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1998 Peterbilt 357
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Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Fixed Arms
Part Number: BX3605
$430.89
Retail:$609.00
You Save: $178.11
1998 Peterbilt 357
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- All Info
- Reviews (421)
- Q & A (0)
- Photos
Blue Ox Tow Bar Base Plate - BX3605
Highlights
- Custom Fit for Your Vehicle: Mounts to existing attachment points
- Ready for Flat Towing: Creates secure connection points so you can safely tow your vehicle behind your RV.
- Blends In When Not Towing: Low-profile reinforcements keep the front end looking neat and streamlined.
- Distributes Towing Force Evenly: Crossbar design helps prevent stress on the suspension for steady travel.
- Built to Last: Heavy-duty, powder-coated steel resists rust and corrosion through long-distance use.
- Works with Multiple Tow Bars: Pairs with Blue Ox bars or adapts for Roadmaster (RM-031/RM-031-5) and Demco (DM9523041).
Features to know about
Built for a Solid Tow: Durable Steel Base Plate That Bolts to the Chassis
When you’re setting up for flat towing, you want a mount that feels solid and stays aligned. This base plate bolts directly to the chassis using the included mounting hardware—no welding required. The durable steel construction is powder coated to resist rust and corrosion, and its sturdy design spreads towing force evenly to help prevent stress on your vehicle’s suspension.
Keeps It Clean: Low-Profile Reinforcements with a Streamlined Look
Once you’re unhooked, you don’t want heavy brackets or bars sticking out front. The low-profile reinforcements keep the front end looking neat while still providing strong attachment points for your tow bar. The crossbar support beam blends in well with the bumper, keeping the setup visible when it matters but unobtrusive when it doesn’t.
Hook Up with Confidence: Reliable Connection to Blue Ox Tow Bars
The fixed-arm design pairs securely with Blue Ox tow bars to form a solid, dependable link between your vehicle and your motorhome. Each lug is built for strength and precision fit, giving you peace of mind mile after mile. For added flexibility, it’s adaptable for use with Roadmaster tow bars using adapter RM-031 or RM-031-5, and with Demco tow bars using adapter DM9523041 (sold separately).
Ready to Go the Distance: Proven Specs and Warranty Support
With a 24" distance between brackets and a bracket height of 14-1/2", this setup provides solid geometry for smooth towing performance. Every part of the design is built for long-term reliability on the road, backed by a 3-year warranty that shows confidence in its construction.
Specs
Dimensions
- Distance between brackets: 24"
- Bracket height: 14-1/2"
Warranty
- Warranty: 3-Year warranty
- tow bar: links your towed car to your motorhome. It attaches to the custom-fit base plates that install on the frame of your towed car.
- base plates: install on the frame of your towed car.
- safety cables: ensure that your towed car does not separate from your motorhome in the event that your tow bar becomes detached.
- tow bar wiring: allows your towed vehicle's signal lights to sync up with your motorhome's tail lights, which is required by law in most states.
- supplemental braking system: brakes your towed car when the brakes in your motorhome are activated, preventing wear on the motorhome and decreasing braking distance for your entire setup.
BX3605 Blue Ox Baseplate - Standard Tabs
This Product Fits The Following Vehicles
- 1998 - 2002 Subaru Forester with brush guard
- 1998 - 2002 Subaru Forester without brush guard
Ratings & Reviews
4.8
421 reviews
by:
Richard
06/02/2026
4 it's in solid, but the [finish] that was used killed it from being a five.
The installation took about four hours. I had a tight interference fit between the frame rails. I wish I had an 18-24" linear ram, but I didn't. So two hydraulic floor jacks, with 4 - 24" welding clamps, and two 12" C-clamps, a short 2# sledge did the trick. Nothing a little spray paint can't fix. Four bolt holes lined up nicely. Two 1/2" drilled holes from the bottom were easy leverage to set up. Two 1/2" drilled holes inside to outside, were quite the challenge to get behind the drill. All fasteners now torqued to specification with red locktite. Added the 1/2" safety cables, made an adjustment in the lower airdam. And presto, here you have it. Now time to set up diode kit, and brake away switch installation.
The installation took about four hours. I had a tight interference fit between the frame rails. I wish I had an 18-24" linear ram, but I didn't. So two hydraulic floor jacks, with 4 - 24" welding clamps, and two 12" C-clamps, a short 2# sledge did the trick. Nothing a little spray paint can't fix. Four bolt holes lined up nicely. Two 1/2" drilled holes from the bottom were easy leverage to set up. Two 1/2" drilled holes inside to outside, were quite the challenge to get behind the drill. All fasteners now torqued to specification with red locktite. Added the 1/2" safety cables, made an adjustment in the lower airdam. And presto, here you have it. Now time to set up diode kit, and brake away switch installation.
by:
Jeff K.
