Flat tow equipment needed to flat tow the 2021 Bronco?

[grtharris]

Stock 4 dr OBX 23 3/8" to center of pin. OEM tires and no lift.

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[Ranbronc]

stock badlands SAS with Rock hard 4x4 bumper about 24"

I have a roadmaster 10 riser, lots of slop in the riser hitch up & down and side to side
my Rv has a 2.5" receiver so I have a 2.5 - 2" reducer.
beginning of trip i made "L" shims to take out slop had 4 of them on top and 3 on side, top ones fell out the back of the receiver ( was able to grab most of them), working on plan B either "Z" shaped shims or weld up a reducer and mill/grind it down to fit.

 

[Bob Britton]

Ranbronc, I've used Roadmaster quiet hitch with really good luck for taking slack out of hitch. They make them for 2' as well as for 2.5" receivers. Another option is to run short weld beads on all sides of the receiver, then with your grinder keep grinding down the weld until you have a nice tight fit in the receiver. Go easy on the weld as it dosed take much to get that hitch to fit nice and tight.
here is a link to the Quiet Hitch..

https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Anti...mAZoEWdNCQfKJDKUiy-1ZEQh5QFcPg-hoC1jkQAvD_BwE

 

[Ranbronc]

Ranbronc, I've used Roadmaster quiet hitch with really good luck for taking slack out of hitch. They make them for 2' as well as for 2.5" receivers. Another option is to run short weld beads on all sides of the receiver, then with your grinder keep grinding down the weld until you have a nice tight fit in the receiver. Go easy on the weld as it dosed take much to get that hitch to fit nice and tight.
here is a link to the Quiet Hitch..

https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Anti-Rattle/Roadmaster/RM-062.html?feed=npn&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google | Shop - Hitch Anti-Rattle&adgroupid=92297486840&campaignid=1338379097&creative=411634353960&device=c&devicemodel=&feeditemid=&keyword=&loc_interest_ms=&loc_physical_ms=9032140&matchtype=&network=g&placement=&position=&gclid=CjwKCAjw8-OhBhB5EiwADyoY1WbdwmIwtv-vv_wzWjNfjdmAZoEWdNCQfKJDKUiy-1ZEQh5QFcPg-hoC1jkQAvD_BwE

I have a harbor freight one it comes loose in 100 miles, I see this one is double nutted, i was going to try that but went with the shims instead.
also looks like the roadmaster pulls down believe the HF is pulling up.

 

[Bob Britton]

I have a harbor freight one it comes loose in 100 miles, I see this one is double nutted, i was going to try that but went with the shims instead.
also looks like the roadmaster pulls down believe the HF is pulling up.

I've never had mine come loose with the double nut but will stop after 50 miles or so to check and retighten everything after hitch has had a chance to settle in. After that all is good, I'll check it now and then during a trip but have never found it loose, works really good holding everything nice and tight.
If you have a lot of slop in your setup I would use your shims then install the roadmaster to keep everything tight.

 

[dgorsett]

I have a harbor freight one it comes loose in 100 miles, I see this one is double nutted, i was going to try that but went with the shims instead.
also looks like the roadmaster pulls down believe the HF is pulling up.

I use a variety of these on all my hitches. I always install them to pull down (one exception, long story) so they are not fighting tongue weight (not relevant in flat tow). All I have had can be installed either way

 

[2ndgenirish]

The Blue Ox Bronco base plate replaces the shackle brackets with there quick release tow bar setup, you loose the front recovery points.

The loss of the recovery points bothers me so I reached out to eTrailer, then to Blue Ox. I asked if the base place could be used as recovery points.

eTrailer said yes.

Then Blue Ox said no.

Here is the reply I got:

I apologize for the incorrect information Blue Ox Towbars has given you, but you cannot use our baseplates as a recovery point. When pulling like this there are extra stress due to the vehicle actually being stuck that you don’t see in a normal flat tow situation. Our baseplates are not designed to handle this.



Please let me know if you have any further questions



Thank you

​

​ Leslie​ Mauseth​ Customer Care & Claim Specialist​ Office:​ 402-922-5006​ One Mill Road, PO Box 430, Pender NE 68047​ blueox.com​ automaticag.com​ madramps.com​

 

[grtharris]

The loss of the recovery points bothers me so I reached out to eTrailer, then to Blue Ox. I asked if the base place could be used as recovery points.

eTrailer said yes.

Then Blue Ox said no.

