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This setup keeps things tidy when you’re not towing. The direct-connect brackets mount on the frame and sit farther back than standard brackets, leaving the front end with a clean, almost invisible look once the arms are removed. With no obtrusive quick-disconnect crossbar to clutter the view, the brackets stay protected within the grille and out of harm’s way from scrapes or bumps.
Connecting is straightforward and fast. Each drawbar slides into the bracket, twists to lock, and secures in place automatically. When you’re done towing, just pull the built-in ring to release the lock, twist back, and remove the arm. There’s no fumbling or alignment hassle—just a solid connection that goes from locked to ready-to-go in seconds.
The heavy-duty build gives you confidence for long hauls and repeat trips. Each component is computer-cut from steel for a precise fit and finished with a black powder coat that resists corrosion. The design bolts directly to the frame with no welding required, spreading towing forces evenly through the structure for dependable strength mile after mile.
There’s no need for extra crossbars or complicated adapters if you’re already using a compatible system. This base plate kit connects directly to Roadmaster motor-home-mounted tow bars such as the Nighthawk, Sterling, Blackhawk, Blackhawk 2, Falcon, or Falcon 2 that slide into a trailer hitch. It comes complete with installation instructions and all mounting hardware for a straightforward bolt-on fit.
Customer Satisfaction Score:
84% were satisfied with this product
16% of customers were not satisfied
Ratings & Reviews
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.
Very fast shipping, and the install was easy. Great product
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
Easy installation! Etrailer videos are very informative and helpful! Always great to have a helper too!
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!
It was shipped promply. I installed it myself using the included step by step instructions and videos from etrailer. It all went well (though I had to come back and reconnect the sensor plug- my bad).
I tow a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk and this base plate is nearly invisible when not towing. Works well.
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.
It was an easy install for me and it works great !
this was a very well made product and fit my car perfect. attached my car to my motor home with no trouble. good directions . great customer service.
An excellent tow bar! Our mechanic installed this on our 2015 Ford Focus on Saturday and we love it. Our last tow car was a 2001 Saturn and the bar was bulky and weighty. This is very simple and easy to use. Thanks for your service and excellent communications in letting us know every step of the way when we would receive our package!
Marylou A.
2/14/2017
I still give your product a 5 star rating,. This is the easiest tow bar weve ever had and its now a 1 person hook-up instead of 2.
With this covid-19 pandemic we have not used the motorhome this year, and that is sad.
So I do not have an evaluation of the base plate, however while installing it the quality seems great and no problems are expected. I am confident that should a problem arise etrailer and/or Roadmaster will be there for me. 2018 Ford Focus Titanium.
Stay safe everyone.....
What sold me before buying the EZ5 base plate and SMI supplemental braking system were the on line, step by step, video instructions. With little background experience I was confident that I could install these parts on my own on our 2016 Ford Focus. Also purchased the Falcon 2 tow bar and a wiring kit. Everything exceeded my expectations !!
Used this tow package to pull our Ford Focus behind our Class C motorhome from PA to ME. Works perfectly
I installed this base plate on my 2016 Ford Focus Hatchback Titanium with the help of my friends auto lift. If you have a friend that has a lift it sure makes this job easier on the installer. Once installed it is barely visible while not towing. The two little tubes that stick out for towing are removed when not towing or installed for towing in about 15 seconds. Push in and turn 90 degrees to lock in for towing or reverse for not towing. Once these tubes are removed the front of the car looks normal if you werent looking for the receiver tube insert holes.
Larry
5/3/2019
The Roadmaster base plate I installed on my 2016 Ford Focus is still working perfectly as is my Roadmaster Falcon 2 Tow bar. I also use the Falcon 2 Tow Bar for pulling my Jeep Unlimited 4 door.
The installation of these will always have their challenges, but this one went pretty well. Looks good when completed. Very easy and quick to hook up to the RV when it's time to go. The videos on installation are really helpful as well.
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Byron H.
8/4/2020
worked perfectly