Ford C Max info needed!

[rocmoc]

We picked up our new C Max last Friday. Have been looking at base plates online and an install video on YouTube. Questions I have are; Where did you have your base plates installed, Ford dealer, RV dealer or did it yourself? Did the same person also do your wiring for the lights? If any of you are in Arizona or nearby, who do you recommend?

Thanks, rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[rocmoc]

mm047 wrote:
I'm really glad this worked out so well for you. It is always scary to recommend a shop to someone.

Mike in green Valley

LOL, always scary to take a recommendation too! (Especially with a new car)

Thanks for the recommendation,
rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[mm047]

I'm really glad this worked out so well for you. It is always scary to recommend a shop to someone.

Mike in green Valley

rocmoc wrote:
Job DONE! Total cost was $1065.90 of which labor was $572 and the balance parts & tax. This included the latest Blue Ox base plates with removable end plates, separate wiring & light sockets and a charge line with breaker. Drop the car off at 9am and finished about 4pm @ ALL RV on Grant in Tucson, AZ. Looks good except the plug box for the wiring between the motorhome & car mounted in the center lower grill location and the mounts for the plug box. Nice shiny silver in the middle of my black grill. I will paint them flat black so they blend in with the grill in the next day or two. I am pleased that the base plates are the latest and greatest as I could not find them at all on the internet until I brought up a pdf file. There have been three generations of base plates. With that I am finished with this project and ready for a ROAD TRIP! As far as the car goes, couldn't be happier. Currently getting 42 mpg and that is with my heavy foot. Handles like a sports car and has get up and GO. Going to be a great toad and everyday driver!

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[willald]

Looks good except the plug box for the wiring between the motorhome & car mounted in the center lower grill location and the mounts for the plug box. Nice shiny silver in the middle of my black grill. I will paint them flat black so they blend in with the grill in the next day or two.

I did exact same thing with the Fusion. Hated that shiny silver 6 round connector in the middle, so spray-painted it flat black. Looks much better that way.

I am pleased that the base plates are the latest and greatest as I could not find them at all on the internet until I brought up a pdf file. There have been three generations of base plates.

3 generations? Wow. Must be just for the C max, 'cause I haven't seen where Blue Ox has changed it at all for the Fusions?

I actually held off on buying our Fusion, until Blue Ox verified they had the plates for the '13 Fusions available. I ordered the plates from hitchsource.com. At the time, the plates for the '13 Fusion were so new, hitchsource didnt have them on their website yet. Had to call them directly and give them the Blue Ox part# to order it. Base plates came the day after we got the car, and went on the next day. Next morning, we headed out towing it to the beach. 🙂

As far as the car goes, couldn't be happier. Currently getting 42 mpg and that is with my heavy foot. Handles like a sports car and has get up and GO. Going to be a great toad and everyday driver!

Glad you like yours, we are happy as pigs in slop with our Fusion, too. 42 mpg sounds 'bout right, if you are a 'heavy foot' type of driver. 🙂

I average between 47 and 49 mpg driving the Fusion to work and back every day. Any other driving (especially when DW drives it, haha!) brings the mileage average down to around 44.

You're right, its really cool having a car that can run so much of the time on just electric power. Its especially nice at campgrounds, you can ride through the campground almost totally silent, without the gas engine running at all. Its like having a big, very comfortable golf cart, haha. 🙂

[rocmoc]

Job DONE! Total cost was $1065.90 of which labor was $572 and the balance parts & tax. This included the latest Blue Ox base plates with removable end plates, separate wiring & light sockets and a charge line with breaker. Drop the car off at 9am and finished about 4pm @ ALL RV on Grant in Tucson, AZ. Looks good except the plug box for the wiring between the motorhome & car mounted in the center lower grill location and the mounts for the plug box. Nice shiny silver in the middle of my black grill. I will paint them flat black so they blend in with the grill in the next day or two. I am pleased that the base plates are the latest and greatest as I could not find them at all on the internet until I brought up a pdf file. There have been three generations of base plates. With that I am finished with this project and ready for a ROAD TRIP! As far as the car goes, couldn't be happier. Currently getting 42 mpg and that is with my heavy foot. Handles like a sports car and has get up and GO. Going to be a great toad and everyday driver!

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[willald]

afrescop wrote:
Drilling an extra hole for the tail light LEDs can create a water leak issue, hence diodes. I have had zero electrical issues.

Hmmm, I see where e-trailer now has a complete tail-light wiring kit with built-in diodes for the 2013 Fusion. No wire cutting or splicing needed, comes with vehicle specific wire harnesses. Just plug and play, basically, and would allow me to do away with the magnetic lights. Already have the 4 wires for taillights run from front to the back of the Fusion, so worst part is already done. Would just be a matter of plugging this kit in, basically.

Is it worth spending another $74 + shipping, to get rid of magnetic lights and have the much cleaner setup, with functioning tail-lights on the Fusion? Decisions, decisions...

[rocmoc]

afrescop wrote:
Drilling an extra hole for the tail light LEDs can create a water leak issue, hence diodes. I have had zero electrical issues.

