bing tracking image
  1. Tow Bar Base Plate
  2. Blue Ox
  3. Fixed Draw Bars
  4. Visible
THIS ITEM IS NOT A FIT FOR
1997 Acura RL
etrailer Installation
We'll connect you with nearby partnered installers who know this exact setup.
Blue Ox

Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Fixed Arms

Part Number: BX1719
$474.92
Retail:$834.90
You Save: $359.98
Tow Bar Base Plate
Not Confirmed to Fit

1997 Acura RL

Will this fit?

To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.

zoom in icon
slider vertical icon
zoom out icon
Comment field cannot be left empty.
Name field cannot be left empty.
By submitting this form, you understand and agree to our Terms of Sale, Website Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Thank you! Your comment has been submitted successfully. You should be able to view your question/comment here within a few days.

Error submitting comment. Please try again momentarily.

Product Images

Customer Photos

etrailer Installation
We'll connect you with nearby partnered installers who know this exact setup.
Custom designed to fit your vehicle so it can be safely towed behind your RV, this base plate has low-profile reinforcements, providing your vehicle with a streamlined look when you're not flat towing. Base plate bolts directly to your chassis. Great Prices for the best tow bar base plate from Blue Ox. Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Fixed Arms part number BX1719 can be ordered online at etrailer.com or call 1-800-940-8924 for expert service.
  • All Info
  • Reviews (415)
  • Q & A (0)
  • Photos

Blue Ox Tow Bar Base Plate - BX1719

Highlights

  • Custom Fit for Your Vehicle: Mounts to existing attachment points
  • Ready for Flat Towing: Creates solid attachment points so you can safely tow your vehicle behind your RV.
  • Blends In When Not Towing: Low-profile reinforcements keep the front end looking streamlined and tidy.
  • Distributes Towing Load Evenly: Crossbar design spreads towing force to help protect suspension components.
  • Built to Last: Durable, powder-coated steel resists rust and corrosion through long-distance travel.
  • Works with Major Tow Bars: Pairs with Blue Ox bars and adapts for Roadmaster or Demco systems using listed adapters.
Made in USA

Features to know about

Built for Reliable Flat Towing: Fixed-Arm Base Plate That Bolts to the Chassis

This setup is made for dependable, worry-free towing. The base plate bolts directly to your chassis with no welding required, giving you solid connection points for your tow bar. Its sturdy design spreads towing forces evenly across the front end to prevent stress on your suspension during long hauls.

Keeps a Clean Look: Low-Profile Reinforcements for a Streamlined Front End

When you’re not towing, the low-profile reinforcements keep the front of your vehicle looking neat and uncluttered. The crossbar support beam blends in well with the bumper, providing a streamlined, factory-like appearance even though the setup is ready for serious towing duty anytime you need it.

Ready for Everyday Use: Durable Steel Construction and Rust-Resistant Finish

The heavy-duty steel build gives you confidence for long trips and repeated hook-ups. Every part is powder coated to resist rust and corrosion, so it holds up through weather and road grime without losing strength or appearance. It’s a setup that’s built to last through plenty of miles.

Works with Your Existing Tow Gear: Adapter Options for Multiple Tow Bar Brands

You can pair this base plate with Blue Ox tow bars for a direct, secure connection. If you’re running Roadmaster or Demco tow bars, adapters are available separately (RM-031 or RM-031-5 for Roadmaster, DM9523041 for Demco) so you can keep the gear you already have and still get a reliable hookup every time.

Simplifies Setup: Straightforward Install with Included Hardware

Everything bolts on with supplied mounting hardware—no welding required. Once installed, connection points stay fixed in place and ready when it’s time to tow. The measured specs make planning easy: 24" distance between brackets and 13-1/2" bracket height. It’s a solid, straightforward fit that’s ready for the road.

Specs

Dimensions

  • Distance between brackets: 24"
  • Bracket height: 13-1/2"

Diagram showing five components of a flat towing setup—tow bar, base plate kit, safety cables, tow bar wiring, and supplemental braking system—illustrating how a car connects safely behind an RV.

  • 1 — tow bar: 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.
  • 2 — base plate: Custom-fit base plates install on the frame of your towed car to provide the connection points for the tow bar.
  • 3 — safety cables: Safety cables ensure that your towed car does not separate from your motorhome in the event that your tow bar becomes detached.
  • 4 — tow bar wiring: 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.
  • 5 — supplemental braking system: 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.

