Base Plates and Equipment Needed to Flat Tow Honda Element 2003 EX Behind Motorhome

Updated 12/02/2014 | Published 12/01/2014

Products Featured in This Question

Roadmaster Tracker Tow Bar - Coupler Style for 2" Ball - 5,000 lbs

(81)

$335.00

Blue Ox Patriot Portable Flat Tow Brake System - Proportional

(386)

$1324.39

Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms

(4544)

$532.19

Blue Ox Alpha 2 Non-Binding Tow Bar - RV Mount - 2" Hitch - 6,500 lbs

(446)

$897.55

Roadmaster 4-Diode Universal Wiring Kit for Towed Vehicles - 4-Way Flat Connectors

(3149)

$100.94

Question:

Which brand towing set up would you recommend...base plate, towing bar, wiring and brakes? Roadmaster or Blue Ox? Falcon??

asked by: Sunny C

Helpful Expert Reply:

I looked up an online copy of your owner's manual and confirmed that your vehicle can indeed be flat towed, at speeds up to but not exceeding 65mph. Honda lists very specific steps that must be taken before manual or automatic transmission equipped vehicles are flat towed. This information begins on page 198 of the manual.

For your vehicle, I like the Blue Ox base plates a bit better. After looking at the installation instructions, I'd recommend the Blue Ox baseplate # BX2232 because the install procedure looks a bit more straightforward. I'll link you to an install video showing this very base plate kit being installed on a 2003 Element. The Blue Ox Alpha, part # BX7380 would be an excellent choice for a tow bar, and it includes the safety cables you'll need. To wire your Element for flat towing, I recommend the Roadmaster diode kit, part # RM-154.

You'll also need a supplemental braking system for the Element. I can highly recommend the Blue Ox Patriot # BLU37TR. There are other less expensive supplemental braking systems out there, but they'll cost you a few hundred dollars to have installed, or will take a few hours if you install it yourself, while the Patriot will just drop into place and attach to the brake pedal. Install and set-up take just a few moments.

I'll also link you to some FAQ articles about flat towing that I hope you'll find helpful.