/
Blue Ox/
Removable Draw Bars/
Twist Lock AttachmentItem # BX1139
Retail:$529.00
Our Price: $495.00
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This strong and durable base plate kit is custom designed to fit your vehicle. The hidden reinforcements, along with the removable bracket arms, provide a clean, unobtrusive look when your car is not being towed.
Features:
Specs:
Installation Details 
2018 - 2018 Jeep JL Wrangler with factory plastic bumper
2018 - 2018 Jeep JL Wrangler Unlimited with factory plastic bumper
2019 - 2020 Jeep Wrangler with factory plastic bumper
2019 - 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with factory plastic bumper
2018 - 2018 Jeep JL Wrangler with factory steel bumper
2018 - 2018 Jeep JL Wrangler Unlimited with factory steel bumper
2019 - 2020 Jeep Wrangler with factory steel bumper
2019 - 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with factory steel bumper
Video of Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Speaker 1: Today, on our 2018 Jeep JL Wrangler Unlimited, you're going to be taking a look at and we'll show you how to install the Blue Ox Baseplate kit with removable arms, part number BX1139.This is what our baseplate looks like when it's installed. It's going to give us a solid connection point between our Jeep and our RV to safely flat tow. It's going to be one of five main components in a flat tow set up. The other four are going to be your safety cables, your tow bar, your braking system, and your wiring. It's going to be a durable, steal construction, with a black powder coat finish that's going to resist and rust or corrosion.It's going to be a custom fit baseplate. It's going to mount directly to the chassis of your vehicle.
It's going to spread the towing force evenly to minimize the weight placed on your suspension. It's going to have removable tabs that attach to your motor home mounted tow bar. To install these, you're going to have a spring loaded pin. You simply turn the tab, push it to where the spring loaded pin is fully inside, spin it, until it locks into place. To open it up, you simply pull the ring, twist it, and you can remove it.It's also going to come with caps to keep and dirt and debris out of your tab mounting locations.
It's going to have pre-welded mounting locations for your wiring accessories, and for your brakeaway switch on your braking system.This baseplate can be used with Blue Ox tow bars, and it's compatible with Road Master tow bars with the Road Master adaptors, part number RM-031, RM-031-5, which are sold separately but can be found on our website.It's also going to come with pre-welded brackets for your brakeaway switch for your braking system, any wiring accessories. It's also going to come with a cap to keep any dirt and debris out of your tab mounting location. And, then, you're going to have safety cable hookups. Keep in mind this baseplate is only going to work with the factory bumper. It will not work with the bumpers that have the guards on them or the wench.As far as the installation, it's pretty simple, straight forward installation.
You will have to remove the bumper, you will have to drill two holes. Other than that, it's going to use holes that are already on the vehicle or in the chassis of the vehicle. And, as you can see, it fits very nicely and it's not going to protrude or stick out past the bumper or past the edge of the bumper. Now, that we've taken a look at some of the features, let me show you how easy it is to get installed.To start our installation, we're going to take an 8 mm socket, we're going to have two bolts right here on our belly pan we're going to need to remove. Next, we're going to have eight fasteners just like this that run right across the front here.
