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  1. Tow Bar Base Plate
  2. Roadmaster
  3. Removable Draw Bars
  4. Hitch Pin Attachment
  5. Partially Hidden
THIS ITEM IS NOT A FIT FOR
2014 Ford Escape
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Roadmaster

Roadmaster Crossbar-Style Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms

Part Number: 442-1
In Stock
$670.00
Retail:$742.50
You Save: $72.50
Tow Bar Base Plate
Not Confirmed to Fit

2014 Ford Escape

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etrailer Installation
We'll connect you with nearby partnered installers who know this exact setup.
The crossbar-style hidden brackets attach to your vehicle's frame to provide attachment points for your tow bar. The visible portions of the brackets can be removed when you are not towing. Great Prices for the best tow bar base plate from Roadmaster. Roadmaster Crossbar-Style Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms part number 442-1 can be ordered online at etrailer.com or call 1-800-940-8924 for expert service.
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Roadmaster Tow Bar Base Plate - 442-1

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: Removable drawbars leave brackets nearly invisible for a clean front end.
  • Built to Last: Computer-cut, all-steel construction with black powder coat resists corrosion and wear.
  • Simple to Set Up: Drawbars attach with two hitch pins for quick mounting and removal.
  • Fits Securely: Custom brackets mount to the frame for a precise, no-weld installation.
Made in USA

Features to know about

Built for a Clean Front End: Hidden Brackets with Removable Drawbars

If you like keeping your vehicle’s front end looking clean when you’re not towing, this setup makes it easy. The crossbar-style hidden brackets mount to the frame so the attachment points stay tucked away. When you remove the square drawbars, the remaining brackets are virtually invisible and protected within the grille area. It keeps things looking factory while also preventing scrapes and scuffs.

Simple Hookup and Removal: Secure with Two Pins

When it’s time to tow, the square drawbars slide into place and secure with two hitch pins. It’s a quick process that doesn’t require tools, welding, or complicated alignment steps. Once you’re done towing, pull the pins, remove the arms, and you’re back to a clean look in minutes.

Strong Where It Counts: All-Steel Construction with Powder Coat Finish

The computer-cut, all-steel build gives this base plate exceptional strength for reliable towing. The black powder coat finish holds up well against corrosion and road wear, so it stays solid through plenty of miles. It’s the kind of durability you want when your setup is doing serious work on long trips.

Ready to Match Your Tow Bar: Roadmaster Crossbar-Style Compatibility

This kit works with Roadmaster tow bars that use a quick-disconnect crossbar (910021-00 – sold separately). That means if your current system already uses that style of connection, you can integrate it without extra fabrication or modification. It’s a straightforward way to keep your existing towing gear working together cleanly.

DIY Friendly Install: Hardware and Instructions Included

You don’t need welding skills or custom tools to get this mounted up. The base plates are designed for a simple bolt-on install with custom fitment for your specific vehicle setup. Everything you need comes in the box—mounting hardware and clear instructions—so you can tackle it confidently on your own or hand it off to your favorite shop.

Specs

Construction and Design

  • Bracket Style: Crossbar-style hidden brackets
  • Material: All-steel construction
  • Manufacturing Process: Computer-cut
  • Finish: Black powder coat
  • Design Feature: Hidden bracket design – drawbars are easily removable via 2 pins
  • Aesthetic Feature: Improved aesthetics compared with standard brackets
  • Corrosion Resistance: Durable and corrosion resistant
  • Installation: Simple installation – no welding required
  • Mounting Hardware: Included
  • Compatibility: Compatible with Roadmaster tow bars with use of quick-disconnect crossbar (910021-00 - sold separately)
  • Country of Manufacture: Made in the USA
  • Warranty: Limited Lifetime Warranty

Functional Features

  • Removable Arms: Square drawbars (front arms) secure with hitch pins and can be removed when not towing
  • Visibility: Remaining brackets are virtually invisible when drawbars are removed
  • Protection: Brackets are mounted within the grille for protection from scrapes and scuffs

442-1 Road Master XL Base Plate Kit

Installation Details 442-1 Installation instructions

This Product Fits The Following Vehicles




Ratings & Reviews

4.8

2196 reviews
5 Stars
(1854)
4 Stars
(258)
3 Stars
(47)
2 Stars
(12)
1 Star
(25)
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The crossbar-style hidden brackets attach to your vehicle's frame to provide attachment points for your tow bar. The visible portions of the brackets can be removed when you are not towing.

by:

