Community Forums

sploke · 03-13-2025, 11:46 AM

Has anyone identified a standard replacement for the little plastic cap plugs that go into the receiver holes on blue Ox baseplates? They sell them on the website for 12 bucks a pair, which I have a little trouble accepting when they probably cost about five cents each. They are part number BX88380, wondering if anyone's figured this out yet before I go down a rabbit hole to do it myself. I'll have to zip-tie them on next time so they don't fall out.

Jim_HiTek · 03-13-2025, 12:13 PM

Have you tried the screw/nuts/bolts & assorted hardware at an ACE Hardware, or DoItBest? I've found some generic stuff there. Manufacturers are always trying to save a buck or two so they often use standard off-the-shelf items as part of their product.

Old Scout · 03-13-2025, 12:48 PM

Interesting--I have been BO product owner for over 20 years and never felt the need to use or to replace those caps?

FIRE UP · 03-13-2025, 01:02 PM

Sploke,
Yeah, I lost mine several years ago. I thought about replacing them but it's just not been on the top of the priority list. It (the truck they're used on) would probably look a bit better with those holes plugged in some sort of fashion but, I just haven't got around to it. I can't really advise on maybe where to pick up something that would work in their place other than the stock ones for yeah, a whopping $12.00 or so.

You can, measure both the inside and outside diameter of those components and then go hunting for something that would work in their place. By the time you've wasted gas, time, energy, and more to find maybe something that's say, 1/2 the cost of the B/O versions, you've lost way more than you'd spend on those lousy $12 ones. Your choice. I do the same thing quite often, spend more time looking to save a few bucks when I could spend just a few more and have them delivered to my doorstep. Your choice.
Scott

sploke · 03-14-2025, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Scout

Interesting--I have been BO product owner for over 20 years and never felt the need to use or to replace those caps?

I put them in when I installed the base plate, because I had them, so why not? I walked out the other day and noticed that a) one was missing, and b) the hole had quite a bit of sand and dirt in it from driving on dirty, salty, snowy roads.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

Sploke,
By the time you've wasted gas, time, energy, and more to find maybe something that's say, 1/2 the cost of the B/O versions, you've lost way more than you'd spend on those lousy $12 ones. Your choice. I do the same thing quite often, spend more time looking to save a few bucks when I could spend just a few more and have them delivered to my doorstep. Your choice.
Scott

This is my own personal curse. Why buy an off the shelf solution, when I can spend twice as much time and money to do it myself and have it work *almost* as good?

For anyone looking for an actual solution, the original caps that Blue Ox uses are (were?) made by the Niagara Plastics Company, their part number is P-250 for the center pull tab plug. Niagara was since bought out by Caplugs, who makes the same part under their part number CPT-250. There are a number of places to buy them cheaply, but most of them only sell in quantities of 250-1000pcs.

Unfortunately no black ones, but I figure if they're red it will be easier to notice if they go missing.

Wrapped · 03-14-2025, 08:25 AM

Amazon, Roadmaster 210 pair baseplate plugs, they're black rubber plugs BUT they're $26. thick rubber.

bneumann · 03-15-2025, 07:01 AM

... we found 2 cheap round rubber chair leg attachments to put in the toad holes to keep out the dust/debris (about <2" diameter), applied some WD40 to clean, remove rust before.
Easy to remove & reinstall)

MRJEB · 03-15-2025, 08:04 AM

Based on the information provided by SPLOKE, I found a solid rubber 'stopper'. OD is a little larger so it would stick out enough to get fingers onto and pull out. Looks like two of there with shipping and tax is ~$33. If you find a real hardware store, they often have corks and stoppers in a drawer somewhere; you can probably get this locally for a buck.

Here is a link: https://www.caplugs.com/p/black-epdm-plugs-tp-sh

tderonne · 03-15-2025, 10:57 AM

This thread may help

PanJH · 03-17-2025, 05:19 AM

A few years ago I lost one of them... on the remaining one, I saw a number and googled it. I think it came up as a conduit plug. They were super cheap, but came in a quantity of 100 or so. I ended up just using a pair of rubber stoppers with a crew in the end connected to a short lenght of small chain to retain them in place should they work loose.

sploke · 03-24-2025, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sploke

I put them in when I installed the base plate, because I had them, so why not? I walked out the other day and noticed that a) one was missing, and b) the hole had quite a bit of sand and dirt in it from driving on dirty, salty, snowy roads.

This is my own personal curse. Why buy an off the shelf solution, when I can spend twice as much time and money to do it myself and have it work *almost* as good?

For anyone looking for an actual solution, the original caps that Blue Ox uses are (were?) made by the Niagara Plastics Company, their part number is P-250 for the center pull tab plug. Niagara was since bought out by Caplugs, who makes the same part under their part number CPT-250. There are a number of places to buy them cheaply, but most of them only sell in quantities of 250-1000pcs.

I did find them in smaller quantities on Amazon here:

[incorrect link removed]

Unfortunately no black ones, but I figure if they're red it will be easier to notice if they go missing.

I just realized I had the wrong link in this post. The correct Caplugs part number is ZCPT14YQ1, found here:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077DBT3S6

I got a bag of 30pcs for about $25. They even have the "Niagara P 250" marking on the inside. Now the trick will be putting them someplace when I can find them again a year or two from now when I lose another plug...