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  1. Tow Bar Base Plate
  2. Blue Ox
  3. Removable Draw Bars
  4. Twist Lock Attachment
  5. Completely Hidden
THIS ITEM IS NOT A FIT FOR
1993 Land Rover Defender
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Blue Ox

Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms

Part Number: BX1856
In Stock
$470.63
Retail:$834.90
You Save: $364.27
Tow Bar Base Plate
Not Confirmed to Fit

1993 Land Rover Defender

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etrailer Installation
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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 BX1856 can be ordered online at etrailer.com or call 1-800-940-8924 for expert service.
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  • Reviews (5259)
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Blue Ox Tow Bar Base Plate - BX1856

Highlights

  • Custom Fit for Your Vehicle: Mounts to existing attachment points
  • Ready for Flat Towing: Provides secure attachment points so your vehicle can be safely towed behind your RV.
  • Blends In When Not Towing: Hidden design and removable arms keep the front end clean and seamless.
  • Quick to Hook Up: Twist-lock arms attach or remove easily for faster setup and disconnect.
  • Built to Last: Powder-coated steel construction resists rust and corrosion through long trips.
  • Reliable Connection: Even load distribution across the chassis helps prevent frame or suspension stress.
Made in USA

Features to know about

Made for a Clean Front End: Hidden Base Plate with Removable Arms

If you like a clean, factory look when you’re not towing, this setup keeps it tidy. The hidden design means the brackets won’t stick out past the front of the vehicle, and the removable arms twist off easily when not in use. The included receiver covers plug into the empty sockets to keep dirt and debris out while giving a finished appearance.

Blue Ox base plate kit installed on vehicle front with removable arms attached, showing clean integrated appearance for flat towing setup

Blue Ox base plate kit shown on vehicle with arms removed, demonstrating hidden design and clean factory-style appearance

Hook Up Fast and Simple: Twist-Lock, Pin-Secure Arms

Connecting your tow bar is quick with the twist-lock setup. Each arm inserts into the receiver, rotates to lock, and secures with a simple pin. When you’re done towing, pull the pin, rotate, and remove—no tools or extra steps needed. The design makes it easy to hook up even when working alone.

Close-up of Blue Ox base plate twist-lock arm mechanism demonstrating how removable arms attach securely to vehicle receivers

Strong Where It Counts: Bolts Directly to the Chassis

This base plate bolts securely to the chassis with no welding required. Its durable steel construction spreads towing forces evenly to help prevent stress on your suspension. The powder-coated finish resists rust and corrosion for long-term reliability through miles of travel.

Ready for Your Tow Bar Setup: Compatible Connection Options

Whether you’re running a Blue Ox, Roadmaster, or Demco tow bar, this kit has you covered. It pairs directly with Blue Ox tow bars or adapts to Roadmaster (with adapter RM-031 or RM-031-5) and Demco (with adapter DM9523041) systems sold separately. Integrated mounting points make it easy to attach an electrical connector plug bracket for a clean wiring setup.

Built for Everyday Use: Solid Specs and Warranty Protection

With a bracket distance of 22" and bracket height of 15", this base plate gives you solid reference points for aligning your towing gear. It’s designed for straightforward installation using included hardware and backed by a 3-year warranty for added confidence in your setup.

Specs

Dimensions

  • Distance between brackets: 22"
  • Bracket height: 15"

Warranty

  • Warranty length: 3-Year warranty

Diagram showing five components of flat towing system including tow bar, base plates, safety cables, wiring, and supplemental braking system connecting motorhome to vehicle

  • 1 — tow bar
  • 2 — base plates
  • 3 — safety cables
  • 4 — tow bar wiring
  • 5 — supplemental braking system

BX1856 Blue Ox Baseplate - Removable Tabs

Installation Details BX1856 Installation instructions

This Product Fits The Following Vehicles




Customer Satisfaction Score:

Ratings & Reviews

4.8

5259 reviews
5 Stars
(4532)
4 Stars
(506)
3 Stars
(104)
2 Stars
(47)
1 Star
(70)
Review Sort Icon
by:
This product works great. We towed the car on our first long trip this past weekend and everything ran smooth as silk. Thanks a quality product and the recommendation of Patriot Auto in Commercial Point. They're the best!!!
by:
Very high quality and well built. Everything fit perfectly. Instructions are very good but I suggest downloading so you can zoom in on the pictures. Will tow my 2020 Nissan Versa behind my Minnie Winne RV.
James N. profile picture

James N.