This was the second base plate kit from etrailer that I have installed, the first being on our ‘03 Outback and this one on our new to us 2015 Subaru CrossTrek. As usual the response, shipping and delivery from etrailer was prompt and curious. They are my go to place for anything towing related.
Installation of this kit went well with only a few issues, most of which were related to our vehicle not the kit. I knew the car had been hit lightly on the LF corner, but could find nothing of concern body or frame wise when I looked the car over before buying it. Turns out the front bumper reinforcement had been tweaked a tad which made lining the bolt holes up with the holes in the base plates a tad challenging. This made the small angle brackets that go inside the frame heads tough to line up, but in the end it all fit. I did find that it was unnecessary to pull the washer reservoir or the left headlight to access the nut and washer for the long 1/2” bolt. You can easily reach and see the place from underneath after pulling the plastic encapsulation panel. When drilling that 1/2” hole be sure to angle the drill bit UP a tad otherwise you may end up having to grind a flat on the side of the large, thick washer as you can see in my picture from underneath. I used shrink wrap over the nut and bolt since there’s a wiring harness right against it. The picture of the baseplate differs a bit from the pictures so I guess they made some changes. All in all a great kit!



by:

Fit and finish is great, the illustration for what you trim on the bumper isn't great but otherwise pretty easy install (I ended up measuring between the mounts on the draw bar and just trimmed accordingly)



by:

The Jeep project went very well everything fit great and worked well. I really love Roadmaster products and quality and your company is the best place to purchase them. I sold the Jeep and replaced it with a new 2019 Chevy Equinox 2.0 L AWD and just purchased and installed the following items from you and installed them, RM-156-25 & RM-156-75 Battery Charge Line Kit, RM-146-7 Flex Coil Kit, RM-523193-4 EZ4 Plate Kit, RM-88333 Custom Seat Adapter, RM-751489 Stop Light Switch Kit and a RM-98160 Second Vehicle Brake Kit w/brakeaway. All these parts were in stock and arrived quickly and normal with you people, I really enjoy the o-line vidios as I do all my own installs. Thank you so much for your great service.
I will attach pictures of my install, you will see how I was able to fab a bracket and attach it to the existing mount on the base plate to mount the brakeaway switch and the air connection for the brake system.
I also fabricated a tail light bar as I didn't want to use mag-lights or splice into the factory lights and bulbs installed into the lights would not work as the factory brake lights will come on when the brake system is applyed and the turn siginals would not be visable.
Thanks for all you do, I would and do recommend you people to everyone who needs your products. Rob



by:

I’m very handy with tools so drilling the four holes required was a simple task. Everything fit as advertised and the quality was on point. Since I already owned a roadmaster tow bar this kit was a no brainer. My vehicle is 2017 Silverado so it was slightly different teardown of the front end. Thankfully i found a u tube video



by:

The installation took me about 7 hours, the facia removal was tedious , between the installation videos and instructions, I performed the task. This bar has one con, the pull rings on the removal bars are flimsy , my first pull stretched one out. I’m sure trailer has a fix for this under warranty, I hope.



by:

Etrailer was very easy to do business with and made it simple to ship my order directly to the RV shop that was going to install it. This was my first order from them, but I will definitely consider future purchases from them if I'm in need of something for my RV.



by:

The representative (Sarah) was very helpful and knowledgeable, the prices are very reasonable and all my items arrived on time. When I called with a question, she was very polite, friendly and genuinely sounded like she enjoyed her job. When I discovered one of the items I ordered wasn’t needed, getting help to return was hassle free. I would recommend etrailer to anyone that needs anything RV or trailer related. I will definitely do business with them again. I am impressed.



by:

We towed our 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STI 3000 miles last year, this is an ideal setup, discreet when not in use, solid, and easy to get on/off. Very please with the support I received from Roadmaster as one of the bolt was missing, was sent super quickly.



by:

Not an easy install on a Trax but it is very well made and gives a clean look. I did customize by cutting down the 6 pin bracket supports to get it flush with front of the car.



by:

Awesome delivery speed, and a well made base plate for my 2007 Element. Installation was a breeze (thanks to my son’s heated shop) and I had to do no cutting to make this fit. I had a Stowmaster tow bar that came with my RV and etrailer was able to steer me to the correct missing parts to make this a really affordable installation. Now to get out of this snow!



by:

Purchased for a 1997 Subaru Impreza. Delivery was amazingly fast! I didn't have it installed until a few months later, as my travel plans had stalled. It didn't quite bolt right on, but was close, and a friend had to modify it some to make it work. I still hear a grating noise when I turn too sharp on one side, but otherwise it's fine.
The front connection plates didn't line up with the holes, so had to have those modified, as well, in order to line up and attach to the tow bar. Once the new holes were drilled, I was able to hook up and go.
It's relatively easy to connect after finding a way to do it alone.
I've towed from CO to TX and all over TX with it with no problems.



by:

