Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms
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2022 Ford Edge
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2022 Ford Edge
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If you like a clean, factory look when you’re not towing, this setup keeps things neat. The hidden design keeps the brackets tucked in so nothing sticks out past the front bumper. When you’re ready to disconnect, just twist the removable arms free and plug the receivers with the included covers to keep dirt and debris out. It’s a simple design that stays out of sight and out of the way.
Each arm slides into the receiver, twists to lock, and secures with a pin—no tools or guesswork needed. When it’s time to unhook, pull the pin, rotate the arm, and slide it out. The twist-lock system makes connecting your tow bar quick and reliable whether you’re setting up in your driveway or at a campsite.
The base plate bolts directly to your chassis using the included hardware—no welding required. Its sturdy steel frame spreads towing forces evenly to prevent stress on your suspension. The durable powder-coated finish helps resist rust so it holds up after miles of road travel and long hauls.
You can pair this base plate with Blue Ox tow bars directly for a secure connection. It’s also adaptable for use with Roadmaster tow bars using adapter RM-031 or RM-031-5 (sold separately) and with Demco tow bars using adapter DM9523041 (sold separately). Built-in mounting points let you attach an electrical connector plug bracket (sold separately) so your wiring stays tidy up front.
This kit comes with all hardware needed for a secure fit. It bolts straight to your vehicle’s chassis and doesn’t require any welding. With a bracket height of 13-1/2" and 20" between brackets, you can plan your towing setup confidently knowing these exact measurements match your tow bar alignment.
Customer Satisfaction Score:
92% were satisfied with this product
8% of customers were not satisfied
Ratings & Reviews
The service was excellent. They thought the products would be a little late and contacted me to see if I still wanted them. The products arrived on time. Excellent service! Thanks!
Looks good so far . I haven't installed anything yet but everything seems like it will fit as advertised.
fast delivery, excellent customer service. what else you need!
Works Great on my MINI Toad.
Some friends and I installed it in about 3 Hours
Just what we needed to tow our Mini Cooper behind our Dutch Star! Easy to install. Great video and instructions.
Very difficult to mount first two alignment bolts. Little clearance. Had to trim facia quite a bit for clearance. Overall I like the base plate and think it will work well.
This is a very solid bar and fit just as expected. The instructions were very clear, and after trimming a few plastic parts and drilling out a couple holes it bolted right in. Take your time cutting out the grill holes, start smaller than you think, and you will have a great fit. Pulled my Mini to Florida this spring.
Just finished install and just ordered the correct height drop hitch from you folks. Installed went pretty well and had to make a couple of adjustments but, worked well and will try out when hitch arrives...Thanks
Perfect how far fit on the front of my Mini Cooper. It is hidden well and required absolutely no modifications on the car at all. Love it!
Timothy T.
3/24/2023
I dont know about the fit for other flat tow vehicles, but for a Mini Cooper the fit is perfect and hidden well on the front end. No modifications were required for the install.
Had some shipping damage issues with the order, but the staff at etrailer was on point. They took care of the return and sent a replacement within days. They did a fantastic job. I would like to thank Amy J. , Sue B. and Carol C. for all their help ! I haven't installed the part yet, when I do I'll try to send pictures of the install.
I have done a number of these base plates, and this one was the worst fitting and lowest quality unfortunately. Not sure if there is just a lot of variation on the 2010 Mini Cooper S Convertible it went on, but the bolt holes didn't line up well at all. Additionally, it seems one of the post mounts is angled a bit down compared to the other. Not enough to be an issue and certainly not enough to take the whole thing back out, but I was disappointed. Just keep an eye for fit, maybe I should have noticed and returned for another one, but we were able to make it work.
Product looks fantastic, having it installed thus week .
Hopefully I can send some pictures latter.
Like the way the tow bar will attach to the base
plate. Would like some thing to install in the
Base plate when it towing.
well, the carton ends had been taped back together but not fully closed. the "parts bag" of bolts, washers, etc had burst, spilling its contents inside the larger carton. some of them arrived. but upon inventory, it seems the vast majority were lost. some of "nut plates with wire" arrived intact, more were bent, some were missing. all in all, the package went thru hell & lost many of the smaller parts.
when I called etrailer customer service, Marc C was ALL OVER THIS. he patiently went down the parts list 1 line at a time, noting how many were usable & how many I needed. this was Fri approaching 5pm. when we finished, he said that, barring complications, my replacement parts would ship out Tuesday. in light of the outstanding customer service, I am very likely to continue doing business with etrailer.