Use a flathead screwdriver to remove them. All you're going to do is you're going to pry up on the center, and they should pop right out. You want to make sure that the base comes with it.It may be a little bit easier if you can find a pick or something with an angle like that to get in to some of these in the center. Once you have them all off, we're going to set this aside to be trimmed and reinstalled later on.Next, on the passenger side, we're going to need to unplug this wiring here. The plug for the wiring is going to the lights that's attached to our bumper. We're going to push in on this gray section right here, and pull out just like that. You're only going to have this on the passenger side. Next, we're going to take an 18 mm socket, you're going to have two bolts on this side of the frame, two bolts on this side of the frame, holding our bumper in place. This is just on our passenger side. We're going to do the same thing on the driver's side.Now, on the top, before we remove our bumper, we're going to have to take a couple push pin fasteners off that are holding this plastic piece onto our bumper. Take a flathead screwdriver and just pry up on the center here. Just like that. Then, we're going to have one on the passenger side, also. Next, we're going to remove our bumper and set it aside.Next, we're going to take a 16 mm socket, we're going to remove the outside bolt on our frame rail. We're going to repeat that same thing on the other side. Next thing we need to do, is we need to slot this bottom hole. So, what we're going to do is we're going to cut a line about up to where that bend is. We're just going to slice it there. I'm going to use a Dremel tool with cutting blade. A rotary tool with a cutting blade will work. We're going to do that same thing on the other side. Now, I'm going to take some paint, clear coat anything you might have, enamel, then I'm going to cover up that bare metal to resist and rust or corrosion later on down the road.Now, with an extra set of hands, we're going to set our baseplate into place. We're going to take a 10 mm bolt, lock washer or flat washer, we're going to put them in this top hole. Once we get this bolt started, you see this bottom hole We need to line it up with the hole in the frame. And, then, we need to tighten this. So, what we're going to do to make it easier so that hole stays lined up is we're going to use one of the bolts in our kit, you're going to slide it into place like that. Go ahead and do that on both sides.Next, take an 18 mm socket and we're going to snug the top bolt up. We're not using Loctite at this time. Do that on both sides. Next, this top back hole, we're going to eventually drill it out to a half inch. But, we're going to start with a smaller bit, and we're only going to go through this side, we're not going to go all the way through. So, what I want to do is I want to start with my half inch bit just to make me a mark in the center of the hole, and then I'll go back to my small one. Once you got one side done, then we'll do the same thing on the other.Next, go ahead and remove this bolt here. Then, we're going to do the same thing we did on the front, we want to spray that hole on both sides to kind of cover up that bare metal. Next, we're going to loosen these enough like that. Next, we'll take a half inch bolt, lock washer, some red Loctite. Now, this does not come in your kit. But, you can find it on our website. Put a little bit of Loctite on your bolt, spacer block. We're going to get our hole to line up that we just drilled. We're going to take a handle nut, we're going to go through the hole that we drilled in the front, and we're going to thread it on our bolt that we just put in.Once you get your handle nut started, you're going to make sure you turn your spacer block so it's sitting parallel with the baseplate. Use a 19 mm socket, tighten that down a little. You're going to repeat that on the other side.Now, we're going to remove this front bolt, Loctite, then we're going to reinstall our frame bracket. And, we want to make sure that our frame bracket goes in between our baseplate and our frame. It's basically just going to go right back in the same spot it was when we took it off earlier. We're going to take our hardware that we just removed. We're going to put it back into place. And, what I suggest, before you tighten either one of these is try to get that bottom one in place first. Use some Loctite. Make sure your frame bracket here is lined up with the holes in the front so we can put our bumper back on.And, for our bottom one, another handle nut, we're going to come right up through the bottom. One thing I do recommend is before you finish snugging these up completely, go ahead and get the other side all your bolts put in place. That way if this, the baseplate tightens up at all, we won't have to move it to get these in. We won't have to loosen one side, get the other side installed. Go ahead and install them at the same time, that way they're in place.Next, we're going to torque all of our hardware to specifications in the instructions. You're going to repeat that for all remaining hardware. Next, we're going to install our safety cables. We're going to run it back behind this mounting location on our frame. We're going to come out the inside. This outside, we want to make sure that our cable is not going to rub up against our sway bar. Next, we're going to take our convenience link, go ahead and run it through your cable. We're going to run it through this back hole on our baseplate. First, we're going to take the other side of our cable, go ahead and get that in place like that. And, slide it through, and then, we'll close it up. Just like that.I'm going to take a zip tie, and zip tie the inside part of my cable right to my frame. There is a hole right there that makes a very easy to keep it from moving around. It will also keep the outside tight and off of the sway bar. And, you're going to repeat that same thing on the other side. Once you have both sides installed, take a 19 mm wrench, go ahead and tighten that nut up just a little bit. And, after that, we're going to take some metal shears and we're going to cut the end of our handle nuts off.Next, thing you can do is reinstall your bumper in reverse order from the way you took it off. Next thing we need to do is measure out, not measure, but mark out where we need to cut out for our baseplate to go through our belly pan. You can see I already have it marked out. This is how I did it. The two holes down here at the bottom where the bolts or the screws hold that in place, what I did is I just lined them up and I marked right at the top where it meets. Now, I only marked to here. I'm going to cut it out to here, because we have to get it to slide up like this. I marked it out to here to see if we can fit it like that. If we need to cut out some more, we can. I don't want to try to take out any more than I have to. And, you can see I marked the yellow so you could see what I was doing. I went back and traced outside of it with a black marker, because my panel's black. And, I'm just going to use my Dremel tool that I used earlier.If you take a utility knife and just run it on the edge like that, you can clean all the burrs off. Do the same thing to the other side and then we'll test it out and see. So, you can see here, we're not quite high enough. So, we're going to cut this down a little bit more.Once you have everything trimmed out, and it fits in, go ahead and reinstall all your fasteners across the top. And, we'll have our two fasteners on the top side. Once you have those in, don't forget to make your connection with your plug on your passenger side.That will do it for the look at and installation of the Blue Ox Baseplate kit with removable arms, part number BX1139 on our 2018 Jeep JL Wrangler Unlimited.
