PSA: Check your toad baseplates

[Neemer]

My Sprinter-based Winnie toad has one of those two-piece Blue Ox baseplates. This baseplate was installed by my selling dealership, a highly rated and respected one.

Yesterday I discovered that the plate on the driver’s side had a bit of play in it. Not good.

After removing the grill and bumper cover, I was taken aback at what I found. That plate is attached to the frame with a total of eight bolts. Two of the bolts were completely missing, and the other six were in various stages of backing themselves out. Not even a hint of red thread locker on anything. I shudder to think what could have happened if I hadn’t found this.

I took everything apart and put it back together the right way. While the one on the passenger side seemed solid, I disassembled it and gave it the same threadlocker treatment.

While I’m thankful I was able to catch this, I’m super disappointed in the original install job. It wasn’t cheap but was sure cheaply done.

On the positive side, I now know how to remove the front fascia and I didn’t have any parts left over when I put it back together.

Going forward, I’m going to do all of my own baseplate installations. This is crazy.

 

[team bradfield]

Wow, good catch, I give mine a once over before every trip

 

[J&JD]

PSA: Check your toad baseplates​

And here I was thinking you were talking about your prostate.