After ordering the wrong crossbar, etrailer sent the correct one for our Mini Cooper quickly. However I did have to modify most of the holes as the cross bar didn’t quite fit (but close). I had to drill the three main bolt holes to 11/16 so that the bar would go over the Mini’s 3 main bumper bolts on both sides. The two lower bolt holes (each side), needed to be drilled out 3 sizes larger to accommodate the 4 bolts that come with the kit. I had to drill out the Minis lower holes to better align with the crossbars lower holes. I would also like to note it being a pain in the knuckles to reach one of the three (each side) bolts to put the stock nuts on the bolt and then try and get them tight. (The main bolt pattern for the upper bumper is diamond shape, one up tow bolts lower. (The lower “inside” bolt on each side is the one that is hard to get to and tighten.) Sorry I didn’t get picks, I was in a rush to get the car back together. There’s an angle piece on the cross bar that blocks the hard to reach bolt, it would be helpful if that could be made more accessible to reach.



by:

I’ve been purchasing products from ETrailer since 2005 and all the products I’ve purchased have been a great value. The products mentioned above installed perfectly and with the direct assistance from ETrailer everything fit as suggested. I will always interact with ETrailer as needs present themselves.



by:

Replaced same part that was damaged in a crash. I had used my original one for close to ten years without issue. Fast shipping from etrailer.



by:

The Base plate kit is well made and came with all the necessary hardware.Installation is relatively straight forward. I did have to enlarge two of the holes that didn't quite line up. But overall I'd recommend it.



by:

Bolted right up. Installation should be done with bumper on, as you can't fit the ends through the louvers without some convincing. Works great so far. Was able to use a Stowmaster 5000 with it.



by:

Installation was a bit trying. Ended up looking very clean and almost invisible.
Using the tow bar worked super easy and our motorhome hardly noticed the Mini Cooper back there.



by:

Came quickly and is very high quality. Great directions/video from road master makes the installation step by step easy to follow.
Skill level is probably at the intermediate level depending on experience.



by:

The #118-3 is a perfect fit on my 1995 Geo Tracker. When you pull off the removable arms you would never know they are there. The Quality is very good easy to put on all you have to do is drill 4 holes the tube on the base plate fits into the tube on the frame of the tracker and with the 2 bolts it is a solid fit. I was worried about the plate nut getting it inside of the frame but it went in easy when you put it over the frame tube and use a thin piece of metal to slide it in place. I’m very happy with it. I probably could of got it on without taking my bumper off but with only 4 bolts holding my bumper on it made it easier



by:



by:

Received it within 3 days. It fit perfectly and easy to install.



by:

Excellent product that fit my 96 BRONCO to allow it to be towed behind RV. Fit perfectly and fairly easy to install. I first hated to trim out the front air dams required, but after they were installed you cannot even tell without looking very close.

Tom R. profile picture

Tom R.

1/17/2021

Excellent product and i think it adds to the look of my Bronco. Per the instructions I have regularly inspected the brackets for any cracks and to see if any bolts have loosened. After several thousand miles of being towed every think is still secure!



by:

Brackets bolted right up to my 93 Bronco frame, after install all you see the the small square holes. I use my Bronco for surf fishing with a Rod and bait cooler on the front bumper , these brackets are completely out of the way . Pull the vehicle behind my motor home with no problem at all.



by:

I purchased these for my 1995 Full Size Ford Bronco. They are very well built and heavy duty, the pictures don’t do them justice. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality. They were very easy to install, and although the instructions say about 2 hours, I was finished in about 45min taking my time. The fit was perfect. I was originally planning to fabricate some myself due to not wanting to spend the 400.00 but I am so glad I didn’t, as these are worth every penny. Shipping was also way faster than I expected! They arrived within a few days of my order! THANKS ETRAILER!

Rj profile picture

Rj

11/1/2015

Erik H. I have a 96 Ford Bronco and looking for illustrated installation instructions or tips, specifically torsion bar nut



by:

Very quick and easy install to do it yourself directions were very clear but highly recommend


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

  • Parts Needed For Flat Towing 1996 Ford Bronco
    Hello Mike. We can definitely set you up with everything you need to flat tow your 1996 Ford Bronco behind your motorhome. Here is what I recommend: - Roadmaster Crossbar-Style Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms # 442-1 - etrailer XHD Non-Binding Tow Bar for Roadmaster Crossbar-Style Base Plates - RV Mount - 10,500 lbs # e64ZR - Roadmaster Diode 7-Wire to 6-Wire Flexo-Coil Wiring Kit # RM-15267 - Roadmaster Battery Charge Line Kit for Towed Vehicles # RM-156-25 - Demco Stay-IN-Play Duo...
    view full answer...

Info for this part was:

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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