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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
1997 Toyota 4Runner
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Blue Ox

Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms

Part Number: BX2242
In Stock
$609.51
Tow Bar Base Plate
Not Confirmed to Fit

1997 Toyota 4Runner

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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 BX2242 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 - BX2242

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: Hidden design with removable arms keeps the front end clean and seamless.
  • Quick Hookup and Removal: Twist-lock arms attach or detach in seconds for easier setup at camp or on the road.
  • Evenly Distributes Towing Force: Sturdy design spreads stress across the frame to protect suspension parts.
  • Built to Last: Powder-coated steel resists rust and corrosion through years of towing and weather exposure.
Made in USA

Features to know about

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

This setup keeps your vehicle’s front end looking clean when you’re not towing. The completely hidden design means there’s no crossbar or bulky brackets sticking out, and the removable arms come off with a simple twist. Once the arms are out, you can plug in the included receiver covers to keep dirt and debris out of the sockets. It’s a tidy, seamless finish that looks factory and prevents bumps or snags when walking by.

Blue Ox base plate kit with removable arms detached, showing hidden receivers on vehicle front for a clean, unobtrusive appearance.

Blue Ox base plate kit with removable arms attached to a vehicle, showing the complete installed towing setup with a seamless front-end design.

Blue Ox hidden base plate design with removable arms detached from front of vehicle for non-towing configuration.

Blue Ox base plate kit installed on vehicle with removable arms attached for towing setup display.

Quick Hookups on the Road: Twist-Lock Connection You Can Count On

When it’s time to hit the road, connecting your tow bar is fast and straightforward. Each arm slides into the base plate, rotates to lock, and secures with a pin—no fumbling or complicated tools needed. The twist-lock attachment keeps things tight and reliable for every trip, so you can hook up confidently even when setting up solo.

Close-up of Blue Ox base plate twist-lock mechanism showing how removable arms attach or detach from receiver points.

Demonstration of Blue Ox twist-lock system connecting or removing arms from vehicle base plate receivers.

Built Strong for Long Trips: Steel Construction That Spreads the Load

Designed to go the distance, this base plate bolts securely to your chassis with no welding required. The sturdy steel design spreads towing forces evenly across the frame to help reduce stress on your suspension. A powder-coated finish helps resist rust and corrosion, keeping it tough through years of flat towing.

Keep Your Tow Bar Setup: Compatible Across Systems

If you already have a tow bar you like, this kit adapts easily. It connects directly to Blue Ox tow bars and can pair with Roadmaster tow bars using adapter RM-031 or RM-031-5 (sold separately). It also works with Demco tow bars using adapter DM9523041 (sold separately). Integrated mounting points let you add an electrical connector bracket up front for a clean wiring setup.

Simple Bolt-On Install: No Welding Needed

This base plate kit bolts directly to your vehicle’s chassis using the included hardware—no welding required. With straightforward installation steps and precise fitment, it’s a solid DIY project for anyone comfortable turning a wrench. Distance between brackets is 23" and bracket height is 14", making it easy to plan your tow bar alignment before you start.

Towing basics diagram explaining components needed for flat towing setup including tow bar, base plate kit, safety cables, wiring, and supplemental braking system.

Towing basics graphic showing main components of a flat towing system between RV and vehicle including tow bar, safety cables, wiring, and brakes.

Specs

Dimensions

  • Distance between brackets: 23"
  • Bracket height: 14"

Warranty

  • Warranty: 3-Year warranty

BX2242 Blue Ox Baseplate - Removable Tabs

Installation Details BX2242 Installation instructions

This Product Fits The Following Vehicles




Ratings & Reviews

4.8

5231 reviews
5 Stars
(4508)
4 Stars
(502)
3 Stars
(104)
2 Stars
(47)
1 Star
(70)
Review Sort Icon
by:
Still works great.
by:
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:
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:
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:
Well the blue ox base plate actually fits my turbo engine. The Curt didn't fit as advertised.
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:
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:
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!

by:
2012 Cadillac SRX
Fast delivery, perfect fit at a good price for a quality product. Thank you!
by:
Items arrived in 2 days, free shipping. All appeared in new undamaged condition.
James profile picture

James

10/16/2025

Perfect

by:
2015 Ford Fiesta
So here is an honest review of the Blue Ox base plate. I ordered this base plate because I already have a Blue Ox tow bar. After watching the video of the Ford Fiesta install it didn't look too bad. In the video of the guy suggest ordering a different brand and after the install I understand why. Taking apart the front end of the car is easy the problem lies in the way Blue Ox decided to use welded nuts on bendable rods it is very difficult to get these aligned after drilling the holes. My advice for anyone who's going to do this is be prepared and have patience. After removing the headlights in front fascia cut out the edges of the plastic as noted in the video and then Mount the bar measure the half inch gap on one side and put a clamp on it. Here's where it gets annoying instead of just putting holes in it using a drill bit that would be in any 10 to 15 piece drill index they decided to use a 13/32 bit which you will only find in large quantity indexes. Here's what I found makes this job easier after drilling the first two holes in the base plate install the top bolt only and then tighten it down if you do both you're going to have two wires hindering your movement when you go to do the rear plates. Same thing when drilling the hole in the rear plate put the top bolt in first and this leaves you more room to work with. Prepare to be frustrated the system they use was not thought out very well there was plenty of room to drill all the way through to the other side of the frame and use a through bolt to simplify this whole process. It probably would have cost him a few more dollars to get larger bolts whatever the reason was this system of nuts welded the wires is nothing but a headache. Once you get past this point and it's time to install the safety cables in the video it shows him just wrapping around the rear side of the backing frame the cables in this kit are far too long to be of any use if the front bumper disconnects the way the cables are routed they can slip around the Mainframe there's enough slack that you can actually wrap it around the inside of the base plate mounting attachments to take up the slack. Other than the method of installing this the bar itself is well built. Getting the bumper put back on and cut out for the attachment points is tricky to say the least I ended up cutting out a little bit too much of the grill but I may just order another Grill now that I know exactly where it ends up when it's fully mounted. I would imagine it cost quite a bit to have one of these installed as what could be a straightforward install takes several extra hours of fighting alignment of the nuts on a wire system. Want thank e-trailer as they have the best price and it was shipped in a timely manner.
by:
Well built and relatively easy to put on. I have a 2020 Jeep Mojave, and there was an issue with leaving my skim plate on the bottom. There were some existing bolts that wouldn't allow the base plate to sit if the remained. After watching the video and reading paper instructions, the bolts weren't addressed. It was a non - issue since zi dont need the skim guard.
by:
I have to say, there may be less expensive options for a Jeep base plate, but trusting the name Blue Ox, is what you pay for. Excellent quality and easy to understand directions PLUS the awesome videos from eTrailer makes this product worth the extra. Fit a 2 door, 2016 Jeep Wrangler Sport S, perfectly.
by:
2024 Chevrolet Colorado
This was instilled on a 2024 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 truck. I watched your video online with this exact model truck and the words I remember most was “and we did not have to do any trimming”. Well my truck was certainly different than what was on video. Guess it’s because it’s a late build 2024 (end of September 2024) and the grill system was maybe what would appear on the 2025 models? There was lots of trimming involved. I also will tell you the mounting holes both for the frame and the bumper back plate did not line up and required some modifications to fit. I would like to say this job is not for the faint of heart. I luckily have a mechanical/machinist background so was able to get the job done. Have not tested it yet but will be soon. Good luck to those of you who are planning on installing it yourself. Just remember it can be done. Just take your time.
Jon J. profile picture

Jon J.

5/21/2026

It has been a good system. I would still give it 4 stars a year later just because it was a difficult job to install. Not for the faint of heart. So far have about 6k miles of towing with it. Would I do it again….Yes as it was worth the effort.

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

  • Recommended Supplemental Braking System for Flat Towing a 2007 Honda Accord
    Yes, you will. It is state law in most states and also all Canadian providences. It doesn't matter if you live in one of the few states that do not require one because you'll need it driving through the ones that do. For ease of install you are wanting to go with a portable system. The best one for your 2007 Honda Accord is going to be the Blue Ox Patriot Radio Frequency, Portable Braking System item # BLU37TR. This easy to install system sits on the floor of your Accord and rests against...
    view full answer...

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