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (861 Customer Reviews)
This strong and durable base plate kit is custom designed to fit your vehicle. The hidden reinforcements, along with the removable bracket arms, provide a clean, unobtrusive look when your car is not being towed.Good fit. Instructions mis leading somewhat. 2018 Jeep JL does not have 7 metal screws holding bumper shields but plastic screws that need special tool to unscrew. I pulled them out and replaced with metal screws in reinstallation. After tow bar installation the lower plastic shield will require cutting to reinstall. I left this off and did not reinstall. Looks fine and save if towbar is removed later. Did by me self and took about 2.5 hours. 602635
Wanted to share a positive experience with one of your service reps. Diana was extremely helpful and knowledgeable about the product and application. I purchased the baseplate from ETrailer because of her support. I found it cheaper eleswhere online but Diana and, your organization were outstanding! 572584
This base plate fit perfectly. The only thing that would have been better would have been if it was powder coated. 695872
First endeavor on 4 down towing a 2018 jeep Wrangler JL. Use to use tow dolly but couldn’t understand why we went that direction. This is a very stout piece of hardware. Installation took about 3 hours. Referred to etrailer’s installation video which was very well done. Only recommendation i would make is to specify that a 18mm DEEP socket is required to remove bumper. Very pleased with this purchase which arrived 3-4 days after placing order. No hesitation on using etrailer for all my RV towing needs. Great job etrailer! 693141
Friendly, Helpful service, great price, Fast shipping 686511
Watch the video 679076
My install was on a 2018 Two door Wrangler JL. This is my third Blue Ox base plate installation as I prefer to do my own installations and the product is fantastic. Use of a torque wrench, and Loctite, is very important. The instructions should have given a torque setting for re-installation of the bumper for Option 2. I found that the setting is 66.5 Foot Pounds and I used Blue Loctite on those four bolts/nuts. The most challenging aspect of the install was fitting the belly pan and that was just a matter of patience. I had to remove the plastic mounting piece for the fog lights and used a plastic tie wrap to secure it. 656246
Install was manageable for my Jeep Wrangler, price was better than direct purchase from BlueOx. 644701
Installed it on our Jeep Wrangler. Easy to install and works great. 629238
Perfect fit and easy installation! etrailer installation videos made all the difference. Take the time to watch the professional installers and your installation experience will be super easy! I thought about buying the baseplate direct from the manufacturer but after viewing the installation videos i knew etrailer's support from knowledgeable installers would be priceless. I also purchased the wiring kit and used those videos to guide me through an easy installation. Thanks etrailer! 615991
We decided to purchase the Blue Ox set up for our 2018 Wrangler JL. The set up works very well and has been easy to connect/disconnect, so far. The instructional installation video was EXCELLENT and definitely contributed to making the installation a breeze. Thanks again etrailer. Only alteration was to the brake away switch. It seemed to stick out too far in front of the bumper, for my liking, so I added a stainless nut/bolt and two nylon bushings so it could swivel out of harms way when not in use. 615566
The product is what I wanted and it came with great instructions. Afoot it quickly and I can’t wait to start towing my Jeep behind the motorhome 605479
Product arrive promptly. I installed it today. Followed the install video exactly. Worked out excellent. All the parts fit well and are very sturdy. Took about three hours start to finish. Very pleased. 602077
Install was as advertised. 573429
QUICK DELIVERY ....EXCELLENT SERVICE EX PERIENCE 556032
Base plates fit as advertised with no p roblems. 542054
Outstanding product by BlueOx, I installed this on my 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL Sahara and it was a straight forward install with clear directions and detailed photos to aid in the process. I highly recommend BlueOx products for flat towing behind an RV. 521455
Base plate arrived a day early. Packaged and shipped well. Blue Ox is a quality product. Thanks to Etrailer for the prompt service, and great prices. 520894