I have no doubt they will seal water tight. They did NOT say the diodes would cause a problem. Their concern is if warranty work has to be preformed the possibility Ford could say that the diodes were a violation of the warranty. Since they can't or have not seen that Ford would not, they do not want to take the chance and neither do I. Too easy to install the second harness to take the chance and the cost is not expensive.

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[rocmoc]

willald wrote:

rocmoc wrote:
Went in and talked to All RV in Tucson today. The final quote is a moving target with a max (NOW) of around $1000 to a low of $800 out the door. The $1000 figure comes from the amount of time Remco Tech says the job will take. The $800 is what the local tech thinks he maybe able to do it in but I not very optimistic. This is for installation of base plates and wiring including the power supply line....

Are they ordering, providing the baseplates as part of that $800-1000? Or, are you ordering, getting the base plates separate from that?

If that price includes them providing the base plates, that is a pretty good deal. If not, then I'd say thats a bit much.

Ford dealer installed our base plates on the Fusion, charged me just under $300 for the labor (I provided the base plates, cost $380 from hitchsource.com, with free shipping). I did all the wiring myself, cost me 'bout $40 in parts (magnetic lights, 6 round connector in front, handful of wires, connectors, etc.)

Now, the EXPENSIVE part was having the RV dealer install the brake cables on the Fusion, for the ReadyBrake braking system I use. Don't even want to think about, or repeat that number, haha. 🙂

Figure includes all parts (base plates & wiring kit) & taxes. They are providing everything. I agree not too bad from the cost I found from an Internet search.

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[afrescopXx]

Drilling an extra hole for the tail light LEDs can create a water leak issue, hence diodes. I have had zero electrical issues.

[willald]

rocmoc wrote:
Went in and talked to All RV in Tucson today. The final quote is a moving target with a max (NOW) of around $1000 to a low of $800 out the door. The $1000 figure comes from the amount of time Remco Tech says the job will take. The $800 is what the local tech thinks he maybe able to do it in but I not very optimistic. This is for installation of base plates and wiring including the power supply line....

Are they ordering, providing the baseplates as part of that $800-1000? Or, are you ordering, getting the base plates separate from that?

If that price includes them providing the base plates, that is a pretty good deal. If not, then I'd say thats a bit much.

Ford dealer installed our base plates on the Fusion, charged me just under $300 for the labor (I provided the base plates, cost $380 from hitchsource.com, with free shipping). I did all the wiring myself, cost me 'bout $40 in parts (magnetic lights, 6 round connector in front, handful of wires, connectors, etc.)

Now, the EXPENSIVE part was having the RV dealer install the brake cables on the Fusion, for the ReadyBrake braking system I use. Don't even want to think about, or repeat that number, haha. 🙂

[rocmoc]

Went in and talked to All RV in Tucson today. The final quote is a moving target with a max (NOW) of around $1000 to a low of $800 out the door. The $1000 figure comes from the amount of time Remco Tech says the job will take. The $800 is what the local tech thinks he maybe able to do it in but I not very optimistic. This is for installation of base plates and wiring including the power supply line. Remco Tech recommended a separate independent wiring harness to the rear lights with separate sockets & LED bulbs. Reasoning they gave was the possibility of warranty violation if the Ford wiring harness is tampered or cut into (including the use of diodes). I AGREE! SO parts are ordered and I will update when the job is done. Thus far we love the car.

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[afrescopXx]

The diodes are working just fine with no issues. I think lighting and other 12V systems are about the same in the C Max as any other car. The hybrid drive system is another story.

[willald]

afrescop wrote:
Towing/hitch place installed the Blue Ox baseplate on my C Max. Lots of trim/metal had to be removed and then replaced. Used diodes for the taillights.

Hmm, interesting. RV technician I spoke with that did wiring on a C max, said he could not use diodes, although that was his preferred method. Said he could not (or did not want to) tap into the C max's wiring. Was too complicated and difficult, he said.

For that reason, I use magnetic lights on our Fusion that I already had, did not even try messing with diodes. Sounds like it (diodes) works for you, though, so I may have to look at that again. Definitely not crazy about using the magnetic lights, although they work and are an easy, simple, cheap solution.

...Also installed a charge wire to the battery. Without the charge line your C Max's battery will be dead after about four hours of towing.
Tows great. No issues.

Yep! Learned that lesson the hard way on our Fusion hybrid. Got to our destination, had dead battery. After we got home, I did some testing with an ammeter, found that with everything off, ignition in ACC mode (as it has to be when towing), there is a 3 amp draw on the battery. No way to turn it off, short of pulling fuses (which I did NOT want to do!). Installed a charge line next day, problem solved. Never have to worry about the battery again, now.

Will

[afrescopXx]

Towing/hitch place installed the Blue Ox baseplate on my C Max. Lots of trim/metal had to be removed and then replaced. Used diodes for the taillights. Also installed a charge wire to the battery. Without the charge line your C Max's battery will be dead after about four hours of towing.
Tows great. No issues.

[rocmoc]

Thanks guys for the ongoing info!

I called All RV today and got a quote for base plates, install & wiring. Just over $800. Will update with what I do & COST! Love the car!!!!!

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico