Blue Ox Towing New Zealand

26/04/2026

The baseplate is the bracket that bolts to the front of your towed car, it's what the A-frame connects to.

On the Suzuki Jimny, Blue Ox baseplates mount through the grille opening and bolt to the chassis rails behind. Your bumper stays completely untouched. From the front, you'd barely know it's there.

Three connection heights are available depending on your setup:
- Under-splitter (330mm from ground), most common,
- Low connection (430mm), discreet, mounts near the number plate,
- Through-grille (580mm), best ground clearance for off-road Jimnies

Your installer will match the baseplate height to your motorhome's towbar height so the A-frame sits as level as possible. If there's a height mismatch, an adjustable drop receiver sorts it out.

All Blue Ox baseplates are ADR tested and certified to 3.5 tonnes.

blueoxtowing.co.nz

Blue Ox Tow Systems offer the ultimate towing solutions for motorhomes and RV enthusiasts. Our products are designed to ensure a safe, reliable, and easy

24/04/2026

One of the most common questions we get: "Do I need someone to help me connect?"

No. The whole Blue Ox system is designed for one person to connect and disconnect without a helper.

The 2-inch receiver A-frames (Alpha and Avail) fold up and stow on the motorhome, so you're not wrestling a heavy bar out of a storage locker. The Avail's non-binding latches release cleanly even when the rig is parked on uneven ground or on a slope, no jamming, no fighting with pins.

Line it up. Latch on. Plug in the electrics. Done.

You're travelling to be independent. Your towing setup should be too.

blueoxtowing.co.nz

24/04/2026

Weather is cooling down, change of season can often trigger thoughts of seasonal maintenance. If you have a Blue Ox A-frame, we recommend changing the fibre washers every 10,000 miles or 16,000km's.
It is a DIY job, we have the washer kits in stock or we can do the job for you.
[email protected]

22/04/2026

Crown Range. Arthur's Pass. The Haast. Lewis Pass.

If you've towed anything through the South Island, you know these roads test your brakes. Long descents, tight switchbacks, and no margin for error when you've got a car on the back.

Here's where proportional braking earns its keep.

The Patriot 3 uses an accelerometer to match braking force to your actual deceleration. On a long downhill, if you're engine braking or coasting, it won't apply the towed car's brakes unnecessarily.

No riding the brakes, no overheating, and no glazed pads.

But when you do brake, coming into a switchback or slowing for traffic, the towed car brakes with you, in proportion. The combined rig stays stable and the motorhome isn't doing all the work.

If you're heading south this year, make sure your braking is sorted before you hit the hills.

blueoxtowing.co.nz

17/04/2026

Thinking about flat towing but not sure where to start?

We'll walk you through it. Every setup is a bit different depending on your motorhome, your car, and how you travel, and we've done hundreds of them across New Zealand.

Here's what happens:

1. We figure out what you need (car type, motorhome towbar, auto or manual)
2. We match you with the right gear
3. Your local installer fits everything and handles certification

No guesswork. No wrong parts. No compliance headaches.

Get in touch: [email protected] 07 849 0801 blueoxtowing.co.nz

Blue Ox Tow Systems offer the ultimate towing solutions for motorhomes and RV enthusiasts. Our products are designed to ensure a safe, reliable, and easy

13/04/2026

13/04/2026

If you've got an automatic Suzuki Jimny and you want to flat tow it, you need to read this.

An automatic transmission needs the engine running to circulate oil through the gearbox. Flat tow it without addressing that, and you'll destroy the transmission. It's not a matter of if, it's when.

The dog clutch solves this. It physically disconnects the gearbox from the rear driveshaft, so the transmission doesn't spin at all while the car is being towed. Think of it like putting the drivetrain to sleep for the journey.

It's installed by fitting a dog clutch to the rear of the auto transmission and replacing the stock driveshaft with a shortened one. Once it's done, you simply disengage the dog clutch before towing and engage it when you want to drive.

Fits automatic Jimnies from 2010 to current, including the new 5-door XL.
This is a certified modification, your installer handles the LVV certification as part of the job.

Manual Jimny? You don't need one. Just pop it in neutral and you're good to go.

blueoxtowing.co.nz

12/04/2026

Lynch pins are used to secure the main pins connecting the adaptor claws of the A-frame to your base-plate. It is important that your lynch pins are the right way around.
Our Blue Ox lynch pins are the same as the images below, it is important that they are correctly oriented, the bottom of the locking loop should always be on the same side as the nose of the pin.

10/04/2026

Stay safe out there people!

10/04/2026

Here's something most motorhome owners don't realise.

NZ law requires your motorhome and towed car to stop within 7 metres from 30 km/h. That's the combined rig, not just the motorhome on its own.

Now here's the problem: over 90% of motorhome towbars are certified for unbraked towing at 1,000 kg or less. A Suzuki Jimny weighs about 1,150 kg. A RAV4 is closer to 1,600 kg. Even a small car will likely push you over the limit.

That means without a supplementary braking system, your flat tow setup probably isn't legal, and definitely isn't safe, especially on South Island passes.

The Patriot 3 gives your towed car its own proportional braking, so the whole rig stops together. It's the simplest way to meet the rule.

Not sure whether your setup needs one? Check your towbar's certification plate, it'll show the unbraked towing mass. If your car is heavier than that number, you need a brake.

Need more information? Drop us your details and we'll get back to you.

blueoxtowing.co.nz

Blue Ox Tow Systems offer the ultimate towing solutions for motorhomes and RV enthusiasts. Our products are designed to ensure a safe, reliable, and easy