Cee-Jay
Sasquatch
Heavy Duty Bumpers for Expedition/Overland Use: Practical Necessity or Superfluous and Heavy?
The topic is off-road bumpers, both rear and front. I'm talking about aftermarket or custom made heavy duty bumpers designed to replace the factory bumpers on your average expedition vehicle.
Some possible reasons to purchase a heavy duty bumper:
-Protects vehicle from major damage caused by hazards found on difficult or extreme trails/roads
-Provides a proper mounting point for a winch
-Improves approach and departure angles relative to stock bumper
-Provides quality recovery points
-Looks cool
Some possible reasons NOT to purchase a heavy duty bumper:
-Wastes available payload capacity (esp. in lighter, smaller rigs)
-Changes vehicle handling characteristics for the worse (especially in lighter, smaller rigs)
-Expensive
-Just plain unnecessary for most people most of the time
-Draws attention to vehicle (may attract thieves)
-Looks ugly
I realize the best answer to this question may be “it depends”, but I'm interested in your thoughts. Under what conditions and for which vehicles is heavy duty bumper protection desirable? When is it okay but not necessary? When is it actually harmful?
Thanks,
Cee-Jay
PS: I know I'm being a little simplistic here. For example, not all replacement bumpers are created equal; some are more efficiently designed than others.
The topic is off-road bumpers, both rear and front. I'm talking about aftermarket or custom made heavy duty bumpers designed to replace the factory bumpers on your average expedition vehicle.
Some possible reasons to purchase a heavy duty bumper:
-Protects vehicle from major damage caused by hazards found on difficult or extreme trails/roads
-Provides a proper mounting point for a winch
-Improves approach and departure angles relative to stock bumper
-Provides quality recovery points
-Looks cool
Some possible reasons NOT to purchase a heavy duty bumper:
-Wastes available payload capacity (esp. in lighter, smaller rigs)
-Changes vehicle handling characteristics for the worse (especially in lighter, smaller rigs)
-Expensive
-Just plain unnecessary for most people most of the time
-Draws attention to vehicle (may attract thieves)
-Looks ugly
I realize the best answer to this question may be “it depends”, but I'm interested in your thoughts. Under what conditions and for which vehicles is heavy duty bumper protection desirable? When is it okay but not necessary? When is it actually harmful?
Thanks,
Cee-Jay
PS: I know I'm being a little simplistic here. For example, not all replacement bumpers are created equal; some are more efficiently designed than others.