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
The base plate was fairly easy to install on our 2013 Honda C-RV. The videos on etrailer are very helpful, giving us the confidence to do the job in our own garage. The only problem with installation was that the holes didn't quite line up after removing the bumper. I think that was noted in the instructions. The removable arms work well and we have had no issues. We have been using this product towing our car behind our motor home for over 15K miles in the last year without incident. I recommend this product. 352325
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
Arrived earlier than expected and was exactly what I had ordered, fit like a glove. Service could not have been better. The salesperson really knew their product. I really saved quite a bit of money ordering through them. They emailed and called several times to make sure everything was as I had ordered. A great company to deal with. 615380
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
I've bought at least one other product from etrailer in addition to the base plate for my 2008 Jeep Liberty. The plate and appurtenances fit like a glove and work great. etrailer had the best price and, as before, kept me informed about when the product would be delivered and delivered on time. Great company. 486224
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
George, just finished install of blue ox base plate on my 2015 Buick enclave not for the faint of hand to install but all is well if u are good take your time some caution when drilling lower frame holes as inner holes are close but excellent fit and finish thanks for a great product 312252
Blue ox base plate is still great just a note for users you may need to lube the inside of the holes where the aluminum adapters for the tow bar connection is as one time I could not turn it to lock in for towing this solved the problem
Ed B - 10/27/2017Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
Great product. Well designed and easy to install. Only difficulties during the installation are those plastic fasteners on vehicle-- suggest buying about six to have on hand for re-installation, as no matter how careful you are ...plastic is plastic, if you know what I mean. Very informative installation video that will assist anyone thinking of buying or installing this unit. If you're handy with tools, go for it! Note: I took the text from the video and created a simple instruction "list" for buddy and I to follow along, to be ensure we didn't miss any steps as pictures on actual instructions were not too useful. Also, the baseplate comes with a nice step bracket for easy break-away switch mounting, which was a plus. 225837
ETrailer customer service rocks!Thank you for the follow-up.To date, base plate was installed using your VERY helpful tutorials andvideo clips, which saved me cost of installation.No towing as of yet... baseplate was installed as pre-plan to pendingretirement.Thanks
Tall P - 09/21/2016Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
My third Blue Ox Base Plate. Fit and function are perfect. Fits my existing (first) tow bar and the tab height is nearly exactly the same as my 12 year older Jeep so didn't even need to make any draw bar changes. 111481
Still attached and working perfectly. Continues to survive some rather intense back country trails with no complaints.
Alan B - 12/30/2014Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
Great product, great company. They work to keep their customers and show appreciation for same. 610362
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
Product was not in stock had to wait about 3 weeks ??But they sent me 2 e mails when it came it was on the date they it would arrive I installed the base plate the next day the time it took was about 7hrs total fit very nice the only problem I had I did not understand the directions on cutting the tabs on the back of the grill they hit the base plate when I try to reinstall the grill but I figured in out then it all came together looks great 3 screws in bottom of lower valance that screw to bottom of radiator I had to drill new holes body part hit base plate very close fit but great product 373334
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
received the plate installed it in less than three hours, have yet to hook it up though. Great , fast shipping! The only issue were the cheap plastic push pins on the shield of the Jeep. 81899
8000 miles and still tight! When we get there rest assured the frame will make it!
