Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms
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2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee
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2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee
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This base plate kit bolts straight to the vehicle frame using computer-cut, all-steel brackets built for heavy-duty use. There’s no welding involved and no crossbar required, which means a stronger connection and a cleaner look up front. The fit is custom-designed for each vehicle so alignment is spot-on right out of the box.
Once the drawbars are out, the front brackets practically disappear into the grille area. That keeps the front end looking factory and protects the mounts from scrapes and scuffs. Each arm removes with two pins, so you can go from towing setup to daily driver in just a few minutes.
The direct-connect design cuts down on setup time. The removable arms slide into place and secure with hitch pins—no extra crossbar or adapter pieces to mess with. It’s a simple, reliable hookup that works with Roadmaster tow bars that slide into trailer hitch receivers such as the Nighthawk, Sterling, Blackhawk, Blackhawk 2, Falcon, and Falcon 2.
The all-steel construction handles steady towing forces while spreading load stress evenly across the frame mounts. A black powder coat finish keeps corrosion in check and helps the hardware stay solid over years of mileage. Instructions and all mounting hardware are included for a straightforward install you can count on trip after trip.
Direct-connect base plates will work only with the Roadmaster tow bars that slide into a trailer hitch. These base plates will not work with tow bars that require a hitch ball. Direct-connect brackets do not require a crossbar because of the heavy-duty nature of your vehicle's frame. The EZ Hook safety cables included with Roadmaster's Sterling tow bars will not work with direct-connect base plates, as these cables connect to an anchor plate on the Quick Disconnect crossbar, which will not be present when using these base plates.
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Today on our 2006 Hummer H3, we're going to be taking a look at and installing the Roadmaster MX baseplate Kit with removable arms, part number 2505-3. Here's what this base plate is going to look like once it's installed on the vehicle. It's pretty well hidden and doesn't really add much to the front of the vehicle unless you get down to where you can see it mounted underneath here. This is the receiver that the removable arm will go into. Right there is the pinhole for a 1/2" pin and clip to go through. Right over here, we've got our safety chain connection point. Then this smaller hole, on this side, is actually when you got the removable arm in place, it has one just like it that will line up to this one.
If you want, you can actually put a lock through there if you're wanting to leave your arm in. That way you don't have to worry about it being stolen. Installing this baseplate is a fairly easy installation. It bolts to the frame using existing holes that are already there in the frame. To install our removable arm we'll simply slide it into place. You can take your pin and clip and slide it through.
First thing we'll need to do to begin our installation is we'll need to remove this rock guard that's underneath here. It's going to be held in with four 13mm bolts. Then I'll reinstall the two bolts that held up the front of this other rock guard. At the sway bar here we'll need to take the 10mm bolts out of both sides of our strap that hold it up into place. Then we'll move to the other side, do the same thing in order to let the sway bar hang down out of the way away from the frame. Here on the driver side on the inner fender well this push pin that goes in just above the frame here, we'll need to remove that so that we can pull that fender liner out a little bit off of that frame.
You can take a flat head screwdriver and begin working that out of there. If it's not wanting to come very well you can take a pair of sidecutters and work them behind the edges so you can pull the center of it out. Once you've got the center pulled out you can pop the body of it out and it will be loose. Then there's one on the other side. It will just be right up here instead of along the side here. Now we'll take one of our long 1/2" bolts, along with one of our plates, put the bolt through.
