flat towing

RD Yogi

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Is anyone planning on flat towing their Raptor? Wondering if anyone knows if a baseplate exists yet or if current Bronco plates fit.
 

Cooterbrown

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Oct 4, 2022
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Is anyone planning on flat towing their Raptor? Wondering if anyone knows if a baseplate exists yet or if current Bronco plates fit.
I’ve got the same concern - hopefully by beginning of next year they will have a solution- Blue Ox ?
 
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RD Yogi

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2014 california special mustang
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I’ve got the same concern - hopefully by beginning of next year they will have a solution- Blue Ox ?
I sent an email to roadmaster, hopefully they will respond
 
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RD Yogi

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Oct 13, 2022
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waterford mi
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2014 california special mustang
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Any news from Roadmaster ?
Yes. Use the Roadmaster kit for the Bronco wildtrack with led lighting and modular bumper. PN 524469-5
Or if buying from etrailer their PN RM92ZR. Read the instructions as you have to cut a portion of the bumper
frame out. The kit was straight forward and not terribly tricky to install. A sawsall with a fine tooth blade cut the
metal just fine. Verify your fit before installing the bumper as the through bolt hole was slightly off.
Side note, I painted the plastic shroud matte black to match the bumper and it looks so much better than the
silver. The Bronco is high and I had to get a 6" hitch riser to make it line up with my class A coach.
 

BahnBob

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I have a 2022 Bronco Raptor. I have everything setup to tow using the two recovery points on the bumper.. That said I found out yesterday that on page 311 of the owners manual it says "Do not use recovery hooks to recreationally tow your vehicle". I sent an email to Blue Ox today about a base plate, they said they are still waiting for a test mule to fit up.
 

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TurboS

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I have a 2022 Bronco Raptor. I have everything setup to tow using the two recovery points on the bumper.. That said I found out yesterday that on page 311 of the owners manual it says "Do not use recovery hooks to recreationally tow your vehicle". I sent an email to Blue Ox today about a base plate, they said they are still waiting for a test mule to fit up.
Welcome to the forum! 🍻 Thank you for sharing your findings. (y)
 

Airgrizz

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2007 Shelby Mustang SC/GT
As a follow-up, I spoke with Blue Ox again and have setup a time to bring the BRaptor in for a prototype fit. I'm waiting till nice weather there in Nebraska first!
Thanks for research. Let us know on the Blue Ox. I definitely would by the base plate from them.
 

WhiskeyMike

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I can't imagine why the two recovery points would not be suitable. The problem using them is getting your tow bar level at 28 inches. If the recovery points are strong enough to use to pull a stuck Braptor out of the mud surely you can use them to flat tow on pavement. Since I took that photo I have modified the hitch extension on my F450 to get my tow bar up to 27 inches.
 

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Fattire775

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Jan 7, 2023
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Reno, NV
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22 BRaptor
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17 Ram 5500
I can't imagine why the two recovery points would not be suitable. The problem using them is getting your tow bar level at 28 inches. If the recovery points are strong enough to use to pull a stuck Braptor out of the mud surely you can use them to flat tow on pavement. Since I took that photo I have modified the hitch extension on my F450 to get my tow bar up to 27 inches.
Nice setup and agree with your rationale. Any issues towing other that what you previously stated? Piecing our system together now, but won’t have a final height number until snow melts and we get the camper remounted.
 

TurboS

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I can't imagine why the two recovery points would not be suitable. The problem using them is getting your tow bar level at 28 inches. If the recovery points are strong enough to use to pull a stuck Braptor out of the mud surely you can use them to flat tow on pavement. Since I took that photo I have modified the hitch extension on my F450 to get my tow bar up to 27 inches.
Guessing the reason Ford can't recommend the front recovery points is the height/safety issue. It's a safety concern that the Bronco Raptor at 6k lbs can't be allowed to pivot upward in a sudden stop. Caution you if you were to get stopped extremely quick (truck brakes alone may or may not stop that fast) there is very high risk your Bronco Raptor will impact your camper and truck.
 

