Installing base plates in a 2006 Grand Vitara

[D_E_Bishop]

I think I mentioned earlier that my 1995 Suzuki Sidekick met it’s demise. Two pistons at the top of their respective cylinders. Thought about a used engine for $1400 plus labor to change out or looking for another towed. There were several other things that made me decide to go for a different one and I finally found a 2006 Grand Vitara. They are nice little utes and I think I got a good deal on it.

Of course it did not have any base plates and it is not wired for lights. Not too big a deal for a shade tree mechanic like myself, NOT! I have always had Roadmaster base plates and tow bars. It’s just the way the other two toweds came. So I read the installation instructions and decided that the installation wouldn’t be a big deal. Boy was I wrong.

Stripping down the plastics on the front end was easy, I followed the directions and then I started the install. I have no idea how Roadmaster did the install in 2.5 to 3 hours. This is really my third baseplate install and the directions for the other two were spot on, not this one. The instructions said to remove the two mounting bolts for the windshield washer tank, Wrong. There were three bolts, two of which were hidden and required removing the mounting bracket for the CPU and raising the CPU out of the way. Of course that required removing the left head light assembly. So instead of two bolts to be removed, there were ten and one very weird mounting bracket.

On the other side, the instructions said to remove an expansion chamber in the air intake for the engine. Nope, I had to remove the entire intake, on the right side of the engine, including the air filter.

So five hours later, I was done with the install but not cleaning up and storing the tools in their proper places. No way one guy can do that in just 2.5 to 3 hours.

Monday will be the installation of the light cable, diodes and four wire socket. I sure hope that it is as simple as pulling the cable from front to rear and installing the diodes.

[hotjag1]

Experienced the same thing putting a base plate on our 2005 GV. It took myself and a professional mechanic about 4 hours to do the installation. I'm not sure how one person could do it by themselves as we needed 4 hands to hold the brackets in place while the other installed the bolts. It was a very tight fit and we had to use a crow bar a couple of times to leverage the brackets to line up with the factory frame holes.

We agree, they make a great towed vehicle.

[D_E_Bishop]

I am well aware of the Suzies being great toweds, this is my third, we had both a 1995 and a 2006 at the same time. Sold the 2006 because of lack of storage and it was too nice for off-roading and we loved the lighter Sidekick. That is up until it died.

People are amazed to see us in some of the places we go to just look around. The only problem I ever had was we were showing the DGKs some wild horses and some giggle bushes got caught in the cross member of the frame against the converter. We put the fire out and suffered no damage what so ever.

I'm trying RM's new easy connect diodes this time. I just want to test them out for the rest of you. Besides they are cheaper than the individual diodes or the one in two out diodes.

[Nutinelse2do]

Wow! Sorry to hear of all your troubles.

Installation on our 08 GV was a piece of cake. Strange a couple years would make that much of a difference.

It will be worth it after you’re done. It’s a killer little toad.

Good luck with the wiring. Let us know you survived the process 🙂

[lryrob9301]

Now you know why most shops charge 8 hrs.for a baseplate install.