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  1. Tow Bar Base Plate
  2. Blue Ox
  3. Removable Draw Bars
  4. Twist Lock Attachment
Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms
Blue Ox

Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms

Part Number: BX1308
$501.77
Retail:$636.38
You Save: $134.61
Tow Bar Base Plate

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Custom designed to fit your vehicle so it can be safely towed behind your RV, this base plate has easily removable arms that offer a seamless look when you're not flat towing. Base plate bolts directly to your chassis, so no welding is required. Great Prices for the best tow bar base plate from Blue Ox. Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms part number BX1308 can be ordered online at etrailer.com or call 1-800-940-8924 for expert service.
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  • Reviews (3249)
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Blue Ox Tow Bar Base Plate - BX1308

  • Blue Ox
  • Removable Draw Bars
  • Twist Lock Attachment

Custom designed to fit your vehicle so it can be safely towed behind your RV, this base plate has easily removable arms that offer a seamless look when you're not flat towing. Base plate bolts directly to your chassis, so no welding is required.


Features:

  • Custom-fit base plate provides attachment points for your tow bar when flat towing
  • Hidden design provides a clean, seamless look
    • Arms remove with a simple twist when not in use
    • Brackets won't protrude past the front of your vehicle
  • Sturdy design spreads towing force evenly to prevent stress on your vehicle's suspension
  • Integrated mounting points let you easily attach an electrical connector plug with bracket (sold separately)
  • Receiver covers keep dirt and debris out of the base plate when arms are removed and provide a finished look
  • Durable steel construction is powder coated to resist rust and corrosion
  • Straightforward installation - no welding required
    • Base plate bolts securely to your vehicle's chassis with included mounting hardware
  • Sturdy lugs pair with Blue Ox tow bars to form a secure and reliable connection
    • Adaptable for use with Roadmaster tow bars - adapter (RM-031 or RM-031-5) sold separately
    • Adaptable for use with Demco tow bars - adapter (DM9523041) sold separately
  • Made in the USA


Specs:

  • Distance between brackets: 20"
  • Bracket height: 14"
  • 3-Year warranty


Simple, Hidden Design

Blue Ox Base Plate With Arms AttachedBlue Ox Base Plate Arms Removed

This base plate's hidden design creates a clean and seamless look. The bracket arms are easily removable, creating a slick appearance when you're not flat towing. Because the arms can be removed, you also won't have to worry about banging your leg into any protruding arms when you walk by.


Blue Ox Base Plate Removable Arms

Attaching and removing the bracket arms is a breeze. To attach the arms to the base plate, simply insert them into the receivers and rotate them until they lock into place. Once you're finished towing and want to remove the arms, pull the pin to disengage the lock, rotate the arms, and remove them from the receivers. Finally, plug up the now empty receivers with the included receiver covers to help keep dirt and debris out of the base plate and provide a finished look.


Guide to Flat Towing

Flat towing your vehicle is much more convenient than using a trailer or a tow dolly. These other options take up much more storage space, leaving you less room both at home and at the campsite. In addition, securing your vehicle to a trailer or tow dolly can be a hassle and more time consuming than hooking up with a tow bar.


There are 5 basic components needed when flat towing a vehicle: a tow bar, a base plate kit, a safety cable set, tow bar wiring, and a supplemental braking system.


Towing Basics

The 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. 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. Finally, the supplemental braking system - also required in most states - 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.



BX1308 Blue Ox Baseplate - Removable Tabs



This Product Fits The Following Vehicles




Customer Satisfaction Score:


Customer Reviews

Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms - BX1308

Average Customer Rating:  4.8 out of 5 stars   (3249 Customer Reviews)

Custom designed to fit your vehicle so it can be safely towed behind your RV, this base plate has easily removable arms that offer a seamless look when you're not flat towing. Base plate bolts directly to your chassis, so no welding is required.

