Demco Tabless Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms
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2021 Jeep Compass
These items fit your vehicle
2021 Jeep Compass
To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
If you prefer a clean, factory look when you’re not towing, this setup delivers. The tabless design means there’s no obtrusive crossbar or brackets left showing up front. The tabs stay attached to your tow bar, so there’s nothing to remove or misplace. Snap-in high-density polyethylene covers keep dirt and debris out of the base plate receivers, keeping everything ready for an easy hookup next time.
Connecting your tow bar is quick with the twist-lock attachment system. Each arm slides into the receiver, twists to lock, and secures with the included pull pin for extra safety. When you’re ready to disconnect, just pull the pin, twist, and remove the arm—it’s that simple. The brackets sit 18" apart (center to center) and at a 13" height, giving you solid reference points for your setup.
This kit bolts directly to the chassis without any welding required. The durable steel build spreads towing forces evenly across the frame to help minimize stress on your suspension and keep things solid mile after mile. It’s a simple, dependable setup designed to handle long trips with confidence.
If you already have a tow bar system, chances are it will work here. This base plate is compatible with all Demco Victory Series tow bars and can be adapted for Demco Kwik-Tow or other brands with adapters (sold separately). Pairing it with a Blue Ox tow bar requires no adapter, while specific Roadmaster models use e98983, DM9523128 with DM9523036, or DM9523062 adapters depending on the model. An electrical bracket is included so you can easily mount a round connector plug up front for tidy wiring.
This bolt-on kit makes installation manageable for enthusiasts who like doing their own work. It comes with detailed instructions and all necessary hardware so you can get it mounted securely without welding or complex fabrication steps. Once installed, it’s ready for years of consistent use each time you hit the road.
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hello neighbors, it's Brad here from Etrailer. And today I'm in Boyden, Iowa at the Demco headquarters and manufacturing facility where we got to see Demco products made. And these are all products that I handle on a daily basis when doing flat tows, fifth wheels, or even couplers. They cover so many different towing products and they have plenty of experts here to break down some of their products a little bit more, to give you some understanding as well as allow me to ask those questions on products that I handle every day. So Verlin, when it comes to flat down vehicle, one of the main components is gonna be a base plate. So what is a base plate So the base plate is basically where the tow bar is going to attach from the motor home to the towed vehicle.
And you'll see here today, we've got a base plate already installed on this Colorado, and then we've got another one just sitting here so people kinda get an idea of what it looks like. But it's our attaching point to the frame of the vehicle, basically. Brad So yeah, I mean, as you're towing a vehicle, it's essentially becoming a trailer. It's like making sure that you have a coupler that's gonna be strong enough to tow it. Verlin Absolutely.
So you also have a few attachment points along with any flat tow components, not only just the arms, but also safety chain loops as well as some of your components. Six pole braking systems along that as well. Yeah, so talk through that a little bit. So this particular base plate in this application on a Colorado, we happen to remove the OEM tow hooks and we're bolting into the tow hooks. And then we're reinforcing that because a flat tow is just a little bit different than towing your vehicle out of the snow or the mud.
You know, you've got the stopping and the turning forces that are a little bit different than your standard let's tow it out of the mud type situation. So that is what those brackets are. Yeah, we've got the attaching points there. Also include the little bracket here for four-point or six-point electrical connection, as well we've got the holes built in for the airline connection. And I see you've got the tab there in your hand, Brad.
That's right. Yeah, and that's something, you know, you're not always flat towing your vehicle and you wanted to kind of go back to a OEMs look. And that's where removable arms come in place. So pretty simple. These just slide in, give it a quarter turn, and then you're gonna be able to put that pin in place and it's ready to go. You can hook your tow bar up. But you guys also include, got some caps here. Verlin Yeah, there's a little packet of caps and basically kind of snap the cap off when you're ready to tow. Put the removable pull tab in there and you're set to tow. When you're done, keep the dirt water and road debris out. Just snap the cap right in place. Brad Now the safety cables, what's the point of the safety cables So you know, Demco is always really concerned about everybody's towing as safely as possible. And while we build these to the best of our ability and FEA test all of our base plates before they go out into production, there's always a chance that something catastrophic could happen. And in that event, we have a extra set of safety cables. So we have one set of safety cables coming from the coach to the truck. This set of safety cables is going to attach to the base plate and around a secure part of the frame. So in the event we had a bolt failure or something to that effect, we do have one more secondary link to keep that towed vehicle behind your motor home. Now traditionally, if you're looking at base plates, they're ever seen them depending on the vehicle, they don't all look like this. Absolutely not, no. And every vehicle is different. So when our engineers design a base plate, they've got to look at the structure behind the front face shield of the vehicle and find out what is the best, safest, and strongest way to tow that vehicle. And they use computer modeling as well as FEA testing on every base plate to make sure that we're gonna keep that vehicle behind your motor home. So today it's on a Colorado, but there's also, we got a few other vehicles. Absolutely. You can cover a whole spectrum of vehicles with base plates. Absolutely, yeah. If the vehicle's towable, we try to get a base plate to fit it. And what we do there is we have a network of auto dealers around the area here that we work with as well as customers bring in their vehicles and we'll fit them up and design a base plate for their vehicle. And not only is the base plates gonna be your foundation for flat towing, but you guys also offer tow bars, braking systems, really everything to get your car down the road. Absolutely, yeah. Brad After seeing your guys' manufacturing facility, I got to see these made in America. Verlin Made right here in the USA, right in Boyden, Iowa. Awesome, thank you Verlin. All right, thank you.
Ratings & Reviews
Getting the front of my canyon truck off was a little tough but the installation of the actual baseplate kit was a breeze.
