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  1. Tow Bar Base Plate
  2. Roadmaster
  3. Fixed Draw Bars
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THIS ITEM IS NOT A FIT FOR
2010 Ram 2500
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Roadmaster

Roadmaster Crossbar-Style Base Plate Kit - Fixed Arms

Part Number: 1208-1
In Stock
$670.00
Retail:$742.50
You Save: $72.50
Tow Bar Base Plate
Not Confirmed to Fit

2010 Ram 2500

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Roadmaster Crossbar-Style Base Plate Kit - Fixed Arms Visible 1208-1
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etrailer Installation
We'll connect you with nearby partnered installers who know this exact setup.
Base plate brackets attach to your vehicle's frame to provide fixed attachment points for your tow bar. Great Prices for the best tow bar base plate from Roadmaster. Roadmaster Crossbar-Style Base Plate Kit - Fixed Arms part number 1208-1 can be ordered online at etrailer.com or call 1-800-940-8924 for expert service.
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  • Reviews (171)
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Roadmaster Tow Bar Base Plate - 1208-1

Highlights

  • Custom Fit for Your Vehicle: Mounts to existing attachment points
  • Ready for Flat Towing: Provides fixed attachment points so your vehicle can be safely towed behind your RV.
  • Strong and Reliable Connection: Computer-cut, all-steel brackets deliver exceptional strength over long trips.
  • Built to Last: Black powder coat finish resists corrosion and road wear for years of dependable use.
  • Simple Setup: Comes with mounting hardware and instructions for straightforward installation.
  • Works with Roadmaster Tow Bars: Pairs with quick-disconnect crossbar #910021-00 (sold separately).
Made in USA

Features to know about

Built for Reliable Towing: Fixed Draw Bars That Stay Secure

This crossbar-style base plate kit gives you solid, fixed attachment points right on the vehicle’s frame. The fixed-bar design means the front arms cannot be removed, so there are fewer parts to manage and nothing to misplace. It’s a straightforward setup that keeps things simple and dependable every time you hook up your tow bar.

Strength You Can Count On: All-Steel, Computer-Cut Construction

Each bracket is computer-cut from all-steel for exceptional strength, and the precision welds help spread towing forces evenly across the frame. The black powder coat finish resists corrosion and keeps the hardware looking sharp after years of use. It’s built to handle the stress of long road miles without flex or fatigue.

Straightforward Setup: Custom Fit with Included Hardware

This kit is made to bolt directly to existing frame points for a custom fit that lines up right where it should. It includes all the mounting hardware and instructions you need, so you can get it installed cleanly with basic tools. Once mounted, you’re ready for a durable, low-maintenance connection that stays put trip after trip.

Works with Roadmaster Tow Bars: Quick-Disconnect Crossbar Compatibility

The base plates work with Roadmaster tow bars when used with the quick-disconnect crossbar (910021-00 – sold separately). That compatibility makes it easy to link up your existing towing gear into one solid system, whether you’re setting up for short hauls or longer cross-country drives.

Specs

Construction and Design

  • Base plate type: Crossbar-style base plates
  • Arm design: Fixed-bar design - front arms cannot be removed
  • Material: Computer-cut, all-steel construction provides exceptional strength
  • Finish: Black powder coat finish is durable and corrosion resistant

Compatibility

  • Tow bar compatibility: Compatible with Roadmaster tow bars with use of quick-disconnect crossbar (910021-00 - sold separately)
  • Vehicle fit: Custom base plates ensure a perfect fit for your vehicle

Included Components

  • Included items: Instructions and mounting hardware included

Origin and Warranty

  • Made in: USA
  • Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty

1208-1 Road Master Standard Base Plate Kit

Installation Details 1208-1 Installation instructions

This Product Fits The Following Vehicles




Ratings & Reviews

4.7

171 reviews
Review sort icon
Base plate brackets attach to your vehicle's frame to provide fixed attachment points for your tow bar.

by:

I received the "Classic" base plate kit (model 1528-1) for my 2000 Honda CRV about a week ago, but just had it installed by a local mechanic. Prior to installation, I inspected the package contents, and found it to contain all of the required parts. The material from which the parts were manufactured appear to be somewhat heavier and more substantial than I anticipated. The fit to my car frame was very good, and although the attachment points on this model are not the quick-release design, they are not overly obvious. I can't speak concerning performance, as we haven't had occasion to actually use it yet.



by:

I purchased a 'tow package' for my Jeep so I could pull it behind my motorhome, along with a trailer hitch for the Jeep.