Warranty

  • Warranty length: 3-Year warranty

BX1719 Blue Ox Baseplate - Standard Tabs

Installation Details BX1719 Installation instructions

This Product Fits The Following Vehicles




Ratings & Reviews

4.8

415 reviews
Review sort icon
Custom designed to fit your vehicle so it can be safely towed behind your RV, this base plate has low-profile reinforcements, providing your vehicle with a streamlined look when you're not flat towing. Base plate bolts directly to your chassis.

by:

I thought price was a little high, but they worked very well. Fit perfectly and looked good. Came with clear installation instructions. The nuts on steel wires made it possible to slide them deep inside the frame where the support plates bolted on without any trouble.



by:

Installing it today. I was impressed with the quality of components and construction. I test fitted and it slid right in. Now to drill the holes. Another thing was the quick delivery and packing. I definitely order from etrailer again.



by:

My blue ox base plate kit came right on schedule. I met my mechanic at the shop and with a hydraulic lift and air tools we had it installed and secured in about 30 minutes. I could have done it alone at home in about 1.5 hrs. It fits perfect and looks like it was part of original car frame.
Thx



by:

The predrilled holes didn't quite match up which required drilling out a little. Other than that it went quite well. It took this eighty year old man about two hours to get the whole thing mounted.



by:

The Blue Ox BasePlate has worked out very well. We've traveled over 3,000 miles on 4 separate trips....with multiple hookups and detachments. Great system. The only constructive comment is the electric hookup for lights/turn signals was a little wonky but my mechanic worked it out with the manufacturer.



by:

They worked great



by:

Easy enough install on my 86 samurai. Had to do some persuading but nothing major. I did need to notch the bottom of the bumper in two spots to clear the mounting brackets. Seems awfully expensive when you see what you get.



by:

Quality built product! And outstanding customer service by Ashley!!



by:

I had a simple ball hitch setup for my 1999 Jeep Wrangler for towing behind our RV. Our first trip out with it, the bolts that attached the bar connectors to the front of the Jeep came loose. I was fortunate that they didn't come out completely and cause a major accident. I was able to tighten them again, and we had no additional issues on our trip. Of course, this made me extremely nervous with my 'budget' route to tow the Jeep so I began looking for a better, more reliable solution.

Blue Ox was the name that kept coming up so I purchased the BX1120. The build quality is outstanding, it's extremely solid and very durable. Installation time was about an hour and a half once I had the right tools, couldn't find my 1/2 inch socket set! I'm using the Blue Ox Alpha tow bar with this setup.
I will say that having a second set of hands to install is valuable, my son had to come help me get the drivers side bolts in while I held the steering housing in place.

All in all, I'm very pleased with the product. It went in easy and should save my nerves on our next road trip!

1999 Jeep Wrangler Sport
After market front bumper (Plenty of clearance with this specific mount)



by:

A well-built, stout and heavy-gauge base plate with beautiful welds. It brings peace of mind for towing my Cherokee Sport cross-country behind my Class C without worry of mechanical failures on the open road. Because so much money and liability rides in tow, Blue Ox is the first choice.



by:

First of all, the staff at etrailer has always been there with answers with anything. Fitment, installation, usage etc. Second. The install was easy with the enclosed instructions. I did it by myself with only getting help to raise and lower the bumper. After several thousand miles of towing, still tight and still looks great



by:

1 year later, it’s been used for over 1500 miles and held up great. I did the install and had a weld shop tax the bolts do they wouldn’t back out.



by:

I'm not giving the products the stars as much as the woman who helped me select them and turned me onto the "road-master" product line. Road-master had a "towed-car" hitch for my 2002 Mazda Protege. It was a blessing to have met her acquaintance.



by:

Very simple to install, just need to drill a few holes in the frame. Comes with everything you need except a couple basic washers (mine came with 3 lock washers and 2 standard flats for 4 bolts)…

Would be nice to have the torque specs also in the instructions but the busted bolt is on me!



by:

Perfect fit, well built of high quality materials. In my mind you just can't get much better than Blue Ox. The only issue is that the BX1120 doesn't have removable twist lock tabs. The fixed draw bar mounting tabs are at just the right height and position to play havoc with your shins when the draw bar is not installed. I solved that problem with a shin guard I made of 2 inch schedule 40 PVC. (see photo) Fits perfectly, guards the breakaway switch and lighting connector when not in use, and solves the shin interference problem.