WhiskeyMike

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Guessing the reason Ford can't recommend the front recovery points is the height/safety issue. It's a safety concern that the Bronco Raptor at 6k lbs can't be allowed to pivot upward in a sudden stop. Caution you if you were to get stopped extremely quick (truck brakes alone may or may not stop that fast) there is very high risk your Bronco Raptor will impact your camper and truck.
Yes, that is always a risk and why you need a braking system in the Braptor and have to drive defensively. I towed a 2019 Jeep Wrangler (about 1,000 lbs lighter?) all over without problems. The F450 has strong brakes and diesel engine braking but I accept your words of caution. My tow bar is about one inch lower in front where it connects to the F450 and the front end of the Braptor should drop with heavy braking.

For rear lights on the Braptor , I custom made a separate sub harness attached to the frame and attach a light bar to the spare tire. And I use a separate 12 vo!t power cable to the braking system direct from the battery.
 

TurboS

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Yes, that is always a risk and why you need a braking system in the Braptor and have to drive defensively. I towed a 2019 Jeep Wrangler (about 1,000 lbs lighter?) all over without problems. The F450 has strong brakes and diesel engine braking but I accept your words of caution. My tow bar is about one inch lower in front where it connects to the F450 and the front end of the Braptor should drop with heavy braking.

For rear lights on the Braptor , I custom made a separate sub harness attached to the frame and attach a light bar to the spare tire. And I use a separate 12 vo!t power cable to the braking system direct from the battery.
Nice, I feel much better knowing the brakes on the BRaptor will activate. Also, given only a inch of slope, the rear of the superduty will raise under extreme braking/stopping situation thereby hopefully planting the nose of the BRaptor. We'll go with that, please don't test my theory. ;) BTW, very nice looking Rig! :cool:
 

BahnBob

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Thanks for research. Let us know on the Blue Ox. I definitely would by the base plate from them.
I see people asking about the recovery points used as a recreational tow attachment point. The attached picture is what I wanted to do prior to further research. The "base plates" that Road Master and Blue Ox use is the exact same place as the recovery hooks. They do have an additional square shank that bolts into the frame "ear" with two additional bolts. My tow heights ending up about equal at 28" to center of hitch point.
 

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BahnBob

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Does Blue Ox have a specific base plate for the Raptor yet?
As of today they do not have a Raptor specific base plate. I am taking my Braptor to their factory on May 15th to do the prototype engineering. However, my gut feeling is that the one for the modular bumper will probably work - just not proven yet. I'll see if they will let me take some pictures of the initial work.

PS The picture is my personal prototype using the recovery rings. Ford nor Blue Ox recommends this option. I do have the Air Force One braking system installed (not showing).
 

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Cooterbrown

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As of today they do not have a Raptor specific base plate. I am taking my Braptor to their factory on May 15th to do the prototype engineering. However, my gut feeling is that the one for the modular bumper will probably work - just not proven yet. I'll see if they will let me take some pictures of the initial work.

PS The picture is my personal prototype using the recovery rings. Ford nor Blue Ox recommends this option. I do have the Air Force One braking system installed (not showing).
BahnBob - Thank You ! This is good info. We are picking up our new Foretravel middle to end of July and need to make sure we have a tow bar and proper baseplate + Air Force one ready for install at the factory in Nacogdoches TX, spoke with Roadmaster today they had their prototype Raptor leave last week. They said it would be approximately 6 weeks till it’s ready for sale. We have some options - Thanks Again
 

Cooterbrown

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By the way can you tell me what the receiver hitch that rises to accept the tow bar is ? We will need need of those too
 

BahnBob

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By the way can you tell me what the receiver hitch that rises to accept the tow bar is ? We will need need of those too

I bought this one. The Raptor is about 28 inches to the center of the recovery points. My 2020 Discovery LXE 40M needed about 10 inches of rise. The Gen-Y is a massive piece of steel!​

GEN-Y GH-325 MEGA-Duty Adjustable 10" Drop Hitch with GH-031 Dual-Ball, GH-032 Pintle Lock for 2" Receiver - 10,000 LB Towing Capacity - 1,500 LB Tongue Weight​

 

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