All products fit perfectly, and were easy to install. We traveled about 6K miles, and did not have an issue.

Thanks!



by:

This is an excellent, strong product, that fit my older model Honda CRV perfectly. We just drove cross country. Combined with a basic rigid tow bar, this is a reliable, economic light vehicle tow set up, just be sure your hitch is at the correct height so the tow bar is level, otherwise you will have twisting problems in tight turns.



by:

The Real Story - The real story regarding what it takes to install the base is that it takes about 4 hours and . .

- You will need a small sledge hammer to pound the unit into the frame cross tube such that the attach points are solid against the frame and align properly at the center point bottom of the frame.

- You will need to remove the wheels to gain access to the side of the vehicle’s frame for drilling the attach points.

- You may need to jack the car up for ground clearance, to drill the bottom hole.

- I had to cut an access hole through the bumper cover to get the backing plate into the frame channel.

- You will need to pry off the frame mud guard, if your car has one.

- You may need to make a ruler like metal shim to hold the back plate while you screw the bottom bolt.

- A 6 ft pole lever is needed to force the front of the base down and thereby pivot the back flange up to align it to the slot like hole in the frame. This area is critical so make sure the hole you drill is match centered!!

- Drill small attach point holes first to make sure you have sufficient clearance on the back side, for the large washers and proper hole alignment with the base flange

- If it all goes well . . plan on a 4 hour job.

- The base is a real beast and could haul a Mac Truck!

- It is by far the easiest base to install, of any I evaluated.

- Would you recommend etrailer.com to a friend? Oh hell yes!



by:

Very happy with the service I received, and so pleased with the base plate easy to install. Pics soon. Thank you etrailer



by:

Delivery of the products was EXTREMELY fast.
The
installation instructions referred to a page with adjustment instructions but the page was not included and I couldn't find the missing page on-line either. Installation was a bit more complicated than I thought it was going to be.
Very sturdy product. It should do a great job for me.



by:

made strong took about 3 hours my tow hooks on my suzuki samural were bent out so that slow me down a bit i used 5 pound sledge out bang them straight then bolts went in i turn the front wheels to the right so to drill the hole in the frame used small bit then went for larger one work out well follow direction they did work but lacking illustration .works good



by:

A little scary at first but went on my Geo Tracker easily. Extremely solid once installed. Made the tow from CA to Ohio a breeze. I did have to make some adapters to fit my towbar but that's not the fault of your product.



by:

The product was received as expected. The brackets aligned with all points and bolted up first time. The hardware was great, except two lock washer short (but not a problem as I had extras in my parts bins) and double the number of flat washers (extras for the next project). But is was great to have all optional bolts, washers and nuts supplied. Instructions were easy to follow and complete with one excepting. I need a bracket part from the old brackets and that was not included in the instructions, but was clear as I aligned everything in the pre assembly.



by:

High Quality Product. Install instructions don't go into enough detail in step by step. A little vague for the Non-Expert installer. Nut Plates provided for rear mounting bolts are wider than the holes available in sub-frame for install. Had to mill sides of pads to get them into the frame for install. No instructions or fish wires to get them into place. Had to manufacture own fish wire system to get the plates in place for install. Once mods were completed and hardware designed and built, installation was pretty much straight forward. I would not consider this kit for a novice installer. Sorry I didn't take pictures of the "wide" nut plate situation and my redesign (width reduction)



by:

I finally have my parts today,I waited 5 Days but I Guess that's How It Is.The Set up was Not Hard at all,I had all the parts to Install it ,And Yes I will buy Again if I Need something else!



by:

The product fits perfectly. Installation is somewhat easy except drilling the opening on the frame. The arms are holding down very strong, good quality.



by:

Everything is perfect! There was no problem with fit, durability or quality! I am very happy with the products you sent me!



by:

Perfect fit for my 2005 Jeep Wrangler TJ using a Roadmaster Stowmaster 5000.



by:

Remove bumper and front wheels. Bracket B is the only hole to be drilled for installing. Bracket C bolts thru existing steering box bolt hole. Bracket E bolts from main bar A to existing rigging eye in your samurai to anchor and secure the base plate. (See pictures) hope this helps. Only negative for me is the base plate sticks out in front instead of below bumper. All parts needed for installation where in the box.