by:

Outstanding communication. Outstanding customer service. Outstanding towbars and baseplates. Will be back.



by:

Once again just great service from etra iler



by:

Easily installed but proper alignment needs to be maintained before drilling the additional hole required for through bolts.



by:

Not a bad install the nuts on the end of the wires was a little strange and odd to use and bend….. worked out great haven’t towed it yet ….bolted in and ready. There’s not really any place on thes 06 Wrangler to put those safety cables to the frame. Alex T in sales was great.



by:

The kit is well built and comes with all the necessary hardware to install. Installation was a breeze and asthetically blends in well with the front of the truck. Great job on the design and the production!



by:

We really like our blue ox towbar mounts from etrailer. We're excited to be able to flat tow our 2001 F-250 with our ATV in the bed. Real game changer,, Thank You etrailer
A few pictures of how I attach it



by:

4 it's in solid, but the [finish] that was used killed it from being a five.

The installation took about four hours. I had a tight interference fit between the frame rails. I wish I had an 18-24" linear ram, but I didn't. So two hydraulic floor jacks, with 4 - 24" welding clamps, and two 12" C-clamps, a short 2# sledge did the trick. Nothing a little spray paint can't fix. Four bolt holes lined up nicely. Two 1/2" drilled holes from the bottom were easy leverage to set up. Two 1/2" drilled holes inside to outside, were quite the challenge to get behind the drill. All fasteners now torqued to specification with red locktite. Added the 1/2" safety cables, made an adjustment in the lower airdam. And presto, here you have it. Now time to set up diode kit, and brake away switch installation.



by:



by:

Great product received...now have to install the unit.. Very fast on ship & box was great for size & weight...



by:

Installed this on a 2014 Chevy Express 3500 15 passenger van. Install was time consuming, as holes needed to be drilled (went through 2 drill bits) and the nuts must be fished through the frame, then "caught" by the bolt. I think there were 12 of them! Instructions were clear, though, and I've safely towed without incident over 7,000 miles in the past year. Definitely rock solid! Paired up with a Blue Ox Aventa 7,500 lb tow bar.


25
25

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

  • Can 2017 Chevy Express Van be Flat Towed Behind Motorhome
    I did some checking and it looks like the recommended procedure for flat towing your 2017 Chevy Express 2500 van is by installing a lube pump in the transmission. A driveshaft disconnect would not be needed. While we don't carry a lube pump we do carry everything else you'll need to flat tow your van. You'll first need to start with a base plate kit like the Blue Ox part # BX1719 which is confirmed as a fit for your van. For a tow bar the Blue Ox part # BX7420 is a really great choice...
    view full answer...
  • Recommended Parts To Flat Tow A 2014 Chevrolet Express Explorer Van
    After looking at the owner's manual for your 2014 Chevy Express Explorer and the 2WD version can be flat towed if you add a lube pump to the transmission. While we do not have have the lube pumps, we do have all of the other parts needed to flat tow your Express Explorer. Note if you have the AWD model, the only option to tow your van is with a trailer and all 4 wheels off of the ground. Starting with a baseplate I recommend the Blue Ox Base Plate Kit # BX1719 which is confirmed to fit...
    view full answer...
  • Is There A Recommended Bumper For Flat Towing A 2001 Jeep Wrangler
    We don't carry replacement front bumpers, but you could check with Smittybilt since they do offer some bumpers that are rated for flat towing by the D-Ring mounts. This will give you a more rugged looking bumper for your Wrangler without having to install a baseplate. When you're picking out the bumper you'll want to note the thickness of the D-Rings to ensure that we have a compatible adapter to connect to a tow bar. We have the following options: Roadmaster: 3/4" Thick # RM-035 1" Thick...
    view full answer...

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


Info for this part was:

Employee Lindsey S
Edited by:
Lindsey S
Employee Shelly K
Written by:
Shelly K
Employee Wilson B
Updated by:
Wilson B
Employee Mike S
Updated by:
Mike S
Employee Carrie F
Updated by:
Carrie F

At etrailer we provide the best information available about the products we sell. We take the quality of our information seriously so that you can get the right part the first time. Let us know if anything is missing or if you have any questions.


Product Experts Available Now!
Call 1-800-940-8924