04/24/2026
We really like our blue ox towbar mounts from etrailer. We're excited to be able to flat tow our 2001 F-250 with our ATV in the bed. Real game changer,, Thank You etrailer
A few pictures of how I attach it
A few pictures of how I attach it
Mike L.
4/25/2026
Nice job Jeff, thanks for the awesome photos!
by:
Randy
06/22/2026
The kit is well built and comes with all the necessary hardware to install. Installation was a breeze and asthetically blends in well with the front of the truck. Great job on the design and the production!
Kate F.
6/25/2026
Install looks great Randy! Where are you headed for the first big trip with the new set-up?
by:
Grant
02/06/2026
Not a bad install the nuts on the end of the wires was a little strange and odd to use and bend….. worked out great haven’t towed it yet ….bolted in and ready. There’s not really any place on thes 06 Wrangler to put those safety cables to the frame. Alex T in sales was great.
Lazer S.
2/10/2026
Glad the install went smoothly, Grant! Even with those weird handle nuts (which I agree are kind of odd). What's the first trip you have planned? And I will let Alex know what you said as well! : )
by:
Dan B
05/12/2026
2005
Hummer
H2
Easily installed but proper alignment needs to be maintained before drilling the additional hole required for through bolts.
by:
Joshua
05/05/2026
1 year later, it’s been used for over 1500 miles and held up great. I did the install and had a weld shop tax the bolts do they wouldn’t back out.
by:
Pop
04/12/2019
Perfect fit, well built of high quality materials. In my mind you just can't get much better than Blue Ox. The only issue is that the BX1120 doesn't have removable twist lock tabs. The fixed draw bar mounting tabs are at just the right height and position to play havoc with your shins when the draw bar is not installed. I solved that problem with a shin guard I made of 2 inch schedule 40 PVC. (see photo) Fits perfectly, guards the breakaway switch and lighting connector when not in use, and solves the shin interference problem.
Alan B.
4/13/2020
After a year of occasional use I am still very happy with the BX1120 baseplate. Its a joy to use high quality products from a high quality supplier. Ive always gotten the highest quality support from the folks at Etrailer. Thanks folks.
by:
Michael
08/31/2026
Once again just great service from etrailer
by:
Keith
03/18/2026
Outstanding communication. Outstanding customer service. Outstanding towbars and baseplates. Will be back.
by:
Shay
05/09/2025
Base plate is well built and fit well. As I would expect from Blue Ox products. My only complaint and the reason for 4 stars would be the horrible instruction. Pictures are absolutely horrible. Not a big deal for the mechanically inclined, but not everyone fits that category.
by:
Justin
03/25/2026
Very simple to install, just need to drill a few holes in the frame. Comes with everything you need except a couple basic washers (mine came with 3 lock washers and 2 standard flats for 4 bolts)…
Would be nice to have the torque specs also in the instructions but the busted bolt is on me!
Would be nice to have the torque specs also in the instructions but the busted bolt is on me!
by:
Christopher
03/05/2026
2002
Mazda
Protege
I'm not giving the products the stars as much as the woman who helped me select them and turned me onto the "road-master" product line. Road-master had a "towed-car" hitch for my 2002 Mazda Protege. It was a blessing to have met her acquaintance.
by:
James
01/22/2026
First of all, the staff at etrailer has always been there with answers with anything. Fitment, installation, usage etc. Second. The install was easy with the enclosed instructions. I did it by myself with only getting help to raise and lower the bumper. After several thousand miles of towing, still tight and still looks great
by:
Carl V
09/24/2018
1999
Jeep
Wrangler
I had a simple ball hitch setup for my 1999 Jeep Wrangler for towing behind our RV. Our first trip out with it, the bolts that attached the bar connectors to the front of the Jeep came loose. I was fortunate that they didn't come out completely and cause a major accident. I was able to tighten them again, and we had no additional issues on our trip. Of course, this made me extremely nervous with my 'budget' route to tow the Jeep so I began looking for a better, more reliable solution.
Blue Ox was the name that kept coming up so I purchased the BX1120. The build quality is outstanding, it's extremely solid and very durable. Installation time was about an hour and a half once I had the right tools, couldn't find my 1/2 inch socket set! I'm using the Blue Ox Alpha tow bar with this setup.
I will say that having a second set of hands to install is valuable, my son had to come help me get the drivers side bolts in while I held the steering housing in place.
All in all, I'm very pleased with the product. It went in easy and should save my nerves on our next road trip!
1999 Jeep Wrangler Sport
After market front bumper (Plenty of clearance with this specific mount)
Blue Ox was the name that kept coming up so I purchased the BX1120. The build quality is outstanding, it's extremely solid and very durable. Installation time was about an hour and a half once I had the right tools, couldn't find my 1/2 inch socket set! I'm using the Blue Ox Alpha tow bar with this setup.