by:

installed the tow brackets per the instructions - the pictures in the instructions were small and weren't real helpful so I contacted Customer Service which sent me detailed photos of an installation on a similar vehicle - helped a lot! Thanks! Within a week we were off on a cross country trip down to Mexico, put on 6000 miles and then retorqed the bracket bolts. This is a good product, easy to use, and we've used it pretty hard - no problems so far!



by:

Very easy to install and well built product. Instructions made the job go smoothly. With the tight tolerance on the backing plate bolt spacing, I had to do a small amount of filing on the 1989 Jeep Cherokee frame holes so that the plates would slide easily through. Other than that, no real problems. As mentioned in the instructions, I had to cut small sections out of the top and bottom of the bumper for the new brackets but the install looks really clean.



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1. Helpful
2. In stock
3. Arrived
when promised.
Too good to be true? Or is etrailer just that good .



by:

The person that printed the directions had never installed a hitch on a vw transporter. I figured it out and got it installed.



by:

I got my tow package and I just got it mounted on my Westvalia Vanagon went together real smooth, I'm very happy. Thank you again for your help and support Ted 10/26/2018



by:

Very good service. Quick shipping!



by:

Did have to cut off factory tow hook with a hack saw. Straight forward install otherwise and good quality.

David profile picture

David

10/21/2021

Towed it several times and still works great, no problems.



by:

This thing is a really frustrating. For $xxx it should be a lot better even from the beginning where people understand the install situation. It isn't really a bolt on as step one is cut and grind off the factory tow hook. This isn't mentioned by RM. The instructions are a joke - they mix up front and back all the while telling you to read the instructions closely. And the support is really frustrating. If you have 3 questions with photos, etc, they answer only one question per email. You should stop selling this unit until you install it with a video on some vans of maybe different years and maybe RM will listen to you and update their instructions and as far as I can tell so far the hardware needs at least some different hardware. Until then sell the RM Westy front bumper with Clevises already on it for about the same money.

Sierra K. profile picture

Sierra K.

11/20/2021

I spoke to my contact at Roadmaster and he said, as this kit is for vehicles 30 plus years old, it does not fit the new systems, verbiage, and formats that are currently used in installations. With this vehicle being an uncommonly flat towed vehicle as well, they are limited to the one vehicle that came into their shop, which was being the model to design the installation instructions. This can lead to little things not being detailed in the instructions.


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See what our Experts say about this Roadmaster Tow Bar Base Plate