Steve S - 05/24/2014Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
Great Product... fit as subscribed on 2011 Ford Ranger,easy to follow instructions. There was no communication from e-trailer. After 8 days of nothing I had to call, product at that time had not even been shipped. Very Disappointing. Not so sure I'll buy from them again. 281955
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
Great base plate - -super service from etrailer. Couple of hints, at least for install on a 2012 Wrangler Unlimited: 1) the phillips push pins that hold the belly pan on come out best with a light touch on the driver. I buggered up 2 figuring that out. 2) the plate seems to be too narrow to fit, but with a rubber mallet and some persuasion, it will. 3) Use a corded drill for the holes into the frame. My 19.2 volt didn't have the grunt to get it done even with swapping out batteries repeatedly. 4) Directions don' t say anything about how to level the plate after the first (lower) bolt is in, but probably best to have it level or even slightly angled down or away from the grill (gives better clearance for the electric connection below the license plate frame). Wish the electrical connection had black spring return for the cover and the screws to mount it were black. Also wish Blue Ox didn't put a white part number label and the orange warning label on the FRONT, visible section of the plate. Why not the back? I installed it myself. Took half a day and 2 scraped knuckles, but not to tough of a job with the right tools. My third or fourth purchase from etrailer and all have been quick, reasonably priced, marked by good communication and respectful. Works for me! Thanks etrailer! 41767
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
Installation pic 411274
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
2017 Chevrolet Colorado Removal of all parts and pieces was pretty easy. TRICKIEST part was reinstalling front of truck by my self, but i got installed with a little bit of patience. The installation video on youtube was a GREAT HELP!!! 486260
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
I am a pretty good do it your selfer. This was the second base plate i have installed by myself. The first one was on a 2010 Honda Fit. This job took me about 8hrs. by myself. The instructions were first rate. Plus the BIGGEST help was the instructional video about this particular car. OUT STANDING!!! The only problem i had was getting the front plastic cap back on by my self, took awhile but i got it done. Then the second install was on my 2017 Chevrolet Colorado 4x4 pickup. I watched etrailers instructional video about 10 times. By the time i was ready to install the base plate, i pretty much knew what to expect and what to do. The truck job took me about 5 hrs. My best advice i can give is to WATCH their videos, not once, not twice but 4 or 5 times, or more, then the job goes along alot better. And it will be alot easier if you have some help to lift the front plastic cap off, and to reinstall. The rest can be done with no help. 586022
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
Great product. I received the BX1731 base plate and followed the directions given to install on my 2018 Chevy High Country. Install went smoothly and took about 3 hours and that was taking my time. 619643
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
I have now installed the following on my 2017 Wrangler: Brake light relay kit . Hopkins Towed vehicle Tail Light wiring kit. Blue Ox base plate. Blue Ox Patriot Portable RF Braking System. All of this has taken about 3 days of work spread out over a week or so. Overall it went well. Not too many surprises. Crawling around under a car at 71 is a bit of a strain but I'll get over it. I must say that Donna P. has been a wonderful source of great information and has stayed right on top of the process. eTrailer has been a great source for this project. I would recommend you all with no hesitation. 396395
I am still in love with the products. My only issue is having enough time to use them more.
John M - 06/15/2018Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
Easy installation. Great product 279815
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
I like the design and relatively easy install - I did it myself on a Honda CRV after I watched the great etrailer videos online. These walked me thru the install steps. Very helpful. 574165
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
The base plate was phone ordered on Wednesday and received the following Monday. Wife and I installed it Tuesday on a 2015 Jeep Rubicon. The most difficult part was cutting the belly pan to fit over it. (It always is it seems. Everything else was routine. Thanks for your help in getting the correct part number straight for us. Joe and Joyce 172278
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
Great base plate, real solid construction, thick powder coat, and all aligned well. Biggest pain to expect at install is all the plastic pop-rivets on the Subaru front bumper. The alignment and hardware was all perfect otherwise. And best of all, you can barely see the connections inside the bumper with the attachment pins removed. Great product. 225392
Thanks for reaching out. We ended up selling the car, but the base plate worked perfect for us. I really like how the car towed, just did like how it drove !We are considering our next options, so we will definitely be back with etrailer to get our next plates and tow wiring.Thanks.