Then we'll pull our fender liner back and then insert that bolt from the outside of the frame, going through the frame and coming out the inside. The hole that you want to be sure that you use is the one that's just behind this body mount bolt right here. Now we'll take our baseplate bracket and we'll slide it up into position here. You'll need to get it between the edge of the radiator and the inside of the frame. You'll want to be sure that you're using the one on each side so that this plate is on the inside edge of the frame. Then you can pull that bolt back through a little bit just so that you can slide the plate up over and reinsert the bolt all the way back through. On all of the bolts that we'll be installing in order to secure our baseplate to the vehicle we'll be installing red Loctite. You can get that on our site, part number LT37420. Then we'll install a 1/2" split lock washer and hex nut. We'll just leave those finger tight. Now on the inside of the frame we'll line up the two holes that are on our bracket with the holes in the frame. Then we'll take our longer 1/2" bolts and insert them from the inside of the frame rail so that they go through the hole on the outside. Now we'll take our angled bracket and we'll take the two holes that are spaced further apart and we'll put that on the outside of the frame over those two bolts that have come through. You'll want to make sure that the angled portion with the two holes that are closer together will line up with the two holes that have the weld nuts on the back of them on the baseplate itself. Then with that up in position, on each one we'll install a lock washer and hex nut. Next we'll take two of our 1-1/2"-long 1/2" bolts with a lock washer on them and thread them into the weld nuts that are built into this angled portion here on the baseplate. Then we'll repeat that process for the other side. Once we've got both sides up into place, then we can take our crossbrace and set it right on top here in order to get it lined up with the holes. You want to make sure that the weld nuts are on the top side of that brace when you put it up there. Then on each side we'll put in our 1"-long 1/2" bolts with lock washers. Now we can take our swaybar and put it back up into position and get it lined up with the holes. Then we'll use the new, longer 10mm bolts that come with the kit with flat washer and lock washer in order to begin securing it in place. Now we'll want to make sure that everything is even and squared up. Then we'll be able to use a 3/4 socket to begin tightening all our hardware. Now, in order to tighten up the bolts for our swaybar, we'll just need an 11/16 socket. Then we'll torque all of our bolts to the specification found in the instructions. That's going to complete our look at and installation of the Roadmaster MX baseplate kit with removable arms, part number 2505-3, on our 2006 Hummer H3.
Ratings & Reviews
I watched YouTube videos on how to install. I have used this a year now. It is well made and not some cheap junk. Heavy steel and I am pleased with it. As with all etrailer products I have purchased, I highly recommend. Their customer service is outstanding.
Bolted right up to my 2021 Ford Expedition Max Platinum. No issues and is a snap to hook up and unhook the tow bars. The units poke right out the factory openings and are hardly noticeable when the draw bars are removed. About the only complaint I have is that the draw bars fit sloppy in the base plate adapters. They wobble a LOT but are made of very thick steel. After about 3000 miles towing so far, the draw bars are pretty heavily worn where they contact the base plate adapters.
Quality product for my new 2024 Ford Escape Hybrid AWD ST Line. Came with decent instructions that got me through installation without issue. Installation required drilling only two holes through the plastic lower grille opening for the insertion of the tow arms. Everything else was completely "bolt-on". The breakaway switch, safety cable tabs, and the wiring receptacle all fit through existing openings in the lower grille providing a "clean" finished look.
I originally purchased a Blue Ox baseplate to install since I already had a tow bar. Upon removing the front grill, I was surprised to find the used Element I had purchased already had the front bumper caps removed and 2 braces installed. Thanks to the photos on etrailer reviews and product info, I was able to determine that the vehicle had previously had a roadmaster baseplate installed! I purchased this unit and it fit perfectly onto the already installed braces. Seems very solid and high-quality so far.
A clean look on my 2025 Ford Maverick Hybrid after following e-trailer's detailed installation instructions.
Installation was fairly straightforward, kudos to e-trailer for the videos, looks great, everyone says it looks factory installed, love the low profile base plate without the bar, also love that the hook ups are detachable and can be removed when not towing, gives it an overall cleaner look. Installed it right at the campground without issues, took about 3 hours to install, with our rubicon only had to widen the top holes as the second set of holes were already the size of the bolts needed. This is the 3rd base blare we have installed and they get easier each time.
