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The crossbar-style hidden brackets attach to your vehicle's frame to provide attachment points for your tow bar. The visible portions of the brackets can be removed when you are not towing.
Features:
The square drawbars, or front arms, on the crossbar-style base plate kit are simple to mount and remove, easily securing with hitch 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.
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (973 Customer Reviews)
The crossbar-style hidden brackets attach to your vehicle's frame to provide attachment points for your tow bar. The visible portions of the brackets can be removed when you are not towing.Base plate kit was fairly easy to install,all hardware was included and directions were clear! I would definitely buy another to install if ever needed. I do have a car lift making it easier,but would not be bad without,just a little harder on the knees!
Great product. Been thousands of miles all over the country and hit has performed perfectly. It does hold water after rain, so be sure to empty the water out of the tubing to prevent rust.
I love the product! It looks and works great. The only problem I have is with the installation, otherwise I would definately give it an excellent. I did the install by myself, in my own garage, with what I consider, tools that almost every "handy" homeowner has. A set of wrenches (metric and sae), both socket and open/boxed end, screw drivers, hammer, jig saw, cordless drill, torque wrench, etc. The 2.5 hrs shown as installation time was at least doubled, mostly due to somewhat difficult to understand instructions/photos, and several very (and I mean very) close tolerances. I realize I have fairly large hands, but nothing unusual for someone 6 ft tall. I was going to take photos all along the way, but quickly realized it would push the installation into a second day. The finished product looks just like the pictures in the installation instructions. Mine even happen to match the color, so not much point in adding before and after photos. Overall, I say it is a great product that almost any moderatly handy person can install.
Every part needed was thereI am definitely not worried about this base plate coming of the truck! It is always a little suprising on stuff like this when all the bolts and steel that are attached to the vehicle eventually pass the stress onto 1 or 2 bolts down the system. I guess overbuilding the base plate is cheaper than engineering a lighter and smaller one. The
It took two of us all day to put it on, but that was to be expected. As careful as we were, some holes didn't line up right, and we had to do some grinding to account for weld beads on the tow vehicle. I'd say that the tolerances were too tight, and un-necessarily so.
Overall the fitment issues were anticipated and we had the tools (large drills and metal grinder) to address them. The effort was worth it to save the $ on a self install. I can see why the RV shops charge so much to install, however.
The product arrived very fast and everything was there. I was very impressed on the product and also with etrailer. They made buying from them an easy experience and I will highly recommend them to all my friends. I would not hesitate to purchase from etrailer again.
40 yrs in the autobody trade helped .Plus all the tools I have. The hard part for the average person would be cutting the HSLA bumper reinforcement. I would put in your instructions to use a cutoff wheel as a saw blade won't cut it and heat is not to be used HSLA steel.
I have NEVER had such good service..ordered it on Mon. del on Tues... Even my installer was amazed!!! Thanks again!!
Good product and they fit well. Also e-z to put on just take your time and read the instruction.
Very easy to install works perfectly
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.
Very impressed that they're the exact fabbed fit, and easy to install! These tow base plates are super sturdy!
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!
Just completed a 6600 mile rod trip, towing the Subaru behind a motor home.
Worked great.
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..!!
It was easy to install, fit well and came with good instructions.
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
Everything looks good for us, but we have one more part that we are waiting on before we can install on the truck plus it's raining out here in Washington State. when it's time to put it all together we will take a picture and send it.
The baseplate and crossbar arrived one day earlier than expected. Directions were included which made the installation pretty easy.
I am happy with etrailers products and will buy from them again.
Very easy to install and works great
This base plate was installed on a 2008 Kia Spectra. The bracket is strong and not really hard to work with HOWEVER,,,,,,,,,, I am used to the BlueOx base plate which is much easier to "hook up". Unfortunately, BlueOx did not make a base plate to fit my vehicle. That is not a big problem as I'm usually not in any hurry and it only takes maybe 5 minutes longer to "hook up".
The biggest problem with the RoadMaster base plate is that due to the way it is bolted to the frame, it only allows for a 6-inch ground clearance on the front of the vehicle. I have to be very careful with any "dips" in the road, especially on cross streets. Six inches may not sound like much but since the tires are several feet behind the base plate, it reduces that ground clearance greatly. It also will not clear the concrete "stop blocks" in front of many parking spaces.
If you are not very careful and keep this in mind, you may likely bend the frame of your car when you come to one of these sudden impacts. I haven't bent anything yet but it has certainly been shocking when it hits. Most of the time, the impact will cause the base plate to scrape and lift the car to the height to clear the obstacle.
I've attached a picture with a ruler in the view.
The hardest part of the installation is getting the grill off and back on. Of the six preexisting holes all but one lined up the sixth hole was off about a half inch but the car had hit a deer a few years ago.
Good information and prompt shipping.
Base plate is solid and install and use instructions are excellent.
Be warned that product install is drill two holes and install 3 bolts, BUT the entire front panel has to be removed and replaced. Not difficult, but time-consuming.
Seat bracket is solid and install and use instructions are excellent.
Brakemaster kit is good quality, but instructions are not as good as most Roadmaster products. Instructions for air line install are especially weak.
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Richard
5/28/2020
I have towed the vehicle on several long trips and I have had zero problems!