Rho V2 with Extender N - A Real Contender as Top License Plate Mount

Hello all,

I was trying to find myself a good license plate mount for my new Golf R. I took delivery of my 2018 Golf R in lapiz blue about two weeks ago and made certain no holes were drilled in my bumper. I really love the look of a clean front bumper, but IL law does not allow for running without a front plate. As a result, I wanted to find a good plate mount that did two things:

A. Mount did not cause any issues with the parking sensors
B. Allowed for simple installation and removal of the plate

Did I achieve these two goals? Well, mostly.

I started researching, finding lots of options, including tow hook options (US Millworks, Platypus), but it required bending the plate and messing around to try to get everything to line up for the sensors. Not only did that sound like a pain, but I just don't think a bent plate is very asthetically pleasing. I also found the 3d printed mold that a forum member offers. This seemed wonderful, but it didn't have an easy method to install and release on a fairly consistent basis. There was even the Sto N Sho, which is what I used on my 335i. Super quick and easy to install and remove, but would sit very low on the Golf and I had some issues with their lock mechanism freezing on me (because I didn't WD40 it often enough).

I then came across the Rho V2 plate mount, which seemed to follow suit to the tow hook options with sensor issues. However, the company has released a new option, which is the V2 mount with an extender N bracket. It's a pricey little addition - $33 (ontop of the $89 price tag, brought the price of the bracket to $122 + shipping), but it certainly looked like it could work (spoiler alert - it actually does).

I emailed Rho to discuss this option. Please note - I had issue getting my messages to go through when trying to send a message through their website. I recommend their email directly as listed on their contact page. Wilson replied to me within a couple hours, and was very helpful. I place my order on the afternoon of June 27th. I then came to realize it was coming from Canada - DAMN! How long is that going to take? Answer is - not long at all. Received the plate frame on July 2nd. That's less time than items coming from California (for me, at least). Great job there.



Packaging was excellent inside and out. Each item had it's own boxed space , which just made me feel like I was buying a quality item.



Took everything out, and that quality was confirmed. The pieces were very sturdy and everything felt like it was more than just some thrown together tow hook. Installation sheets were included and were also very easy to follow.



Installation went pretty quickly. Take off the tow hook cover, screw in the tow hook, put in the extender N piece, mount plate frame and plate. Really the hardest part was just deciding where I wanted to mount the plate because they do allow you to customize things to pretty much exactly where you want. It even has full adjustability for the angle of the plate, so you can have it follow whatever line you want on the car. I like that.

Rho Plate Mount Installed with No Plate:







Rho Plate Mount with my plate on / finished product. I chose to mount in a way where it isn't sticking too far out from the side, yet isn't covering the center section where the intercooler is by:











So all is 100% perfect, right? Well, not quite. As I mentioned, item A is absolutely perfect. Parking sensors have not gone off at all, and that makes sense based on the great positioning of the plate. That extender N piece works great, and is really a "duh, why didn't we think of this solution before" kind of thing. As for item B, is it easy to install and remove? Well, sort of. This really is more as a comparison to the Sto n Sho I mentioned, where the plate goes on and off within seconds and no tools required. With the Rho, I was hoping to be able to just rotate the whole assembly off by hand. However, the extender N bracket is just a smidge too close that it would rub against the right side of the bumper if I was to spin it in that direction. Note - while installed properly, this does not touch the front bumper whatsoever. Fit is actually spot on, so the alternative would have been having the plate stick out more, which I don't think would have been good.

Pic of the mount installed and from above to see what I'm talking about:




Is it really hard to take out then? No, it's still pretty simple. Since I have the plate mounted and such, you just remove half of the mount (where the extender n connects to the tow hook) via a supplied allen wrench, then remove the tow hook with a socket. Minute or two max.

Overall, I am very happy with the Rho V2 mount with Extender N plate, and think this is a terrific option for anyone looking for a high quality piece that offers great customization and will not interfere with the parking sensors. If it had a quick release tab or even just had the tow hook an extra 1/2 inch longer, I think I would give a perfect score. As is, though, I give a 9/10.

Hope this review helps, and will try to answer any questions if they come about.

I got this option as well recently. What I don't like is the tow hook area exposed. I am still trying to play around with it so that it covers the tow hook area and not set off sensors

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

dman918 said:

Hello all,

I was trying to find myself a good license plate mount for my new Golf R. I took delivery of my 2018 Golf R in lapiz blue about two weeks ago and made certain no holes were drilled in my bumper. I really love the look of a clean front bumper, but IL law does not allow for running without a front plate. As a result, I wanted to find a good plate mount that did two things:

A. Mount did not cause any issues with the parking sensors
B. Allowed for simple installation and removal of the plate

Did I achieve these two goals? Well, mostly.