I will say that having a second set of hands to install is valuable, my son had to come help me get the drivers side bolts in while I held the steering housing in place.
All in all, I'm very pleased with the product. It went in easy and should save my nerves on our next road trip!
1999 Jeep Wrangler Sport
After market front bumper (Plenty of clearance with this specific mount)
by:
Brody
01/22/2021
Installed this on a 2014 Chevy Express 3500 15 passenger van. Install was time consuming, as holes needed to be drilled (went through 2 drill bits) and the nuts must be fished through the frame, then "caught" by the bolt. I think there were 12 of them! Instructions were clear, though, and I've safely towed without incident over 7,000 miles in the past year. Definitely rock solid! Paired up with a Blue Ox Aventa 7,500 lb tow bar.
by:
Joe
09/18/2026
It mounted right up to my 2001 jeep. Ive only used it a couple times but worked well. no issues.
by:
Joe H
08/31/2022
The Blue Ox BasePlate has worked out very well. We've traveled over 3,000 miles on 4 separate trips....with multiple hookups and detachments. Great system. The only constructive comment is the electric hookup for lights/turn signals was a little wonky but my mechanic worked it out with the manufacturer.
by:
Merlin
11/03/2022
My blue ox base plate kit came right on schedule. I met my mechanic at the shop and with a hydraulic lift and air tools we had it installed and secured in about 30 minutes. I could have done it alone at home in about 1.5 hrs. It fits perfect and looks like it was part of original car frame.
Thx
Thx
by:
Randy M
08/25/2017
2006
Hummer
H3
I thought price was a little high, but they worked very well. Fit perfectly and looked good. Came with clear installation instructions. The nuts on steel wires made it possible to slide them deep inside the frame where the support plates bolted on without any trouble.
by:
Curtis
01/12/2019
Dodge
Dakota
A friend needed a tow bar on his Dakota , I was referred to etrailer.com and they carried everything I needed ! The instructions are easy to understand making installation simple . etrailer.com has all the information from deciding what is best for your needs to the end of the project !
by:
James
05/06/2026
Quality built product! And outstanding customer service by Ashley!!
by:
John
01/09/2026
Easy enough install on my 86 samurai. Had to do some persuading but nothing major. I did need to notch the bottom of the bumper in two spots to clear the mounting brackets. Seems awfully expensive when you see what you get.
by:
Al
12/20/2022
everything bolted up easy, i simply drilled hole’s into were needed and supplied my own bolts straight through for easy installation.
Al B.
12/21/2023
it still looks nice and working as it should. i made it also double as a base to bolt up my winch. the bonus thing is when i need to tow it i can undo 4 bolts and take my winch off. i think you guys at e-trailer should consider making something like this as a option. i have pictures of it installed but how do i send them to you?
Mike L.
12/21/2023
@AlB Just use the provided link below!
by:
Steven
09/14/2026
They worked great
25
421
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Show More Reviews
See what our Experts say about this Blue Ox Tow Bar Base Plate
- Recommended Parts Needed to Flat Tow a 2001 Subaru ForesterThe first thing that you will need to get for your 2001 Subaru Forester is a tow bar. I recommend using the Blue Ox Alpha Tow Bar # BX7380 since it comes with the safety cable that you will need to use. The Base Plate Kit, part # BX3605, will work well with the Alpha Tow Bar and has a nice clean look. You may need to use a supplemental braking system in your Subaru for when you come to stop. I recommend going with the Roadmaster Even Brake, part # RM-9400. This is a wireless supplemental...
view full answer... - Adapter Needed To Connect A Roadmaster Falcon 2 Tow Bar To Blue Ox Baseplates To connect a Roadmaster Falcon 2 Tow Bar # RM-520 to a Blue Ox baseplate, like the # BX3605 which is a confirmed fit for your Forester, you would need the Roadmaster Tow Bar to Blue Ox Brackets Adapter # RM-031. This would replace the connectors on the arms allowing you to mount the tow bar to the baseplate. There is the Roadmaster Crossbar-Style Base Plate Kit # 909-9, which is confirmed to fit your Forester, but you'd still need an adapter like the Quick Disconnect Crossbar Assembly...
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Do you have a question about this Tow Bar Base Plate?
Info for this part was:
Written by:
Lindsey S
Updated by:
Adele M
Updated by:
Wilson B
Updated by:
Mike S
Updated by:
Michael B
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Kate F.
6/5/2026
Thanks for your review, Richard! It sounds like this was a fairly involved installation, but we're glad to hear everything came together successfully in the end. We appreciate you sharing the details of your process, especially the tips about the tight frame rail clearance and drilling challenges, as those insights may help other RV owners tackling the same project. Thanks for including the photo as well. Your finished installation looks great! Now that it's installed and you're moving on to the diode kit and brake away switch, what adventure are you looking forward to most this summer in your RV?