5/25/2021

Works great. No problems at all. Highly recommended. Have taken several trips and the only slight issue is a little bit of rust inside the tubes. This was easily fixed with a cleaning and can of black spray paint.

by:
This is not for a novice. You will be required to drill 8 holes 4 3/8 and 4 1 1/2.
You have to remove the front of the car. Bumper and grill assembly. Then you will have to cut your grill to accommodate the base plate. But once you do all that it’s a sturdy hitch and when not in tow mode it’s hardly noticeable. Be prepared to spen about 5 hours on this project but it’s worth it.
by:
2021 Nissan Versa
great product, but the installation instructions are horrible. They are like something from IKEA. I'm a mechanic, it took some time to figure out this install. there was not a video for this model of car
by:
Everything fit perfectly and directions were well designed. It took me about 6 hours to install.
by:
Just as good as I expected
by:
by:
by:
lways great to shop at etrailer, especially the tech experts. Royce did an awesome job with our order. Everything fit perfectly and the help video provided the guidance I needed.

We installed the baseplate on our 2023 Encore GX AWD as well as the light harness and breakaway switch. A couple of items were incorrect but Royce corrected the issues with no problems.

Thanks again etrailer!
Heather A. profile picture
Etrailer Expert

Heather A.

5/1/2026

The install looks great Ed! Where are you planning on taking the Encore? I will let Royce know you reached out.

Ed V. profile picture

Ed V.

5/1/2026

@HeatherA Taking a short trip up to Prova Utah in couple of weeks. Then California and hopefully Chicago in the fall. EdnJudy
Heather A. profile picture
Etrailer Expert

Heather A.

5/1/2026

@EdV That sounds awesome. Utah is beautiful. Chicago is probably one of my favorite places to visit. Are you going to check out Wrigley?
Ed V. profile picture

Ed V.

5/1/2026

Not really, I grew up in Chicago, basically 45+ years. I have been to Wrigley many times as a child and adult. We lived about 1 mile from the park. Going to see my mom who is 95 years old. Our favorite place to visit in Chicago is Navy Pier. We try to make a day of it. Thanks for asking! EdnJudy
See All (4) Replies to Heather A. ∨
by:
2026 Ford Maverick
I looked into every brand/model available and this was the beefiest. There is cutting and trimming required on all brands, so why not get the strongest? If you're slightly handy with a toolbox, you can easily do the install yourself and save thousands.
Mike L. profile picture
Etrailer Expert

Mike L.

9/9/2026

Thanks Douglas, nice truck you've got there! Nice job on the install.....

by:
The Blue Ox base plate for my 2015 Kia Soul is well manufactured and, with a little bit of mechanical skill, easy to install. It fit perfectly without issues. Brad from etrailer provides a step-by-step installation video that is outstanding and nicely guides through the process from beginning to end. I highly recommend this Blue Ox base plate from etrailer.
Nick S. profile picture
Etrailer Expert

Nick S.

1/5/2026

I am glad you were able to get it installed with no issues and a little help from our video! What kind of coach are you pulling the Kia Soul with?

by:
2019 Ford Ranger baseplate worked and fitted fine for me. 73 yrs old took me a couple hours but took many breaks. Younger could do it less than hour I'm sure.
Also works fine with my Blue Ox tow bar.
Roger profile picture

Roger

12/12/2025

Still the same no issues...fine product

by:
I installed this myself on a 2012 CR-V EXL AWD. The directions are straightforward. The system works very well and is easy to use.
Fair warning .. because the car is older, just about every clip that holds the grill and bumper in place broke when taking them off. Replacing all those clips with OEM parts is expensive!
BUT, that doesn't retract from the quality of the baseplate or it's use ability.
This is the third different Blue Ox baseplate system I have bought and installed and all of them were excellent!
Matthew profile picture

Matthew

10/12/2026

Its been two years since installation of the Blue Ox Baseplate. Since then, Ive flat towed the CRV from NJ to FL and back three separate times with many other shorter trips in between. Paired with a Blue Ox Tow Bar, the system has worked flawlessly since installation.