This base plate was a perfect fit for my Mini Cooper. Installation was fairly easy because to instructions were great. Highly recommended.
This is a well built unit and I was able to install with minimal challenges. The challenges were created by body shop repair to the damage received from prior front end collision. Unit fix into place exactly and modification to grill for arms was done easily. I installed on a 2010 Mini Cooper convertible, our tow car behind our Minnie Winnie RV. We just completed a 1500 mile trek from Florida through Western NC and northeastern GA and the car towed perfectly. I wish I had installed 3 years ago instead of trailering.
I want to let you all know that I’m not a happy camper.
After much pushing, cutting, pushing & swearing, I finally got all the screws and pushpins back in place. I expected a better fit considering how much this baseplate cost. In reassembling, the front clip was distorted enough that parts of it popped apart and I had to drill into the bumper & add some screws to get it to look normal. Then the lower drivers side black grill popped in and there is no way to get the clips to hold it in place. If this were properly designed it would have fit better. I have no idea how long before some of those fasteners will last on our nasty highways but I guess stitching it back together forever will keep me occupied.
I’m not just a weekend mechanic. I’ve worked for an auto dealership, rebuilt engine & transmissions, etc. This project took me & a helper almost 8 hours to complete with no helpful feedback from BlueOx despite several phone conversations
Will it work to to my Mini? Yes, but be aware that cosmetically your Mini will never be the same.
I installed this myself. The whole process took about 2 hours. The instructions were great and very detailed. Simple tools were all that were required. You do have to cut a couple of holes in the bottom grill in the Mini to allow the pins to be installed for towing and use the safety hooks. Thanks for a great product
Kurt D.
6/11/2017
It is doing just fine. traveled about 15,000 miles and still going strong. I appreciate all the help that I received from etrailer when I purchased my base plate.
Recieved the item quickly and in in good condition iside a factory sealed container.
All of the parts and instructions were included. The tow bar had a good coat of paint. The price was the lowest I had found and purchasing was touble free. Bought this to mate with my Blue Ox Aladin tow bar.
Charles
8/3/2021
System works very well. Rather difficult install until I followed the directions more closely. Had reservations about cutting plastic. The base plate instaslled as intended,. Had some difficulty getting the safety cables to fit. Great videos and instructions.
Installed myself, not a simple install, but doable if mechanically inclined. I have about 3,000 trouble free miles.
Michael
8/17/2025
Absolutely no issue! Highly recommend.
Fast delivery,excellent fit.
The product and all its parts and pieces were excellent quality. The installation was straightforward and there are excellent YouTube videos out there for my exact model. We've towed our mini all over the country and have had zero issues.
After 1year using my Blue Ox baseplate I am still completely satisfied with my purchase. I installed the baseplate myself, it was a little challenging , but the instructions/video made it doable. The removable pins work very well, when they are removed you barely notice anything. You can’t even tell it’s a dinghy when it’s not being towed. I would recommend this baseplate to anyone wanting to tow their Mini-Cooper. I imagine that all Blue Ox baseplate are equally well built and reliable.
Fits very well. However you could have the manufacturer use stronger bolts and washers.
Received this in two days and planning to install over the weekend. Thanks Etrailer.
Jay
3/23/2025
This works like it should and was an easy fit. I would recommend Etrailer for all your needs.
Jerred H.
3/23/2025
Fits my 2013 mini cooper non turbo. Does take a few hours to install this Fit was good. The hardest part is removing the front bumper and reinstalling it. You do have to cut the lower bumper grill in three places take your time locating the exact spots for cuts. I have pulled Mini Cooper about seven thousand miles now with this Blue Ox and has worked great
Kate F.
12/17/2025
Thanks for the detailed review Chris, and the pointers! This will be most helpful to others. What was your favorite stop in those 7,000 miles? Where did you go, what did you see?
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Curt
9/27/2021
Perfect! Dont even feel the MINI behind me.