by:
2014 Mini Cooper

Received my Blue Ox base plate for my 2014 Mini Cooper S Countryman, Installed it myself. The instructions were pretty straight forward, with a few minor alterations, the base plate fit exactly as designed and I still have all 10 fingers in tact. The base plate is very heavy duty, built like an ox. It isn't a breeze to install, but with with a little determination and several hours of fun dismantling and rebuilding the front of my car it's ready to attach to my class C motorhome. The most difficult thing was finding a 13/32 drill bit to drill the 8 holes into the bumper to attach the base plate. The rest is time and patience.



by:

Well built and fits like a glove.



by:
2016 Mini Cooper

Great customer service. Fast shipping . Can’t wait to get this Base Plate installed on my Cooper Countrymen. I’ll follow up with that review as well .



by:

Quick delivery in pleanty of time to install and tow for our vacation .... Thank you.



by:
2016 Mini Countryman

Have always had good service and fast delivery on products I buy



by:
2014 Mini Cooper



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2014 Mini Cooper



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by:
2012 Mini Countryman



by:

The size of the box terrified me but I had to do this one myself.
This project is not for the faint of heart. When you think about what could go wrong you could wet yourself. I went with my gut and just opened the box. Hmmm, packaged very well with everything you need for the install. No going to the hardware store for this or that. Sat there with a cold sarsaparilla and read the very detailed instructions, went back to the etrailer web site and checked out some vids and pics. Hmm, it didn’t seem that daunting of a job. On my 04 Lexus GX470 most of the holes were drilled. Before I knew it 5 hours had past and I owned a toad! I took it to my local Rv service center for an inspection and it was deemed safe to use.
This thing is awesome, tracs straight as an arrow.
Now, I have to figure out this diode lighting kit. Camping is fun! Yah!!! :) Noah and etrailer made this a tolerable project. I urge everyone to take advantage of the resources that are on this sight. I always learn something when I’m there. See y’all on the trail….Rod



by:

Well, I'm glad I'm good with tools, grinders, drills, and such. It was not just bolt-on dal. The car grill was able to be used any longer as it was too tight of a fit. Some of the lower fascia had to be trimmed and also removed OEM nuts from the front, the angle wouldn't allow the stock nuts to work. But in the end, I got to work out. So prepare to spend around 4-6 hours playing with it to get it to work. I am positive it's going to work as intended.



by:

By far the best way to take your vehicle with you when RVing is flat towing. etrailer.com has everything you need and they are a phone call away. I dealt with Noah G and he was very knowledgeable and very helpful throughout the process of getting everything I needed to flat tow my wife’s 2019 Ford Explorer. Highly recommend them.



by:

Good product. Installation was well explained and straightforward. We towed almost 10,000 miles in this first year with no problems. I did repaint where the arms go in twice this year to avoid rust.



by:

On a 2024 Trailblazer RS the grill needs a lot more cutting to fit the tow hooks and if you don’t cut it the fascia won’t fit back on. Bolts on passenger side to hold bar on were too long and hit the lower radiator hose had to replace. If you use a 6 pin connector more grill needs cutting and cannot use car lights because battery has to be disconnected to tow. If you don’t use the 6pin connector cut off mounting pins before you put facia back on as they hit the grill. Missing one removable arm part in order.



by:

Blue Ox base plate on 2017 Ford Edge. Instructions were adequate and the fit up was good. There was a better way to trim the grill so that less grill was removed than what was identified in the instructions. The base plate was scratched during shipping. I did let trailer know to improve their packaging. One year later and 5500 miles the base plate is still working well…



by:

Easy install and works great. Have towed about 7500 miles without any concerns. I do wish it was a little more out of sight. Also would be nice to have a recovery hook or ring that would snap in there.



by:

Hi Roger, want to compliment eTrailer on a job well done. The Blue OX tow plate and electronics were received at my installer on time, complete and undamaged. We should be able pick the RV up tomorrow and tow the Ford Escape home. Thank you, Dave S.



by:

I installed this on a 2018 Wrangler. The quality of build is very good with nice paint and welds. The instructions were reasonably through but did leave some room for improvement in the alignment discussion. I was not a fan of the weldnuts provided as the weld joints with the rod and nut were very poor and I had to jury rig some tools to use some that broke off prematurely. On my Jeep, the instructions for installing the safety cables simply would not work. There was insufficient clearance in the frame to route the clips so I am still trying to find a way to use them.
I have towed with the installed plate with no problems and feel confident it will be safe and secure.



by:

everything bolted up easy, i simply drilled hole’s into were needed and supplied my own bolts straight through for easy installation.



by:

I am really happy, not only with the product but the customer care I received. Very quick and helpful!!