Jameson C. profile picture
Etrailer Expert

Jameson C.

10/12/2026

@Matthew that's great to hear!
by:
2013 mini Cooper
Fits my 2013 mini cooper non turbo. Does take a few hours to install this Fit was good. The hardest part is removing the front bumper and reinstalling it. You do have to cut the lower bumper grill in three places take your time locating the exact spots for cuts. I have pulled Mini Cooper about seven thousand miles now with this Blue Ox and has worked great
Kate F. profile picture
Etrailer Expert

Kate F.

12/17/2025

Thanks for the detailed review Chris, and the pointers! This will be most helpful to others. What was your favorite stop in those 7,000 miles? Where did you go, what did you see?

by:
2008 Ram 2500
I got a used set for a great price and it worked out well. my only caution is that some of the holes in my 2008 2500 suburban had to be drilled to 9/16 due to misalignment with the tapped holes in the brackets. This minor adjustment made it all go togehter easily though. Be aware, you won't have tow hooks anymore if that is something you use a lot.
Perry profile picture

Perry

10/1/2026

Follow up. Ive put about 8000 miles on the setup and its been great. A 34 ton suburban pulls nicely behind my Dutch star, and they dont have a steering lock so its nice not to have to retrieve keys when stopping for the night. I have used the safety cable attachment a few times for straight line pulls with a small shackle when working as a rally racing volunteer, its been fine but I wouldnt side pull on it.

by:
Well designed and solidly built base plate. Very good product support from Etrailer and Blue Ox.
The four 1/2 inch by 1 3/4 inch bolts are category 5 bolts. I had a bag full of identically sized bolts which were category 8. But I did not have any whizz nuts that were category 8 nuts so I stayed with the standard Blue Ox Hardware. We used POR 15 rust preventing paint at every location where we cut the steel or drilled holes. The distance from the center of the attachment tab assembly holes to the ground is 20 inches on our 2025 Wrangler Rubicon JLU with "Xtreme" 35 inch tire package. Easy five stars for Blue Ox and etrailer.
by:
Great products from etrailer. The videos were very helpful as I was determined to do the install myself. I’m 72 years old and thought I could do it and I did with the help of my lovely assistant, my wife. The tip on running the taillight wiring through the frame rail was great. The one problem I had was that I was never able to unplug the taillights no matter how hard I tugged on them so I had my wife hold each light while I spliced in the diodes. Very happy with the Blue Ox products and the finished look on my Jeep. Thanks again etrailer.
by:
2017 Jeep Wrangler
Super high quality baseplate for towing by Blue Ox. Instructions, videos, shipping (one day!) and overall experience was awesome. A bit pricey but their quality and the additional support by E Trailer cannot be beat! BTW (E Trailer) the baseplate fits three different Jeep configurations but did not call out the Recon package. After looking at other brands which showed there's to fit the 3 variations AND the Recon, I figured it would fit and it DID. You should definitely upgrade to include the Recon Edition.
by:
2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Good fit. Requires some cutting. Baseplate is heavy, so I paid an installer to do the job.
Nick S. profile picture
Etrailer Expert

Nick S.