Put this on a 2014 Honda CR-V. This is a very well made base plate setup! The overall design, welds and powder coating are outstanding! Shipping was super fast too! The install video by etrailer was close to perfect and really helped to take the "scary" out of doing the job. The only change I would like to see in the video is during the grill removal. He says to just yank it forward to get the clips to release. Unfortunately, most of the specialized clips broke doing it this way. Had I known, I would have slipped a thin tool just below the grill to get the clips to unlock/release. Also, on the wrap around, bumper cover, some of the tabs on the bumper cover ripped out and I had to do some creative plastic welding or fiberglass resin/cloth to repair. These clips have a release tab also. I suggest finding specific videos on youtube to remove the plastic body parts and grill. I got it all done and it works perfectly! I really love the almost invisible tow receivers on the car (when the arms are removed). Our last toad was a 1997 Nissan Hardbody pickup that has permanent knee busting/shin smashing protrusions. I am super happy with everything we have bought from etrailer over the past 18 years!
The folks at etrailer are fantastic. I didn't know everything I needed to tow my car behind our RV... but they did! Everything I needed was in the boxes and the videos made it all come together. Thank you to everyone at etrailer!
It mounted up just as the instructions said it would. From previous research I was not surprised when some of the mounting did not align perfectly. Had to use a dremel tool to make it work. The product looks very sturdy from its design. I’m happy with it and look forward to RV traveling.
Good product. If you are reasonably handy and have some tools, you can install this yourself in a few hours. I'm a mechanic, it took me a little over 2 hours to install on my own toad. The fit is good, there are 4 holes you have to drill, otherwise it is plug and play. When you insert and twist lock the tow bar mounts into their sockets they feel a little sloppy but they are secure, and i never noticed any rattle when towing. Overall i give it a 4 out of 5 for easy install and clean look after install. Pic included of installed base plate.
This was a bit of a challenge to install on a 2026 Chevrolet Colorado Z71. One item to be aware of, as you take off the front Facia of the truck for the install, there are two Facia "brakets" that attach to the front fenders that seem like they are use once plastic snaps. Three of the 4 snaps broke off on both sides when I removed the facia. These are about $35 a piece from Chevy and prevent you from making this a 1 day job. Additionally, there are 2 7mm screws/bolts that connect one of the coolers to the back of the bumper support and these are a real problem to get back in - over an hour of time and every 1/4" tool in my arsenal was needed to find a way to get these started. Finally, one of the Connecting Plates (Passenger side) needed to holes to be elongated to enable all the bolts to be started. Finally - you need to put the Brakaway bracket on the driver side, to have enough cable to reach you brake system. Probably have 4 hours in the disassembly and installation of the Direct-Connect Plate. Now waiting a couple days for the plastic brackets from Chevy to complete the install. Good Luck!!
Excellent base plate, just as my wife requested, she didn’t want too much metal visible in front of the bumper. Installation instructions were a bit confusing for me, but I’ll clarify, for me.
2002 Honda CR-V. Easy to install. Two and a half hours, and stopped to eat a sandwich. To install the spacers inside the roll frame on the car I used an extension magnet to reach in there and position them. As you can see NO cutting was needed on the bumper cover!
Now I have to figure out the easiest way to run the wiring for the lights.
Thanks Lauren A for your help!
Awesome instructions! Install was fairly easy. Product is very high quality and solid construction. Thank you E Trailer!
I installed this base plate on a 2018 Miata RF. I think I recall something about it taking 3.5 hours and my initial estimate was 3.5 days. It actually took a bit longer than that, but I was not pushing myself and did not have the luxury of having the vehicle on a lift but had it up on two ramps for the front wheels.
The order came pretty quickly, probably about 4 or 5 days between the time I placed it and UPS delivered it. The parts were well packaged and it came with a printed set of instructions. I had watched the video install on another Miata and if it weren't for that I'm not sure I would have tried it. I'm not a pro mechanic by any means but have worked on my own vehicles now for over 40 years. And I'm not a spring chicken either, so all the up and down working on the car can tire me fairly quickly. But if you are not in a rush and go carefully it can be done.