I started researching, finding lots of options, including tow hook options (US Millworks, Platypus), but it required bending the plate and messing around to try to get everything to line up for the sensors. Not only did that sound like a pain, but I just don't think a bent plate is very asthetically pleasing. I also found the 3d printed mold that a forum member offers. This seemed wonderful, but it didn't have an easy method to install and release on a fairly consistent basis. There was even the Sto N Sho, which is what I used on my 335i. Super quick and easy to install and remove, but would sit very low on the Golf and I had some issues with their lock mechanism freezing on me (because I didn't WD40 it often enough).

I then came across the Rho V2 plate mount, which seemed to follow suit to the tow hook options with sensor issues. However, the company has released a new option, which is the V2 mount with an extender N bracket. It's a pricey little addition - $33 (ontop of the $89 price tag, brought the price of the bracket to $122 + shipping), but it certainly looked like it could work (spoiler alert - it actually does).

I emailed Rho to discuss this option. Please note - I had issue getting my messages to go through when trying to send a message through their website. I recommend their email directly as listed on their contact page. Wilson replied to me within a couple hours, and was very helpful. I place my order on the afternoon of June 27th. I then came to realize it was coming from Canada - DAMN! How long is that going to take? Answer is - not long at all. Received the plate frame on July 2nd. That's less time than items coming from California (for me, at least). Great job there.

Packaging was excellent inside and out. Each item had it's own boxed space , which just made me feel like I was buying a quality item.

Took everything out, and that quality was confirmed. The pieces were very sturdy and everything felt like it was more than just some thrown together tow hook. Installation sheets were included and were also very easy to follow.

Installation went pretty quickly. Take off the tow hook cover, screw in the tow hook, put in the extender N piece, mount plate frame and plate. Really the hardest part was just deciding where I wanted to mount the plate because they do allow you to customize things to pretty much exactly where you want. It even has full adjustability for the angle of the plate, so you can have it follow whatever line you want on the car. I like that.

Rho Plate Mount Installed with No Plate:

Rho Plate Mount with my plate on / finished product. I chose to mount in a way where it isn't sticking too far out from the side, yet isn't covering the center section where the intercooler is by:

So all is 100% perfect, right? Well, not quite. As I mentioned, item A is absolutely perfect. Parking sensors have not gone off at all, and that makes sense based on the great positioning of the plate. That extender N piece works great, and is really a "duh, why didn't we think of this solution before" kind of thing. As for item B, is it easy to install and remove? Well, sort of. This really is more as a comparison to the Sto n Sho I mentioned, where the plate goes on and off within seconds and no tools required. With the Rho, I was hoping to be able to just rotate the whole assembly off by hand. However, the extender N bracket is just a smidge too close that it would rub against the right side of the bumper if I was to spin it in that direction. Note - while installed properly, this does not touch the front bumper whatsoever. Fit is actually spot on, so the alternative would have been having the plate stick out more, which I don't think would have been good.

Pic of the mount installed and from above to see what I'm talking about:

Is it really hard to take out then? No, it's still pretty simple. Since I have the plate mounted and such, you just remove half of the mount (where the extender n connects to the tow hook) via a supplied allen wrench, then remove the tow hook with a socket. Minute or two max.

Overall, I am very happy with the Rho V2 mount with Extender N plate, and think this is a terrific option for anyone looking for a high quality piece that offers great customization and will not interfere with the parking sensors. If it had a quick release tab or even just had the tow hook an extra 1/2 inch longer, I think I would give a perfect score. As is, though, I give a 9/10.

Hope this review helps, and will try to answer any questions if they come about.

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Pretty sweet but that trim piece removed would trigger my OCD. I prefer outlaw mode and no front plate

I have been using the Rho V2 for a couple of weeks now without the extender and have not had a single issue with the parking sensors. I ended up offsetting the plate more to the headlight. Having multiple mounting points on the plate is a definite improvement over the platypus mount. And I didn’t have to bend the plate.

If you're going to go through the trouble of using a tow hook mount and positioning it over the grill why not save yourself the hassle and and unsightly area on the bumper and go with a 3d printed option that mounts to the same area? I feel like this is trying to fix a problem that's been solved already.

3D printed won’t work for me. I want something easily removable.

The 3d printed version which I have for my 18 R takes roughly 1 minute to remove.

dman918 said:

3D printed won’t work for me. I want something easily removable.

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