12/1/2025

I am glad it worked well for you! What kind of coach are you pulling that Jeep with?

by:
2012 Ford F-150
It's a great system, it's on a 1998 Holiday Rambler Imperial, pulling a 2012 Ford F150 4x4. Last summer I pulled the truck for over 3000 miles without any problems, didn't feel like the truck was behind me. etrailer did me right on this set up.
by:
Well the blue ox base plate actually fits my turbo engine. The Curt didn't fit as advertised.
by:
Not for the impatient, but everything is provided. I had the front end of my Jetta all over the lawn. It’s definitely a 2 day job, but the instructions are thorough.
by:
Very nice trailer.
by:
Review is more about e-Trailer than a the Blue ox tow system! (Which was fine) I contacted trailer in a panic after an amazon seller cancelled my order for this same product after 6 weeks of waiting! Etrailer, had the product to me in Canada in 4 days of the call! Awesome!
by:
Strong and quality product. Installation was not hard, but follow the steps and look at the video as the written instructions are not all clear and miss a few templates for the air duct cut/trim out. I found the trimming needed for the bottom grill was minimal, only required for the round pieces that the adapter inserts into. Overall, an excellent product, good quality.
Andrew N. profile picture
Etrailer Expert

Andrew N.

10/21/2026

Hey Luis, thanks so much for the detailed response and photos. Install looks great on your Mini Cooper! I know the instructions sometimes aren't perfect, but I'm glad you got it installed correctly!

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

  • Finding Installer for Blue Ox Base Plate Kit that Fits 2024 Nissan Versa
    Hey Matthew, I attached a link on this page down below that you can use to find a local installer to you in your area for the Blue Ox base plate kit part # BX1856 which is a confirmed fit for your 2024 Nissan Versa. The top listed results will be our highest rated installers.
    view full answer...
  • Parts Needed to Flat Tow 2024 Nissan Versa
    Hey Paul, we have a Blue Ox base plate kit that fits your 2024 Nissan Versa with the part # BX1856. In addition to the base plates, you will also need a compatible tow bar, safety cables, lighting, and supplemental braking to flat tow your vehicle. One of the most popular compatible tow bars is the Blue Ox Avail # BX7420 which comes with safety cables. The coiled design helps keep the cables off of the ground. For lighting you can use the diode kit, # RM-15267, and not have to worry...
    view full answer...
  • Parts Needed to Flat Tow 2020 Nissan Versa
    To flat tow a vehicle requires at minimum, base plates, tow bar, safety cables, vehicle wiring solution and a supplemental braking system. The first thing to do is refer to your 2020 Nissan Versa's owners manual to identify if your specific vehicle can be safely flat towed. For base pates: Blue Ox Base Plate Kit, # BX1856. Tow Bar: Blue Ox Avail Non-Binding Tow Bar, # BX7420. This includes your needed Safety Cables. Wiring Solution: The Roadmaster Diode 7-Wire to 4-Wire Flexo-Coil...
    view full answer...
  • Recommended Base Plate Kit for a 2023 Nissan Versa
    I do have a base plate kit option for a 2023 Nissan Versa but only from Blue Ox as Roadmaster doesn't currently have any options. The Blue Ox Base Plate Kit part # BX1856 is a fit and what I recommend using. It will then pair perfectly with a tow bar like the etrailer SD Non-Binding Tow Bar for Blue Ox Base Plates part # e47ZR. In order to complete your setup you'll need the Roadmaster Diode 7-Wire to 6-Wire Flexo-Coil Wiring Kit part # RM-15267 and Blue Ox Patriot Radio Frequency, Portable...
    view full answer...
  • Front End Car Protection Suggestion For A 2020 Nissan Versa With Blue Ox Base Plates?
    For your 2020 Nissan Versa with the Blue Ox Base Plate Kit # BX1856, you can use the Blue Ox KarGard Towed Vehicle Protector # BX8870, however I recommend going with the: -Roadmaster Tow Defender Protective Screening # RM-4750 instead. I recommend going with this instead because of its heavy duty, weather resistant nylon screen, will also fit Demco tow bars with Demco brackets, Roadmaster motorhome-mounted tow bars with direct connect base plates, and Roadmaster bumper mounted D-rings. Additionally,...
    view full answer...

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Info for this part was:

Employee Lindsey S
Edited by:
Lindsey S
Employee Jameson C
Expert Research:
Jameson C
Employee Wilson B
Updated by:
Wilson B
Employee Michael B
Updated by:
Michael B
Employee Carrie F
Updated by:
Carrie F
Employee Mike S
Written by:
Mike S

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