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Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms

Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms

Item # 131-8
Retail:$550.00
Our Price: $485.00
You Save: $65.00
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131-8 - Hitch Pin Attachment Roadmaster Removable Drawbars
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Designed specifically for heavy-duty applications, direct-connect brackets install onto your vehicle's frame to provide attachment points for a motor-home-mounted tow bar. Front arms are easily removable when not in use. 1-800-940-8924 to order Roadmaster base plates part number 131-8 or order online at etrailer.com. Free expert support on all Roadmaster products. Great prices and Fastest Shipping for Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms. Base Plates reviews from real customers.
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Roadmaster Base Plates - 131-8

  • Removable Drawbars
  • Roadmaster
  • Hitch Pin Attachment

Designed specifically for heavy-duty applications, direct-connect brackets install onto your vehicle's frame to provide attachment points for a motor-home-mounted tow bar. Front arms are easily removable when not in use.


Features:

  • Hidden bracket design - drawbars are easily removable via 2 pins
  • Computer-cut, all-steel construction provides exceptional strength
  • Black powder coat finish is durable and corrosion resistant
  • Simple installation - no welding
    • Custom base plates ensure a perfect fit for your vehicle
  • No crossbar needed - faster hookup and sleeker appearance
    • Crossbar not required because these direct-connect base plates are designed for strong, heavy-duty applications
  • Compatible with all Roadmaster tow bars that slide into trailer hitch receivers
  • Instructions and mounting hardware included
  • Made in the USA
  • Limited Lifetime Warranty


Note: MX base plates will work only with the Roadmaster tow bars that slide into a trailer hitch, such as the Nighthawk, Sterling, Blackhawk, Blackhawk 2, Falcon, and Falcon 2. The MX base plates will not work with tow bars that require a hitch ball.


MX Series brackets do not require a crossbar because of the heavy-duty nature of your vehicle's frame. Thus, installation is simplified, the hookup process is faster, and the total appearance is enhanced.


Note: The EZ Hook safety cables included with Roadmaster's Sterling tow bars will not work with MX series base plates. These cables connect to an anchor plate on the Quick Disconnect crossbar, which will not be present when you are using MX base plates.


The drawbars, or front arms, on the MX series base plate kit are simple to mount and remove, easily securing with pins. Once the drawbars have been removed, the remaining brackets are virtually invisible. On most automobiles, the brackets are mounted within the grille, where they remain not only unseen, but protected from scrapes and scuffs as well.


Frame Variance Measurement Diagram

Measurement must be taken from the centerpoint of the lower-most threaded hole, on the side of frame, to a center-line dissecting the rear-most elongated hole on the bottom of the frame.

Frame Variance Measurement Diagram



131-8 Road Master MX Base Plate Kit

Installation Details 131-8 Installation instructions

This Product Fits The Following Vehicles




Customer Satisfaction Score:


Customer Reviews

Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms - 131-8

Average Customer Rating:  4.8 out of 5 stars   (982 Customer Reviews)

Designed specifically for heavy-duty applications, direct-connect brackets install onto your vehicle's frame to provide attachment points for a motor-home-mounted tow bar. Front arms are easily removable when not in use.

by:

Highly recommend E-Trailer for all of your towing accessories. Great product, great customer service!!



by:
1995 Chevrolet Tahoe

I had to ream out one of the holes to fit my 95 Tahoe. No problem hooking up after that. Went right in with no other modifications and no problems. Have towed a few thousand miles now and they worked great for me.



by:
Chevrolet Tahoe

It was amazing how well it fit my older Tahoe.



by:
2002 Chevrolet Silverado

Very efficient



by:
1993 Chevrolet C/K Series Pickup

Left side was a great fit.

Right
side, I had to open the holes on the frame a little. The side bolt for the bumper didn't line up.

Still a great product. I have used on my previous cars.



by:
1998 Chevrolet Suburban

Not the best quality. I should have stayed with the BlueOx products to match the BlueOx tow bar I purchased. The left side base plate went together pretty easy. However, the right side left a lot to be desired. First, one of the three bolt holes on a backing plate was about a quarter of a hole off center. Had to modify the frame to make it fit. Second, the side bracket on the base plate was not square, and was difficult to get it bolted up to the frame. Also, had to trim the valance on the right side because the base plate didn't quite fit the hole like the left side did.



by:
1997 GMC Sierra

The baseplate were delivered on time.

Installation
was straight forward. Because these baseplates were for a truck no disassembly was required, only minor timming of the front air dam. The new baseplates were easy to install and they fit perfectly. The instructions were clear and useful.