Here is the reply I got:

I apologize for the incorrect information Blue Ox Towbars has given you, but you cannot use our baseplates as a recovery point. When pulling like this there are extra stress due to the vehicle actually being stuck that you don’t see in a normal flat tow situation. Our baseplates are not designed to handle this.



Please let me know if you have any further questions



Thank you

​

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Leslie​ Mauseth​ Customer Care & Claim Specialist​ ​ ​ ​ Office:​ 402-922-5006​ One Mill Road, PO Box 430, Pender NE 68047​ ​ ​ blueox.com​ automaticag.com​ madramps.com​

Boy if that doesn't beat all, Ford says brackets are strong enough to recover with but not strong enough to tow with. Blue OX says there base plates are strong enough to tow with but not strong enough to recover with. Sounds like a bunch of lawyer BS.
I'm using the Ford brackets and added the LOD Tie-in Brackets with the bottom loop cut off for clearance.

 

[dgorsett]

I have Gen 1 Blue Ox plates that replace the tow hooks on the base bumper. I also am dismayed at the loss of tow hooks. I built some soft shackle mounts that go to two bolts of the bumper mount but don't have full faith in them. The Blue Ox plates are held on by the two factory tow hook bolts and an additional two bolts to the frame, I'm sure they're stout enough, the trick is attaching a shackle. I haven't tried it yet, but I think my soft shackles would fit in the Blue Ox adapters, but then you're down to one 1/2" pin fail point. I'm considering mounting some F150 tow loops to the sides of my Blue Ox plates, but haven't done that either.

 

[dgorsett]

I have Gen 1 Blue Ox plates that replace the tow hooks on the base bumper. I also am dismayed at the loss of tow hooks. I built some soft shackle mounts that go to two bolts of the bumper mount but don't have full faith in them. The Blue Ox plates are held on by the two factory tow hook bolts and an additional two bolts to the frame, I'm sure they're stout enough, the trick is attaching a shackle. I haven't tried it yet, but I think my soft shackles would fit in the Blue Ox adapters, but then you're down to one 1/2" pin fail point. I'm considering mounting some F150 tow loops to the sides of my Blue Ox plates, but haven't done that either.

Pic. Does not imply adequacy for recovery

 

[Bsenecal]

Boy if that doesn't beat all, Ford says brackets are strong enough to recover with but not strong enough to tow with. Blue OX says there base plates are strong enough to tow with but not strong enough to recover with. Sounds like a bunch of lawyer BS.
I'm using the Ford brackets and added the LOD Tie-in Brackets with the bottom loop cut off for clearance.

Yeah and you like numerous others have what seems like thousands of miles flat towing from the recovery points with zero issues, correct?
Brian

 

[grtharris]

Yeah and you like numerous others have what seems like thousands of miles flat towing from the recovery points with zero issues, correct?
Brian

Yes

 

[Bsenecal]

Yes

Thank you, I AM NOT going to spend more money on baseplates that use the majority of the same attachment points as the factory installed recovery points and lose that capability.
I am also not a fan of how the baseplates look when installed versus the recovery points, but to each their own.
Brian

 

[2ndgenirish]

Thank you, I AM NOT going to spend more money on baseplates that use the majority of the same attachment points as the factory installed recovery points and lose that capability.
I am also not a fan of how the baseplates look when installed versus the recovery points, but to each their own.
Brian

Well, I was willing to try the Blue Ox baseplate, but it does not get the job done in that the recovery point is gone. .

I bought a Blue Ox adapter for the recovery point but this fits Jeep front end recovery points. It is about ⅜” too narrow for the Bronco recovery point. I am thinking about milling out the adapter to fit the Bronco and beefing up the bracket to compensate for the ¾” of steel I take off.

Somebody else must have solved this problem.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[grtharris]

Well, I was willing to try the Blue Ox baseplate, but it does not get the job done in that the recovery point is gone. .

I bought a Blue Ox adapter for the recovery point but this fits Jeep front end recovery points. It is about ⅜” too narrow for the Bronco recovery point. I am thinking about milling out the adapter to fit the Bronco and beefing up the bracket to compensate for the ¾” of steel I take off.

Somebody else must have solved this problem.

Any help would be appreciated.

OK, which Blue Ox adapters do you have, should be BX88357 1" opening and 7/8" pin. Now the Bronco recovery brackets do vary a little. I had .18" milled out of the center of mine and there is plenty of clearance. See attach pictures:
Thought all Blue Ox adapters had a 1" opening and either a 1" or 7/8" pin.

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