I would make one suggestion. Take the headlights out when doing this on a Chevy Cobalt. It will make it much easier to get to the 3 bolt holding the fender to the fascia.



by:

This kit fit well, had decent instructions, and performed perfectly every time once installed. If doing the install yourself, you'll need some metal fabrication tools to notch the D-ring plates behind the bumper but it's not complicated, just a little time consuming depending on the tools you're using. The look is also a little weird on the front of a new Bronco since you're losing the burly bumper D-rings, but it's a well engineered setup overall. I only used the tow bar setup a couple times before the vehicle was lost in a wildfire so I can't comment on the longevity, but I have no doubt it would still be working fine today.



by:

I will start with the people that work here at etrailer are great to deal with and very helpful! These baseplates for my 2023 bronco have been great. i bought and installed myself. install pretty straight forward. and these work great for flat towing my bronco behind my motorhome.



by:

Installed successfully on my 2024 Trax LT. However, with respect to the following installation steps, I made some changes:

All - Don't use a reciprocating saw! An oscillating tool and saw attachment works best, allowing more precise cuts.

Step #8 - After consultation with BlueOx Tech Support, I elected to re-install the plastic shroud. Wasn't difficult and I felt better about maintaining the integrity of the original equipment.

Step #28 - I moved the temperature sensor to a forward facing position in the grill section directly above the baseplate.