I originally called a RV shop to have them purchase and install the baseplates. But they said they checked with Roadmaster and the baseplates were not available for my truck because of its age (it's a 1997 GMC Sierra 1500 4X4). I guess the should have checked with etrailer.com. They lost a job, not good for business.



by:
1998 GMC Yukon

Straight forward install of 131-8 on 1998 Yukon. But i did have to do two things they don’t mention. (1) I had to trim about 3/4” to enlarge the hook hole in the air dam and (2) because of a slight mismatch of the nutplate with the frame holes, I drilled the center bottom holes in the frame from 1/2” to 5/8”. That was enough for both sides and the fit was then very good with no slop.. The tow bracket pins seem very easy to remove (to steal the brackets) so I will replace with locking 5/8” hitch pins. Besides, they are ugly and oversized (too ling). All in all, went as expected. Other reviewers gave the heads up on the air dam trim and the hole mismatch. Also, not sure why the big clipped washer spacers are clipped; there was no interference on the 1998 Yukon. And i didn’t use the 1/2” clipped washers.



by:

Would have been nice to get better installation instructions, maybe a video of the actual vehicle that I'm installing it on??

Etrailer Expert

Jenny N.

12/23/2021

I reached out to the manufacturer and there is not a video installation video at this time.



by:

The base plate installation went as smooth as expected. The details included with the plate were complete and clear. Great products and great service.



by:

Product exactly as described smooth install quality material through instructions. Thank You Judy



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1994 Chevrolet Blazer



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by:

etrailer service is and has always been stellar. My order was correct and was delivered very quickly. The only reason I made this a four instead of a five was that the rear bolt position of both base plate brackets where welded on crooked. Each small plate was at a different angle from each other. In my opinion whoever welded them wasn’t paying attention to quality control. Because I was on a time crunch for my departure on a trip and could not wait for replacements (and I needed the vehicle for local driving) I made the brackets work. Other than that the installation went smoothly and I was able to test tow my 2004 CRV a couple of times without incident.



by:

I was pulling my truck using the roadmaster crossbar and to my surpass the towbar broke in half as I was towing. Good thing I was in town only going 20 miles poer hr.



by:

Base Plate kit was complete and generally straight forward to install. Some instructions and dimensions were not explained in detail as they could have been. Especially the modifications made to the air dam were totally off. Most of the air dam is cut off to fit in front of the base plate. This was installed on a 2014 Chevy Captiva four cylinder car.



by:

Very impressed that they're the exact fabbed fit, and easy to install! These tow base plates are super sturdy!



by:

Item arrived earlier than predicted after viewing a very complete tracking system. The information was very clear and precise. Good job! I am 75 years of age and installed the baseplate myself. Only a couple of minor issues. One pin would not insert. Welding blob in the way. Filed it smooth and problem solved. The video was excellent but was a bit different in that it showed a different method o rear bolt installation, however the instructions on paper showed the correct way. Reinstalling the front clip had presented some difficulty. I suggest really watching the inner fender position relative to the front clip before removal. All said all went well. The finished look is great, (see pictures). Great product!



by:

Item arrived very quickly. It appears to be of excellent quality. The salesman that helped me was very good and had very good knowledge of the product. The installation instructions were a bit vague, but I was able to figure them out. The price of the item was a bit higher than I was expecting.



by:

Just completed a 6600 mile rod trip, towing the Subaru behind a motor home.

Worked great.



by:

I've towed with it many times and Zero problems. I did find that moving the car slightly forward after stopping helps relax tension amd.make.disconnect much easier. Overall... I'd say SUPER..!!



by:

Base plate 1910 install on 1999 Landrover disco 2

the base plate arrived fast (as does everything I have ordered from etrailer). It was a bit bent on arrival but Becky sorted me out and offered to replace it but it was easy to bend back (with a 3lb hammer).

The included instructions were great for removing the bumper but nor much else. Possibly because my Landy is a 1999 disco 2 and the pictures were of a 2002.

I have included some pictures of stuff I wish I had known. Firstly I had to loose the recovery loop on the driver side as the base plate would not fit over it. The chassis frame has steel tubes inside the bolt holes so the amount of drilling is minimal (I ordered a drill bit that they suggested but in all honesty could have opened up the holes with a file easily).

You need to oval out the aluminum crush cans before you replce them or the new bolts will not go through. The center mount bolt just needs the plastic mount for the center screw on the scoop cut out and there is a bog square hole on the top of the member (thats why you need to big square piece of steel on the top of the center bolt)

Mine was obscured by the torsion bar so I ended up dropping it to drill out the hole and get the bolt in straight.

It was easy to bolt up to the frame once everything was prepped and do yourself a favour and buy loctite red for the bolts - you don't want to be going in there again.

The bumper template was a good start but I had to reshape mine a lot particularly as the hole on the baseplate ended up halfway through the bumper and I had to do a lot of enlargement at the bottom to attach the safety wires.

The photos should make more sense of some of my description



by:

Looks great installed. I think it will work perfectly for towing my F150 4x4. Took approximately 1 hrs. I removed the bumper, 4 bolts, and installed effortlessly. Nice appearance!