  • Parts Needed to Flat Tow a 1984 Volkswagen Vanagon
    Safety cables are required to be connected from the tow bar to the tow vehicle when flat towing. A great set are the Roadmaster Coiled Safety Cables # RM-643. Some base plates include safety cables that are shorter and connect the plates to the frame of the tow vehicle. These are only necessary to instal if they are included with the base plates. #1208-1 that you referenced do not include cables. To flat tow your 1984 Volkswagen Vanagon you will also need the base plates # 1208-1 that...
    view full answer...
  • Can 1984 VW Vanagon be Flat Towed
    According to my research, a manual transmission equipped Vanagon can be flat towed with no worries. Simply leave the transmission in neutral, and off you go. Automatic transmission equipped 2WD models need to be trailered, but whether or non syncro (4WD) vehicles could be flat towed wasn't clear. I found this information through a Google search, but I'd urge you to confirm for yourself. To flat tow your Vanagon, you'd need base plates, a tow bar, a wiring solution and a supplemental braking...
    view full answer...
  • Most Cost Effective Tow Bar To Use On a 1981 Volkswagen Vanagon
    The least expensive tow bar we have that will work with the Roadmaster Crossbar-Style Base Plate Kit part # 1208-1 on your 1981 Volkswagen Vanagon is the Roadmaster Tracker Tow Bar part # RM-020. The Roadmaster Tracker Tow Bar has a 5,000 lb weight capacity, uses a standard 2" hitch ball, and comes with a durable powder coated finish just like the above Roadmaster Crossbar-Style Base Plate Kit. The Roadmaster Tracker Tow Bar is also made right here in the USA. I took a look at the curb...
    view full answer...
  • Parts Needed to Flat Tow a 1990 Volkswagen Vanagon
    There are adjustable width tow bars but I am not sure you have all the components you will need to flat tow the 1990 Volkswagen Vanagon. The first thing you are going to need are the base plates. The receiver base plates you mentioned do not sound like they are for tow bar use to flat tow a vehicle. For your Vanagon, you would need the Roadmaster Standard Base Plates, # 1208-1. These base plates provide a safe a secure attachment point for a compatible tow bar. The most popular tow bar...
    view full answer...
  • Base Plate Kit for a 1990 Volkswagen Vanagon
    For a base plate that is confirmed to fit your 1990 Volkswagen Vanagon, I recommend using the Roadmaster Classic Base Plate Kit part # 1208-1 as this is the only option we have for you at this time. You will also need a towbar compatible with the base plate kit and for that I recommend using the Roadmaster Falcon 2 Tow Bar part # RM-520. In order to flat tow this vehicle you will also want safety cables, tow bar wiring, a supplemental braking system, and a possible high-low adapter. If...
    view full answer...
  • Can Blue Ox to Roadmaster Base Plate Kit # RM-032 be Used with 1208-1 Base Plate
    Yes, the Roadmaster to Blue Ox base plate kit adapter part # RM-032 that you referenced does work with the Roadmaster Crossbar base plate kit part # 1208-1. You should note that this adapter was designed to work with Blue Ox tow bars so you would need to verify that's what you have.
    view full answer...
  • Roadmaster Crossbar-Style Base Plate Kit Volkswagen Vanagon
    The Roadmaster Crossbar-Style Base Plate Kit, # 1208-1, is designed to provide fixed attachment points for your tow bar. The tow bar is designed to pull the vehicle within a particular orientation i.e. fairly level to the tow vehicle and all tension being directly forward evenly distributed from left/right side. That being stated, if it is an emergency situation then I would do what is needed and corect any potential damage that may have occurred afterwards. I would, if possible, attempt...
    view full answer...
  • Recommended Wiring Harness and Equipment for Flat Towing 1983 VW Vanagon
    If your Vanagon has a manual transmission, you'll be able to flat tow it. In addition to the # 1208-1 base plates and a tow bar like the # RM-501 StowMaster, I'd recommend a diode system like the Roadmaster # RM-154. The diodes are tapped into the taillight circuits and prevent the taillight signals from the tow vehicle from back feeding into the towed vehicle's wiring system. You'll also need a set of safety cables like # RM-643 and a supplemental braking system like the Blue Ox Patriot...
    view full answer...
  • Recommendation of Safe and Economical Parts for Towing a 1990 VW Vanagon Behind an RV
    There are 4 required components for towing a vehicle; base plates, tow bar, safety chains and light wiring. I will make recommendations for the 4 parts below. The first thing you will need is a set of base plates for the 1990 VW Vanagon. The base plates allow the car to be hooked up to the tow bar which is in turn connected to the hitch of the RV. We have one kit from RoadMaster for the Vanagon and it is part # 1208-1. Next you will need a tow bar rated for the weight of the towed vehicle....
    view full answer...
  • How To Connect The RoadMaster Falcon 2 Tow Bar, # RM-520, To A 1990 VW Vanagon
    To connect the RoadMaster Falcon 2 Tow Bar, # RM-520, to a 1990 VW Vanagon you will need the Roadmaster Standard Base Plate Kit, # 1208-1. The base plate kit will require you to drill holes into the frame rails and bolt the brackets to the frame rails on the VW Vanagon. Then you will attach the cross bar, that comes with the tow bar, to these base plate brackets. I will send you the base plate kit installation instruction in a separate email. For the tow bar wiring kit you can use the...
    view full answer...
  • Baseplate for 1989 VW Vanagon
    For your 1989 VW Vanagon, the Roadmaster Crossbar-Style Base Plate Kit - Fixed Arms # 1208-1 is a confirmed fit. I believe the Synco 16 has the same frame and bumper so that shouldn't be an issue but the skid plate location isn't clear from anything I can find online so that may need to be removed or adapted for fit.
    view full answer...

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


Info for this part was:

Employee Mike L
Expert Research:
Mike L
Employee Lindsey S
Written by:
Lindsey S
Employee Adele M
Updated by:
Adele M
Employee Wilson B
Updated by:
Wilson B
Employee Mike S
Updated by:
Mike S
Employee Isabelle B
Updated by:
Isabelle B

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