire attached were difficult to get both aligned because the wire on the first one got in the way each time



by:

The hitch is a great product; however, the installation is not a bolt on and you are done process as I was led to believe. It is highly doable with a little fudging, die grinding to fit, and tweaking. The grainy instruction pictures leave a lot to be desired. It looks good on my 2014 Suzuki SX4 and I am glad to have it, but even as an experienced body shop man it is still a challenge to install. Would I do it again, yes, without hesitation. It is solid, durable, and looks good in my grill.



by:

My only negative comment is that this base plate sets the tow bar connections 23" above the ground making it somewhat of a pain to fine towbar and hitch connections. It mounts relatively easy.



by:

Everything as advertised. Followed the videos and instructions for installing the base plates and tow bar and all were good. Did a test pull today and it towed great, straight as a dye. I only have 2 suggestions. There was no mention in the video of the space plate, which was included. Figured it out. Second suggestion, Install a 2" ball on your work bench and adjust the receiver to it. The instructions tell you what socket to adjust it with but that could have been done on the bench before shipping. Great product, so excited. We are off on a few hundred mile trip with the Fit behind the motorhome Wednesday. So excited. No more tow dolly.



by:

This kit was installed on my 2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport 4x4 last summer. The directions aren't too bad if you have mechanical aptitude. It seemed that there could have been an easier mounting method. The nuts with wires welded on so you can snake them into place inside the box frame were definitely a pain in the a$$. You will need to have plenty of patience. A vehicle lift would also be an asset. It worked as well as any other Blue Ox baseplate we have had for other vehicles so no issues there.


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See what our Experts say about this Blue Ox Tow Bar Base Plate

  • Base Plate and Flat Towing Equipment Recommended for 2007 Mini Cooper
    If your 2007 Mini Cooper Hardtop Base is equipped with a manual transmission, it is capable of being flat towed. As far as ease of installation goes, I'd put them on an even level. Actually bolting the base plates to the vehicle isn't terribly difficult, the hard part is disassembling the vehicle by removing the grille assembly and bumper cover. For ease of use on a day-to-day basis, I'd recommend the Blue Ox # BX1304. The base plate is very well engineered, easier to use because it doesn't...
    view full answer...
  • Recommended Blue Ox Base Plates for 2010 Mini Cooper Base with Hard Top and Manual Transmission
    I was able to confirm with Blue Ox that the # BX1307 base plates you ordered are not the correct ones; you actually need the # BX1304, which is a confirmed fit on the 2010 Mini Copper Hardtop Base model with manual transmission.
    view full answer...
  • Best Base Plate and Flat Towing Set Up for a 2008 Mini Cooper S
    We do have a baseplate that will fit for your 2007 Mini Cooper S, however the Blue Ox item # BX1304 you mentioned will not fit. You will need the Roadmaster EZ Base Plate Kit item # 521877-1 which is confirmed to fit your 2008 Mini Cooper S. I have linked an installation video below. Along with these base plates, there are a number of other parts that will be needed so you can flat tow your Mini Cooper S. I have listed them below and linked some review and installation videos as well....
    view full answer...
  • Recommended Base Plate, Tow Bar and Accessories for Flat Towing 2009 Mini Cooper Base
    If your Mini Cooper is the base hardtop, you'll want to use the Blue Ox # BX1304 you'd looked at. For a convertible, use # BX1306. For a non-binding tow bar, I'd recommend the etrailer SD Non-Binding Tow Bar, part # e47ZR which is self aligning. You won't need to have the Mini Cooper perfectly aligned behind the motorhome to hook up. Attach the arms and drive away. The arms will self align as you pull away. The tow bar is fully compatible with the Blue Ox base plates mentioned above and...
    view full answer...
  • Base Plate Kit for 2008 Mini Cooper S Model
    We have a base Plate that will work for your 2008 Mini Cooper S model, it is the Roadmaster EZ Base Plate Kit with Removable Arms, # 521877-1. The Blue Ox Base Plate Kit, # BX1304 that you linked to is not confirmed to fit the 2008 Mini Cooper S model, it is for the Hardtop Base model; there is a difference in the front facia and mounting points of the Mini Cooper S and Base Models. A complete setup to safely flat tow your Minin Cooper requires not only the base plates but, a tow bar,...
    view full answer...
  • Roadmaster EZ Base Plate Fit for 2008 Mini Cooper S Hatchback
    The Roadmaster EZ Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms, # 521877-1, is a confirmed fit to the 2008 Mini Cooper hardtop S unless it has the sport suspension. The Blue Ox # BX1304 is a fit for the Hardtop Base model, and wouldn't work with S models. In addition to the base plates, you'll also need a tow bar, safety cables, a vehicle wiring harness, a supplemental braking system and possibly a high/low adapter if the 15.5 inch installed height of the # 521877-1 has a greater than 3 inch height...
    view full answer...

Do you have a question about this Tow Bar Base Plate?


Info for this part was:

Employee Mike L
Expert Research:
Mike L
Employee Lindsey S
Written by:
Lindsey S
Employee Adele M
Updated by:
Adele M
Employee Wilson B
Updated by:
Wilson B
Employee Mike S
Updated by:
Mike S
Employee Michael B
Updated by:
Michael B

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