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982
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See what our Experts say about this Roadmaster Base Plates

  • Can the Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit 131-8 Be Purchased Without Arms
    In regards to the Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit part # 131-8, the base plate tab and removeable arms are sold as a kit. The base plate tab is not offered separately. That said, if you need to replace the removeable arms we do have an option for this, the Roadmaster Replacement Arms for Base Plate Kits part # RM-ARMS Please note, the Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit fits the following vehicles: 1992 - 1994 Chevrolet Blazer excluding 1-ton and Diesel 1987 - 1998 Chevrolet...
    view full answer...
  • Parts Needed to Flat Tow a 1999 Chevy Express Van Behind a Motor Home with Blackhawk Tow Bar
    The 2002 Chevy Silverado and 1999 Chevy Express van require different base plate sets so you would not be able to use the ones off of the Silverado. For your 1999 Chevy Express Van you would need # 3106-3 for a 1500 series or # 3106-1 for a 2500 or 3500 series. Either set will be compatible with your Blackhawk tow bar. For safety cables you can use # RM-653. For lighting I recommend a simple magnetic kit # RM-2120 because with it you will not have to cut into the vehicle's tail light...
    view full answer...
  • Does Flat Towing 2002 Chevy Tahoe Require Crossbar
    A crossbar does not need to be used when flat towing your 2002 Chevy Tahoe if you use a Direct Connect base plate kit like the part # 131-8 which is a confirmed fit. This would work great with the 10k rated Roadmaster BlackHawk Tow Bar part # RM-422. You have the rest of your flat towing setup so you'd be good.
    view full answer...
  • Can Base Plates And Front Hitch Be Installed At The Same Time On 1989 Chevrolet K1500 Pickup
    The mounting holes used to install the Curt Front Hitch, part # 31042 on your 1989 Chevrolet K1500 truck are the same hole needed for the installation of the Roadmaster Base Plates, part # 131-8. You would not be able to have both installed at the same time because of this interference. I have attached the installation instructions for both the 31042 and the 131-8 you can check out.
    view full answer...
  • Mounting Hardware/Bolts that Come with Roadmaster Base Plate Kit # 131-8
    We do not have a way to order replacement hardware for the Roadmaster base plate kit part # 131-8 but here's complete list of the hardware that you could take to a hardware store: 6- ½” x 1-3/4” bolts 2- 14mm x 2.0 x 45mm bolts 2- 14mm lock washers 6- ½” flat washers 6- ½” lock washers 2- ¼” x 1-1/2” x 7” nutted backing plates 2- ½ ” clipped plate washers 2- 5/8" clipped plate washers
    view full answer...
  • Roadmaster Base Plate Kit that Fits 2000 Chevy Silverado 1500 4x4
    The base plates that fit specific vehicles can't be adapted to other vehicle by just swapping out a portion of it. You'll need an all new base plate kit that fits your 2000 Chevy Silverado 1500 like the Roadmaster # 131-8. For lighting you can use the diode kit, # RM-15267, and not have to worry about cutting into the taillight housing. This will splice into your taillight wiring to allow your tow vehicle to control the taillight assemblies of the towed vehicle. This comes with a round...
    view full answer...
  • Base Plates for 1994 GMC C/K Series 2500 Pickup
    Blue Ox base plates # BX1712 do fit your 3/4-ton 2500 series. They also fit the 1500 and 3500. If you refer to the linked diagram you will see the frame measurement you can take (on the passenger side outside frame surface) to see whether you can use Roadmaster kit # 131-8 (if the dimension is 3-inches) or kit # 131-3 (if the dimension is 1-1/4-inches). I also linked an article on flat towing that covers each of the components required.
    view full answer...
    Image 1 for
  • Base Plate Kit Fitment for a 1994 Chevy 1500 Blazer
    Hey Fred, thanks for reaching out! The correct base plate kit for your 1994 Chevy 1500 Blazer depends on the distance between the mounting holes on the bottom and side of your frame. I'm attaching a photo showing what I'm talking about, and you can use that to determine which of these is the correct fit: - 1-1/4" # 131-3 - 3" # 131-8 For a complete flat towing setup you will need a base plate kit, tow bar, safety cables, vehicle tow bar wiring, a supplemental braking system, and possibly...
    view full answer...

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Used Items Available
Used Picture for Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms
Used Picture for Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms
Used Picture for Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms
Used Picture for Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms
Used Picture for Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms
Used Picture for Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms
Used Picture for Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms

Condition: Surface Scratches

Notes: Item has minor cosmetic scratches. Otherwise new and unused.

Our Price: $471.71
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Info for this part was:

Employee Lindsey S
Written by:
Lindsey S
Employee Jameson C
Expert Research:
Jameson C
Employee Adele M
Updated by:
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Employee Wilson B
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Wilson B
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Employee Isabelle B
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Employee Amanda K
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