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Show More Reviews

See what our Experts say about this Blue Ox Tow Bar Base Plate

  • Does Blue Ox Base Plate Fit 2016 Mini Cooper Countryman S
    Hi Henry, Good news as I can confirm for you the correct Blue Ox base plate for your 2016 Mini Cooper Countryman S model is indeed the one you asked about, the Blue Ox Base Plate Kit # BX1308. So that'll work to give you the attachment point for a tow bar, and if you happen to need the other parts to complete your flat tow set up, you can use the Blue Ox Alpha 2 Tow Bar # BX7380, Diode 7-Wire to 6-Wire Flexo-Coil Wiring Kit # RM-15267, and either the Demco Air Force One Flat Tow Brake...
    view full answer...
  • Recommended Base Plates for 2012 Mini Cooper Countryman Model S
    The Roadmaster EZ2 Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms # 521879-1A is not a confirmed fit for your 2012 Mini Cooper Countryman S model with manual transmission. It is a fit for 2011-2014 Mini Clubman S models. The only baseplate kit we have compatible with your 2012 Mini Countryman is the Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms # BX1308 which includes the model S. This will be a fit for your vehicle and I've attached the installation details to assist. If you would like recommendations...
    view full answer...
  • Recommended Baseplate For A 2016 Mini Copper Countryman
    For A 2016 Mini Cooper Countryman you'll need the Blue Ox Base Plate Kit # BX1308. If you haven't picked out the rest of your flat towing components then I have the following recommendations: Tow Bar: etrailer SD Non-Binding Tow Bar for Blue Ox Base Plates # e47ZR. This tow bar includes safety cables so you won't have to purchase them separately. Tow Bar Wiring Kit: Roadmaster Diode 7-Wire to 6-Wire Flexo-Coil Wiring Kit # RM-15267. This diode kit will splice into your factory wiring...
    view full answer...
  • Which Base Plates for Flat Towing for 2014 Mini Countryman S
    Generally you'll want to choose base plates based off what tow bar you've already got, since base plates and tow bars that are not of the same brand are only compatible with an additional adapter. As far as quality goes, both Roadmaster and Blue Ox make extremely high quality parts, and it's ultimately like choosing between Nike and Adidas. With that said, I do prefer the Blue Ox # BX1308 over the (discontinued) Roadmaster RM-521883-5 for your 2014 Mini Countryman S because the base plates...
    view full answer...
  • What Base Plate Would you Use on a 2014 Mini Coountryman
    When choosing between the Blue Ox Base Plate Kit part # BX1308 and the Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit part # RM-521883-5 the installation is going to be almost identical so that really should not effect your decision. As far as looks go the Roadmaster will offer a cleaner neater look when not in use. Of the two I would choose the Roadmaster with out a doubt. I have linked an installation video for you to check out on a 2016 Countryman.
    view full answer...
  • Parts Needed to Flat Tow 2012 Mini Countryman
    The first thing you need to flat tow your 2012 Mini Countryman is the Blue Ox base plate kit part # BX1308 and then a tow bar like the # BX7420 which is very easy to use since it has telescoping arms that release tension so you can unhook from the base plate as easy as possible. For lighting we have the Roadmaster diode wiring kit # RM-15247. The diode kit allows you to splice into the taillight wiring so that your RV controls the vehicle taillights and does not require drilling into...
    view full answer...
  • Recommended Flat Towing Components for 2013 Mini Cooper Countryman
    If your 2013 Mini Cooper Countryman is AWD then it cannot be flat towed or dolly towed and must be towed on a trailer. If you have the FWD model with the 6 speed manual transmission, it is towable as is. There are no fuses that need to be pulled on this vehicle. I recommend the following to do so: Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms # BX1308 Blue Ox Alpha Tow Bar # BX7380 (which includes safety cables) Roadmaster Diode 7-Wire to 6-Wire Flexo-Coil Wiring Kit # RM-15267 SMI Stay-IN-Play...
    view full answer...
  • Replacement Tab Assembly for Blue Ox Base Plate Kit for 2013 Mini Countryman
    I checked with Blue Ox and the correct part number you need is the # BX62-3469 for the Blue Ox part # BX1308 you have installed on your 2013 Mini Countryman.
    view full answer...
  • Does a 2005 Dodge Ram Have Towing Capacity to Flat Tow 2016 Mini Countryman
    You should have no problem flat towing a 2016 Mini Cooper with your 2005 Dodge Ram 1500. I did some searching and it looks like your truck has towing capacities of between 3,100 and 4,950 lbs depending on how it is equipped. For a base plate kit for the Mini you would want the Blue Ox part # BX1308 which is confirmed as a fit. In addition to the base plates, you will also need a compatible tow bar, safety cables, lighting, and supplemental braking to flat tow your vehicle. The most popular...
    view full answer...
  • Flat Tow Set Up For A 2012 Mini Cooper Countryman
    The base plate you need for your 2012 Mini Cooper Countryman is the Blue Ox Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms Item # BX1308 To help complete your flat tow set up I recommend the following items: Blue Ox Alpha 2 Tow Bar - Motorhome Mount - 6,500 lbs Item # BX7380. This tow bar is more than enough to tow you Mini Cooper with a curb weight max of 3208 lbs. It is a non binding tow bar which means after the arms lock out when towing, when wanting to disconnect the tow bar from the vehicle you...
    view full answer...
  • Parts Needed to Flat Tow a 2013 Mini Cooper Countryman Model S
    Thank you for the specifics. Please note that you are only able to flat tow your 2013 Mini Countryman S Model if it is a FWD. According to the owner's manual if you have an AWD it must be towed with all 4 wheels off of the ground. With that being said, the Blue Ox Ascent Tow Bar BX4370 is a great choice and with that you need the Base Plate Kit # BX1308. You should have received safety cables with your tow bar but in the event that you don't have any I recommend part # BX88196 which are...
    view full answer...

Do you have a question about this Tow Bar Base Plate?


Info for this part was:

Employee Lindsey S
Written by:
Lindsey S
Employee Jameson C
Expert Research:
Jameson C
Employee Wilson B
Updated by:
Wilson B
Employee Mike S
Updated by:
Mike S
Employee Noah M
Updated by:
Noah M
Employee Carrie F
Updated by:
Carrie F

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