Keith C - 09/14/2016Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
Received your product in good timing. I have it installed as the installation was not difficult. Will be using it during my vacation which is a trek across our province. 208904
This is our second year to use your product. Just got back from a three weekvacation and used your product and find it excellent. We passed informationalong to many friends we met during that time and gave them the name of yourcompany. Thank you for the excellent service and look forward to many yearsof using the tow package
Albert C - 08/23/2016Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
I really like the way the baseplate hides in the grill. The car tows great I have to say that it took three shipments from blue Ox to get the right part but then it went on very easily on my 2017 Corolla Directions are mostly correct There is one other bolted on part that needs to be removed prior to fitment but not mentioned in the directions . At all times everyone was very nice to me. I was a little frustrated and checked with roadmaster because their site said their baseplate would not fit my car because of the adaptive cruise etc. I called them with my new found knowledge about location of the electronics and they checked and confirmed their base plate fits my car so this is another option if you feel like shifting a Toyota 499810
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
After checking around for prices, I found etrailer to have what I needed and along with their expert advice and install videos, was very easy to get installed. Shipping was free and very fast. This was for a 2018 Jeep Cherokee 4x4 for flat towing behind my RV. Looking at their site now for some accessories for my RV. 469890
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
Great product and fast service. 16425
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
I ordered the Blue Ox Alpha tow bar, base plate and curt trailer hitch for my 08 Wrangler on Tuesday and it arrived on Friday. The installation for the base plate and trailer hitch went without a problem. The instructions were well written. Total installation time for both was less than 4 hours. Etrailer readily made good on their low price pledge and reimbursed me the price difference plus 10% when I found the base plate at a lower price than etrailer advertised. On my tow bar the dust boots were not properly attached and Judy at etrailer immediately ordered new zip ties and boots from Blue Ox. I will do business with these folks again. 344869
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
fast friendly service and price matched when I found it cheaper plus 10%. Its not that hard to install even for a old guy who is a jack of all trades and master of none. 433567
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
Although I am commenting on this product, I actually would like to comment on the following products. I purchased a brake system, tow bar, base plates and wire harness from etrailer. All of my orders were filled in a timely manner. When I reached out for technical assistance, the advisors were readily accessible. All of the products were installed by me. All of the products were very easy to install by using the video and instructions. 337852
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
This baseplate is very well made and sturdy. I would rate it excellent but for 2 flaws: 1. My vehicle has a power steering cooler which the instructions say to relocate on the supplied brackets. Relocating as instructed puts excessive strain on the connecting hoses. I had to cut the pipes and add about 3 inches of rubber hose to the power steering cooler to make it fit comfortably. 2. Blue Ox do not provide any kind of support outside office hours. This type of product is typically installed by the user over a weekend and BO should provide support to their customers during this time. Overall, I would rate ease of install at 5 (out of 10) excluding the cooler issue. Hook up to the completed baseplate is a breeze. We have the Aventa II towbar which takes about 2 minutes to connect. 108372
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
Baseplate Installation: I called several RV and trailer hitch centers. Parts and installation ranged from $2,050 to $2,200! Yikes! I read many installation reviews that concerned me about installing this tow bar myself on my 2003 Honda CRV. One reviewer took over 7 hours; some gave up. Yet, some reviewer didn't have difficulties. I view eTrailer's install video on a 2003 Honda Element, similar to the CRV; didn't seem all that difficult, but it's what you don't see that can be the problem. Received the tow bar before the expected delivery date! Read the instruction; watch the video again, and said, what the heck. Before I started, I purchased a new, high-quality 13/32" bit, Locktite (red), and six push rivets from Honda (I figured I break a few, and I did, and some were missing). Working slowly and reading the instructions, I had the front end off in 45 min (Steps 1-4). Removed the metal bumper, drilled and set frame support bolts, and removed the bumper flange in an hour (Steps 5-8). I did grind smooth and primer the removed flange area (photo). My 86 y.o. father-in-law help me with the baseplate attachment. Took our time; did a dry fit to see how the receivers fit through the grill; drilled, set bolts, and safety cable; all in less than an hour (Steps 9-11). I stood back and couldn't believe it was installed; what did I miss? Nothing. Reassembled the front end. Didn't have to cut the grill. I am most pleased. 212462
Perfectly!