This does not fit my 2025 ranger. I attached are a few images of the mounting location for the 9519343 base plate on my 2025 Ford Ranger with the Lariat trim and the 2.7l v6 motor. The aluminum colored piece interferes with the horizontal bar connecting the actual base plates. The base plate mounting holes are 31.5" apart, whereas the receiving nuts on the truck frame are 30.5" apart. I am returning this and have ordered a Blue Ox base plate.
Well had to modify the baseplate. Gladiator Mojave X has oil shocks and the canisters are in the way of the baseplate. Had to cut about and inch off. Other then that perfect.
Decided to have a shop install it with the electrical and break components. No regrets. Works great.
Great product, great finish, installation went great. Not happy about cutting holes in my air dam, but it hides it nice. Only complaint is I think the template to cut the holes out needs to be adjusted. I’m sure I placed them correctly and they are tight against one side and a big gap on the other. I’ve included pictures.
I installed this base plate kit on my 2021 Jeep Cherokee. I have not had any problems it has worked very well.
Bottom bolts seem kind of a weak install in my opinion, I was able to put my facia back on with not cutting so that was good.
Great fit and heavy-duty product.
This is the third Demco baseplate I've purchased for three different tow vehicles, all were exceptional quality with very clear instructions as you can see in the photo it was a very involved install. Thanks for a very good product at a great price.
The face plate fit very well on my 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Overland. Even though on the Etrailer website, it says it will not fit, but it definitely does. The instructions are a little vague about which way to turn the center crossbar. In my case, I had to turn it upside down from how it shows in the parts layout on the front page of the instructions. Also the photo below showing the installation without the bumper cover on, has it the wrong way for my vehicle. I turned it over after I took that photo. I opted not to cut up the lower honeycomb grill and just leave it off, which allowed me to install the 6-pin connector and the breakaway switch very neatly with the supplied bracket. And if I ever remove the face plate, I can put back the original honeycomb grill and the vehicle will be 100% back to as purchased. I did not have to drill any holes whatsoever for the installation.
The quality and fit up was great, the only comment is the safety cables are too short and not able to use them. If you are looking at this product i would recommend it, just keep in mind you have to buy cables
Quality product with fast free shipping. Although it arrived with damage to the box from the baseplate moving around during shipping, there was no damage to the baseplate itself. Installed relatively easily according to the instructions.
Product seems very well designed and manufactured. Minor reaming of a couple of the holes was needed to align with truck frame. We used it with a Blueox tow bar so towing was flawless. I highly recommend this base plate.
This was NOT the easiest install. Lots of grinding and cutting of stock parts. Then the effort required to align all the holes after said grinding and cutting took considerable effort. eTrailer needs to do specific video on this product so buyers know what to expect. I can say this product is worth the effort but boy oh boy know what you’re getting into.
Very easy to install except for one item. The core support bolt holes need to be moved out about 1/4 inch. Had to trim the hole on the plastic shutter surround. Otherwise great fit on 2026 Ford Ranger. I’ve done many of these and this was the easiest. Price is definitely too much. Haven’t towed with it yet but looking forward to it.
I gave this 5 stars based on design and durability.Installation, however, is somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. Installation can be a real challenge, and even the best back yard mechanic might be a tad frustrated. The biggest problem in installation is NOT installing but getting ready to install. Removal od the tow bar hooks took more time than installing the base plates. We're talking a 2018 F-150 XLT Sport 4X4 crew cab. The pics show the finished product and the location of the safety can\bles.
Now that I have actually used the tow bar and base plates I am very happy with my purchase. Sets up easy and when not in use the cover plates make for a great appearance on the truck.
Order was shipped and received timely. Both products purchased look to be well made. Haven’t installed yet currently using a demco set up on a 2001 Cherokee sport. Up graded to a 2020 wrangler needing a new base plate and lighting. Eager to install on the new buggy!
Straight forward install. I have towed the Maverick about 7000 miles with no issues. The pins are a wee bight tight when mating to my Blue Ox tow bar. But that is loosening with time. A nice improvement would be a heavy duty mount for the umbilical plug
Lock tight both TUBES hard as a rock.
YOU Don't need lock tight at all as all threads in the nuts are lousy and no way to hand start anything. Had to run 4 or 5 bolts through each nut with an impact to free them up a bit. They should have piolet starter on each bolt and all threads should be clear enough for a hand start. This kit worked well as it does not require the bumper to be removed. BUT: LOUSEY BOLTS AND NUTS ADDED AT LEAST 30 MIN TO FIGHTING EVERY BOLT TO GET IT STARTED. 5 STARS FOR THE KIT. 1/2 STAR FOR THE BOLTS WITHOUT PIOLET AND NUTS THAT CAN NOT BE HAND STARTED.
I use only Demco baseplates as they are the only brand that mount with no cutting or drilling. The Excalibar tow bar is very well made and handles my Jeep Gladiator with ease. It's also very simple and easy to hook and unhook. The excellent "how to" videos from etrailer sure helped me make the correct purchase decision.
Was able to install without issues using 2 washers between base plate and the upper brace and none on the bottom, otherwise followed the video. Works great!
Just installed the Demco Tabless Base Plate and included 6 pin wire bracket. It was very straightforward and anyone who is a little mechanically inclined, can do it with ease. The etrailer video was incredibly helpful. I followed it step by step and had no issues. I love that it is a direct bolt-to-frame base plate and does not need any modifications. I spent a bit more time cutting out the gravel guard to form-fit the tabless connectors. The adapters are sleek and blend right in to the front end. Love how it turned out.
Used this base plate on my 2012 ford Focus was easy to install even from my wheel chair! We have flat towed our car behind our converted school bus from the east to the west and north to south just under 20000 miles.
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