Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms
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1996 Ford Ranger
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1996 Ford Ranger
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When you’re towing a full-size vehicle, you need gear that feels rock solid. This Direct-Connect base plate kit bolts straight to the frame and doesn’t need a crossbar, thanks to its heavy-duty design. The computer-cut, all-steel construction is built for strength, and the black powder coat finish holds up against corrosion. It’s made to handle the kind of long-distance towing setups that rack up miles without giving you any drama.
Once you unpin the front drawbars, the brackets nearly disappear into the grille. The hidden design keeps everything tucked away and protected from scrapes and scuffs when you’re not towing. With no bulky crossbar or visible hardware, you keep a clean, factory-style front end that won’t catch your leg or draw attention.
The removable arms slide in and secure with two pins for a quick, no-fuss hookup. When it’s time to tow, you can connect your tow bar directly to the brackets—no extra bars or adapters needed for compatible Roadmaster tow bars that slide into a trailer hitch receiver. It’s straightforward, solid, and saves time every time you hook up.
This kit bolts on without any welding and comes with all the mounting hardware and instructions you need. The custom base plates are designed for an exact frame fit, which means less guesswork during install. The included frame variance measurement diagram helps verify alignment before tightening everything down, so you know it’s right the first time.
From the steel build to the corrosion-resistant black powder coat finish, every part of this setup is made for long-term reliability. Once installed, it delivers the peace of mind that comes from tough materials and proven design—backed by a limited lifetime warranty that keeps your towing rig ready for the long haul.
Note: MX base plates will work only with the Roadmaster tow bars that slide into a trailer hitch, such as the Nighthawk, Sterling, Blackhawk, Blackhawk 2, Falcon, and Falcon 2. The MX base plates will not work with tow bars that require a hitch ball.
MX Series brackets do not require a crossbar because of the heavy-duty nature of your vehicle's frame. Thus, installation is simplified, the hookup process is faster, and the total appearance is enhanced.
Note: The EZ Hook safety cables included with Roadmaster's Sterling tow bars will not work with MX series base plates. These cables connect to an anchor plate on the Quick Disconnect crossbar, which will not be present when you are using MX base plates.
The drawbars, or front arms, on the MX series base plate kit are simple to mount and remove, easily securing with pins. Once the drawbars have been removed, the remaining brackets are virtually invisible. On most automobiles, the brackets are mounted within the grille, where they remain not only unseen, but protected from scrapes and scuffs as well.
Frame Variance Measurement Diagram
Measurement must be taken from the centerpoint of the lower-most threaded hole, on the side of frame, to a center-line dissecting the rear-most elongated hole on the bottom of the frame.
Customer Satisfaction Score:
75% were satisfied with this product
25% of customers were not satisfied
Ratings & Reviews
The Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit has performed flawlessly over the past year. With almost 10k miles logged during our 3 month trip across the US, the components have remained as installed and operated as expected.
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.
Very efficient
I had to ream out one of the holes to fit my 95 Tahoe. No problem hooking up after that. Went right in with no other modifications and no problems. Have towed a few thousand miles now and they worked great for me.
Product exactly as described smooth install quality material through instructions. Thank You Judy
Highly recommend E-Trailer for all of your towing accessories. Great product, great customer service!!
Would have been nice to get better installation instructions, maybe a video of the actual vehicle that I'm installing it on??
The base plate installation went as smooth as expected. The details included with the plate were complete and clear. Great products and great service.
Straight forward install of 131-8 on 1998 Yukon. But i did have to do two things they don’t mention. (1) I had to trim about 3/4” to enlarge the hook hole in the air dam and (2) because of a slight mismatch of the nutplate with the frame holes, I drilled the center bottom holes in the frame from 1/2” to 5/8”. That was enough for both sides and the fit was then very good with no slop.. The tow bracket pins seem very easy to remove (to steal the brackets) so I will replace with locking 5/8” hitch pins. Besides, they are ugly and oversized (too ling). All in all, went as expected. Other reviewers gave the heads up on the air dam trim and the hole mismatch. Also, not sure why the big clipped washer spacers are clipped; there was no interference on the 1998 Yukon. And i didn’t use the 1/2” clipped washers.
The baseplate were delivered on time.
Installation was straight forward. Because these baseplates were for a truck no disassembly was required, only minor timming of the front air dam. The new baseplates were easy to install and they fit perfectly. The instructions were clear and useful.
I originally called a RV shop to have them purchase and install the baseplates. But they said they checked with Roadmaster and the baseplates were not available for my truck because of its age (it's a 1997 GMC Sierra 1500 4X4). I guess the should have checked with etrailer.com. They lost a job, not good for business.
It was amazing how well it fit my older Tahoe.
Tom
5/5/2025
1 year later,this direct- connect base plate kit for my 99 Tahoe has been flawless.
Not the best quality. I should have stayed with the BlueOx products to match the BlueOx tow bar I purchased. The left side base plate went together pretty easy. However, the right side left a lot to be desired. First, one of the three bolt holes on a backing plate was about a quarter of a hole off center. Had to modify the frame to make it fit. Second, the side bracket on the base plate was not square, and was difficult to get it bolted up to the frame. Also, had to trim the valance on the right side because the base plate didn't quite fit the hole like the left side did.
Left side was a great fit.
Right side, I had to open the holes on the frame a little. The side bolt for the bumper didn't line up.
Still a great product. I have used on my previous cars.
Everything appears to have arrived in excellent shape. Look forward to installing in real near future.
Mike L.
2/19/2026
Thanks for checking in Joseph. Please let us know how the install goes!
I was told it was a direct fit. Had to drill holes and cut off side to mount it. Took several hours
As a whole the base plate is built well and directions are clear.
Brooke M.
4/18/2025
Looks awesome, Nick! Where are you headed in the photo where you're all hooked up?
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Jenny N.
12/23/2021
I reached out to the manufacturer and there is not a video installation video at this time.