Rebecca O - 07/16/2016Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
I am sending some pictures of my installation of the base plate and the wiring harness (TM783130) and the blue ox tow bar on my 2005 Honda CRV. It worked out OK although the instruction for the base plate ( BX2238) installation instructions could be improved some. Everything is installed and operational. Have towed the Honda 150 miles satisfactorily. Thanks for your interest. 468877
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
Overall, the Blue Ox system has worked out great. I had read a lot of reviews, mostly positive, but some who had some difficulty with the installation, but in my case I had no real difficulty at all. The base plate lined up good, I did use a pry bar to spring it a bit, but nothing major. Ok, so this review if for the entire Blue Ox base plate, Blue Ox Alpha, Patriot II and Hopkings light kit package. I deviated a bit from the base plate installation procedure. I never used the vice grips, I simply installed the 5/8" bolts, leveled the plate and torqued them up after applying red Locktite. I was able to wedge/slip the spacer bars into position and then I drilled the frame using the base plate/spacer bar combination to keep the drill perfectly aligned. I did not have a 17/32 drill so I simply used a 1/2" drill to start each hole. I then swapped down to a 1/4" drill to punch through the frame and progressively drilled the hole larger until I got to the 1/2" bit. I have a Drill Doctor to keep my bits very sharp so they do not drift or wander. Great tool for your shop if you do not have one. I also drilled the hole toward the rear first. Once that was complete, I installed the rear most 1/2" bolt, Locktite and torqued that bolt. I then started a 1/2" hole using the base plate, swapped to the smaller bit and again progressively drill to 1/2" using the spacer as a guide and installed the front 1/2" bolt with Locktite and then torqued. I can see where if you installed the front bolt first, it would be difficult to reach the rear to get the nut started. I rechecked the torque on all the bolts once installed. Word of caution, the nuts have some "teeth" to bite into the frame when installed. These kind of nuts do not want to be tightened and loosened repeatedly. You want to install them once and go right to tightness. Less risk of breaking the wire that is welded to the nuts because the teeth are initially sharp and will bite into the frame. If you tighten and loosen these nuts the teeth get duller and will not grab very well. The purpose of the wire is only to align the nut with the bolt. I did slightly "kink" the wires on the bolts so the nuts started easily on the threads of the bolt. To refit the air dam underneath, I simply measured the distance between the left and right side of the base plate and transferred that dimension to the plastic dam. Rather than cut with a knife, I drilled a 1/2" hole in the plastic dam at the bottom end, used masking tape to mark my cut lines and then finished with a fine tooth jigsaw cutting 1/2" slots. Since the base plate is 1/4" thick the 1/2" slots give me a bit of play and look nice and even. I did not take photos yet, but if I can get back here I'll post a few of the finished product. Among the things I really like about this is how up tight and close the base plate connections are to my bumper. You really do not notice the base plate when you look at the front of the Jeep which to me gives it a nice clean look. I got a Patriot II remote braking system. It took me longer to route the "break away wire" and switch than to set up the remote control. The Hopkins brake light package was easy to install and directions were clear. Spent most of my time deciding how to route the wires from rear to front. 563983
Review from a similar Blue Ox Standard in Base Plates
Have yet to tow with the recently installed base plate. Comments on install instructions: While the base plate is still off the vehicle, verify the self-tapping screws that secure the wiring receptacle snugly fit and will tighten. In my case, the provided self-tapping screws were too small and would not tighten to hold the electrical connector in place. I ended up using a 1/4-20 tap to cut threads into the bracket. Regretfully I didn't notice this until after the base plate was installed, while finishing up the wiring. There is little room to work a tap once everything is back in place! When removing the windshield washer reservoir, there is a connector securing the filler spout inside the engine compartment that the installation instructions & installation video neglect to tell you to remove prior to pulling the reservoir down & out. Base plate mounting plates were bowed inward by nearly 3/8" making it extremely difficult to slide into position to drill mounting holes; suggest verifying the clear spacing between the plate at the crossbar and then again at the edge furthest away from the cross bar. If short, use a hydraulic jack and some timber spacers to spread out to proper width. Finished install looks great, I'll supplement my review after towing. 522349
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