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Base plate brackets attach to your vehicle's frame to provide fixed attachment points for your tow bar.
Features:
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (164 Customer Reviews)
Base plate brackets attach to your vehicle's frame to provide fixed attachment points for your tow bar.This thing is a really frustrating. For $xxx it should be a lot better even from the beginning where people understand the install situation. It isn't really a bolt on as step one is cut and grind off the factory tow hook. This isn't mentioned by RM. The instructions are a joke - they mix up front and back all the while telling you to read the instructions closely. And the support is really frustrating. If you have 3 questions with photos, etc, they answer only one question per email. You should stop selling this unit until you install it with a video on some vans of maybe different years and maybe RM will listen to you and update their instructions and as far as I can tell so far the hardware needs at least some different hardware. Until then sell the RM Westy front bumper with Clevises already on it for about the same money.
Sierra K - 11/20/2021Did have to cut off factory tow hook with a hack saw. Straight forward install otherwise and good quality.
David - 10/21/20211. Helpful
2. In stock
3. Arrived when promised.
Too good to be true? Or is etrailer just that good .
I got my tow package and I just got it mounted on my Westvalia Vanagon went together real smooth, I'm very happy. Thank you again for your help and support Ted 10/26/2018
The person that printed the directions had never installed a hitch on a vw transporter. I figured it out and got it installed.
Very good service. Quick shipping!
Review from a similar Classic Kit in Base Plates
This product is accurately made and heavily built, with good, clean welds. If I could critique anything they should have provided a stud for the center frame mounting bolt so the lower splash shield could be reinstalled easily- I had to fabricate brackets to make it work. Otherwise- excellent! 50 year professional mechanic here.
Review from a similar Classic Kit in Base Plates
Went together very well. All parts fit as should and I'm very pleased with product and etrailer.
Review from a similar Classic Kit in Base Plates
Easy install, directions could have been a little more detailed, but simple easy product to install on a 96 Suzuki Sidekick JX
Review from a similar Classic Kit in Base Plates
Very easy to install and well built product. Instructions made the job go smoothly. With the tight tolerance on the backing plate bolt spacing, I had to do a small amount of filing on the 1989 Jeep Cherokee frame holes so that the plates would slide easily through. Other than that, no real problems. As mentioned in the instructions, I had to cut small sections out of the top and bottom of the bumper for the new brackets but the install looks really clean.
Review from a similar Classic Kit in Base Plates
installed the tow brackets per the instructions - the pictures in the instructions were small and weren't real helpful so I contacted Customer Service which sent me detailed photos of an installation on a similar vehicle - helped a lot! Thanks! Within a week we were off on a cross country trip down to Mexico, put on 6000 miles and then retorqed the bracket bolts. This is a good product, easy to use, and we've used it pretty hard - no problems so far!
Review from a similar Classic Kit in Base Plates
Did not fit correctly and their solution was to force the pre drilled holes to line up.
Review from a similar Classic Kit in Base Plates
A little scary at first but went on my Geo Tracker easily. Extremely solid once installed. Made the tow from CA to Ohio a breeze. I did have to make some adapters to fit my towbar but that's not the fault of your product.
Ed - 09/06/2021Review from a similar Classic Kit in Base Plates
The product was received as expected. The brackets aligned with all points and bolted up first time. The hardware was great, except two lock washer short (but not a problem as I had extras in my parts bins) and double the number of flat washers (extras for the next project). But is was great to have all optional bolts, washers and nuts supplied. Instructions were easy to follow and complete with one excepting. I need a bracket part from the old brackets and that was not included in the instructions, but was clear as I aligned everything in the pre assembly.
Jim K - 07/01/2014Review from a similar Classic Kit in Base Plates
High Quality Product. Install instructions don't go into enough detail in step by step. A little vague for the Non-Expert installer. Nut Plates provided for rear mounting bolts are wider than the holes available in sub-frame for install. Had to mill sides of pads to get them into the frame for install. No instructions or fish wires to get them into place. Had to manufacture own fish wire system to get the plates in place for install. Once mods were completed and hardware designed and built, installation was pretty much straight forward. I would not consider this kit for a novice installer. Sorry I didn't take pictures of the "wide" nut plate situation and my redesign (width reduction)
Bob - 01/13/2019Review from a similar Classic Kit in Base Plates
The product fits perfectly. Installation is somewhat easy except drilling the opening on the frame. The arms are holding down very strong, good quality.
Review from a similar Classic Kit in Base Plates
I finally have my parts today,I waited 5 Days but I Guess that's How It Is.The Set up was Not Hard at all,I had all the parts to Install it ,And Yes I will buy Again if I Need something else!
Review from a similar Classic Kit in Base Plates
Well this was not the correct base plate for the tow bar I have. Returning this item 118-8 and reordered a 118-15. I had great customer service in finding the correct base plate.
Review from a similar Classic Kit in Base Plates
Tow bar has been great, easy to maintain and use. No issues. Very quality unit, great instructions, easy install.
Review from a similar Classic Kit in Base Plates
The tow bar and brackets worked perfectly on a 3500 mile cross country trip. From Yosemite to Yellowstone and all the way to New Orleans. This is a great product.
Review from a similar Classic Kit in Base Plates
This base plate kit is working fine on my 1996 Geo Tracker. Tow it behind my Class C motorhome and it is working out great.
Keep up the good work etrailer!
Review from a similar Classic Kit in Base Plates
made strong took about 3 hours my tow hooks on my suzuki samural were bent out so that slow me down a bit i used 5 pound sledge out bang them straight then bolts went in i turn the front wheels to the right so to drill the hole in the frame used small bit then went for larger one work out well follow direction they did work but lacking illustration .works good
rick n - 08/02/2015Review from a similar Classic Kit in Base Plates
The Real Story - The real story regarding what it takes to install the base is that it takes about 4 hours and . .
- You will need a small sledge hammer to pound the unit into the frame cross tube such that the attach points are solid against the frame and align properly at the center point bottom of the frame.
- You will need to remove the wheels to gain access to the side of the vehicle’s frame for drilling the attach points.
- You may need to jack the car up for ground clearance, to drill the bottom hole.
- I had to cut an access hole through the bumper cover to get the backing plate into the frame channel.
- You will need to pry off the frame mud guard, if your car has one.
- You may need to make a ruler like metal shim to hold the back plate while you screw the bottom bolt.
- A 6 ft pole lever is needed to force the front of the base down and thereby pivot the back flange up to align it to the slot like hole in the frame. This area is critical so make sure the hole you drill is match centered!!
- Drill small attach point holes first to make sure you have sufficient clearance on the back side, for the large washers and proper hole alignment with the base flange
- If it all goes well . . plan on a 4 hour job.
- The base is a real beast and could haul a Mac Truck!
- It is by far the easiest base to install, of any I evaluated.
- Would you recommend etrailer.com to a friend? Oh hell yes!
Review from a similar Classic Kit in Base Plates
This is an excellent, strong product, that fit my older model Honda CRV perfectly. We just drove cross country. Combined with a basic rigid tow bar, this is a reliable, economic light vehicle tow set up, just be sure your hitch is at the correct height so the tow bar is level, otherwise you will have twisting problems in tight turns.
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