It took a day to do most of the disassembly. I removed both headlights and the intake tube on the passenger side. That tube came out much easier then it went back in.
The next day I got the baseplate mounted which helped to start visualizing how it all would work. All of the holes for the 6mm bolts did not quite line up with the holes in the frame. I had to file one sides worth for a bit of extra clearance. From my experience on this install you really want to leave all the bolt on the loose side till you get everything situated.
A couple of days off for rain and the then I got to work on the bracing. Initially I though I didnt need to cut the top lip of the frame but I decided to go ahead and do it anyway since that part didnt seem to sit flat when bolted from the back end. I'm still not sure its really necessary as the hump clears the metal lip without cutting it.
I also ordered a 14" long 1/2" drill bit to cut the holes in the frame. It was a Bosch bit, wasnt very expensive and it went through the metal like the proverbial hot knife. I managed to get all the big bolts installed in a day with a great sense of satisfaction.
The next day I torqued down all the bolts and the mount felt very solid. They stress that you need to install all the bolts, but honestly I can't see the 6mm bolts doing much compared to the half inch bolts that do most or all of the work. But I put them in and tightened them all the same.
A couple of days spent to install the tail light wiring and then I got back on to putting the front clip back on. My car must have had an aftermarket grill since it did not match the pictures or the video. I tried to position it carefully to see where the parts that were going to stick out would be so I didnt cut out more than I needed to. So there was a good amount of back and forth, cut and fit. In the end I had to make some extra cuts for clearance for the safety cable tabs as well as the mount for the 6 wire connector. Until I made the extra cuts the lower part of the front clip would not seat correctly. Getting the clip in the right position so it fits under the lights also takes some finagling.
Figuring out where all the bolts go back in can be interesting. Take pictures where you can. Dont be too aggressive when working with plastic parts. Overall I'm satisfied with the install, but I have yet to try and hook it up to tow.
Easy to install needed to replace some fasteners as they broke removing front grill was able to get them from Amazon cheap
This Road Master Direct connect base plate works perfectly for a 2020 ford transit cargo 250! Awesome service from etrailer as usual! The finished product can barely be seen through the front fascia!
I bought and installed this tow plate one year ago on my 2013 Jeep Wrangler. I bought this particular plate due to the jeep having a Barricade off-road bumper. This plate attaches a bit lower than other plates and prevented having to modify the bumper. Installation was easy involving only hand tools. The plate comes with all needed bolts and attachments. I have towed this Jeep several thousand miles behind my RV with absolutely no issues. As an aside, I use a Roadmaster Night Hawk tow bar which is also an excellent product. Both are expensive, but I believe cheaping-out on safety is no a good idea. I highly recommend this product.
This works perfect with my Roadmaster tow bar. It was a little difficult to install since I had to remove the front end of the Trailblazer, but with the good directions that came with it and some you tube videos made the installation easier.
Had these installed at Lester’s Automotive in Boerne,Texas…First class service all the way. Paul and his crew worked through lunch for over 4 hours to install these on our 2026 Ford Ranger. Also ran the wire and hooked up my auxiliary tow lights. The price for this was very reasonable and would highly recommend them for all r.v. needs even if not real close to the Boerne area. R.V park within reasonable distance if needed.
Etrailer comes through again! This was a great savings as a used kit, but it was even better than the description online. I have installed (4) baseplates on and etrailer.com has given me great videos to watch and good instructions to follow. Couldn't be more pleased with the quality, service and delivery times.
They were great to work with
The base plate was some what easy to install if you can get your arm to bend in odd directions to each bolts needed. That is just a hummer thing. What would be nice is a template for cutting the skid plate to allow the brackets to fit.
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Randall
10/7/2024
It has been awesome. 5 minutes or less to connect or disconnect including removal of the brake system.