Homemade Rear Bumper Bumper

[JasonDroninAround]

You may have seen a couple photos of my homemade rear bumper bumper that I just posted as comments in other posts. I have been thinking of making something like this because the departure angle on the Tremor is so bad compared the the approach angle. I was bottoming out the rear bumper frequently and I was afraid I was going to take it off one day. What I came up with is pretty simple. It is just a 6' piece of 2.5" square tubing welded to the underside of the removable hitch ball mount. I did not do any welding or modifications to the truck. If I want to remove it, I just have to take out the hitch pin and the whole thing comes off.

This Thanksgiving weekend, we all went camping at California City. Most of the people there had their big Polaris and CanAm side-by-sides brough in by fifth-wheel toy haulers or diesel pusher RVs pulling cargo trailers. Then there's me in my itty bitty Maverick with no trailer, no UTV, just my trusty tent in the bed For those who do not know much about central and southern California, we got a whole lot of rain a week or two ago. There was a lot of flash flooding and washouts in the Mojave Desert. I did not try to keep up with those guys and their side-by-sides. I just asked them where they were going, took off a little earlier, and they eventually passed me. Because of all the little washouts, there were plenty of places to get a little rubbing action going on the new rear bumper bumper. Here are a couple photos right after I built it, a short little video I made crossing one of these little washout out there, and then a drone 360 photo of out camp. I'm the guy in the orange sweater standing next to the itty bitty white truck, with the tent in the bed, kind of off by myself. I planned on doing some drinking around the campfire and I knew I was going to need a little early morning privacy hehe

The California City Camp Drone 360 Photo https://photos.app.goo.gl/EfVh4ZCJgKNT84pr7

The Bumper Bumper Bumping

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[icegradner]

I see what you are trying to do, but I'm not sure if it's going to help in the long run. I say that, given that the hitch is attached to the unibody crumple structure. I suppose as long as you keep speeds low the chances of damage are low enough. I hope it works out.

 

[JasonDroninAround]

I see what you are trying to do, but I'm not sure if it's going to help in the long run. I say that, given that the hitch is attached to the unibody crumple structure. I suppose as long as you keep speeds low the chances of damage are low enough. I hope it works out.

I definitely take it easy. If I would have tried that same dip without the bumper bumper, the plastic bumper cover would have bottomed out instead. Sure, this is my fun off-roading camping vehicle, but it is also my daily commuter and my only vehicle. I don't get too crazy with it. When on the trail, my mantra is, "I have no where to go and all day to get there"

 

[Carlitos_92]

Looks practical for your use, but my shins freaking hate it.

 

[Gray Goose]

Reminds me of the old DMI hitches we used to use for pulling Ag wagons. Also deters tailgaters.

 

[JasonDroninAround]

Reminds me of the old DMI hitches we used to use for pulling Ag wagons. Also deters tailgaters.

That's cool I didn't hardly spend any money on it. I already had the hitch. I got the tubing from the scrap metal pile at my work. All that it cost me was the electricity to cut off the ends, clean it up, and weld it, and then one rattle can of black paint

 

[peekaypee]

You may have seen a couple photos of my homemade rear bumper bumper that I just posted as comments in other posts. I have been thinking of making something like this because the departure angle on the Tremor is so bad compared the the approach angle. I was bottoming out the rear bumper frequently and I was afraid I was going to take it off one day. What I came up with is pretty simple. It is just a 6' piece of 2.5" square tubing welded to the underside of the removable hitch ball mount. I did not do any welding or modifications to the truck. If I want to remove it, I just have to take out the hitch pin and the whole thing comes off.

This Thanksgiving weekend, we all went camping at California City. Most of the people there had their big Polaris and CanAm side-by-sides brough in by fifth-wheel toy haulers or diesel pusher RVs pulling cargo trailers. Then there's me in my itty bitty Maverick with no trailer, no UTV, just my trusty tent in the bed For those who do not know much about central and southern California, we got a whole lot of rain a week or two ago. There was a lot of flash flooding and washouts in the Mojave Desert. I did not try to keep up with those guys and their side-by-sides. I just asked them where they were going, took off a little earlier, and they eventually passed me. Because of all the little washouts, there were plenty of places to get a little rubbing action going on the new rear bumper bumper. Here are a couple photos right after I built it, a short little video I made crossing one of these little washout out there, and then a drone 360 photo of out camp. I'm the guy in the orange sweater standing next to the itty bitty white truck, with the tent in the bed, kind of off by myself. I planned on doing some drinking around the campfire and I knew I was going to need a little early morning privacy hehe

The California City Camp Drone 360 Photo https://photos.app.goo.gl/EfVh4ZCJgKNT84pr7

The Bumper Bumper Bumping

Like your creativity. Question? I watched your YouTube video & saw your 360 drone picture and noticed all those big trailers. How did they get over that washout gully that you bottomed out on. There's no way they would have made that. So that didn't make a lot of sense when you said they eventually went by you

 

[JasonDroninAround]

Like your creativity. Question? I watched your YouTube video & saw your 360 drone picture and noticed all those big trailers. How did they get over that washout gully that you bottomed out on. There's no way they would have made that. So that didn't make a lot of sense when you said they eventually went by you

That's okay. Maybe I didn't explain it enough. All the guys with all the big RVs came in from the direction of Tehachapi, through downtown California City, to the far east side, where we were all camped. The roads that they came in on were paved and in decent shape. When it came to the off-roading, they all had side by sides and dirt bikes. I was only one off-roading in a highway vehicle in our group. There was no way I can keep up with them. So, I adventured mostly on my own and we all kept in contact with the Polaris app. I encountered this wash out on my way from the camp to Jawbone Station. On this route, most full size four drives could take but there's no way they could do it in one of those big RVs. There were bigger washouts than this. This one was just notable because it didn't look big enough to have to take it at an angle but once I heard the front bottom out, I though this would be a good one set up my camera, drive straight through it instead of at an angle, and make a little video of the rear bumper bumper.

 

[Brianx]

that's a lot of leverage waiting to happen to the hitch receiver

 

[Timothyd]

Looks practical for your use, but my shins freaking hate it.

I've knocked my shins on my own drawbar plenty of times. Hurts looking at that.

 

[JasonDroninAround]

that's a lot of leverage waiting to happen to the hitch receiver

I intentionally did not make my welds very strong and hopes that it will give out before Ford's welds do. It's not the kind of truck to do much rock hopping. I mostly stick to mud and sand. Hopefully I never have to find out who's welds were stronger

 

[OGMix376]

You may have seen a couple photos of my homemade rear bumper bumper that I just posted as comments in other posts. I have been thinking of making something like this because the departure angle on the Tremor is so bad compared the the approach angle. I was bottoming out the rear bumper frequently and I was afraid I was going to take it off one day. What I came up with is pretty simple. It is just a 6' piece of 2.5" square tubing welded to the underside of the removable hitch ball mount. I did not do any welding or modifications to the truck. If I want to remove it, I just have to take out the hitch pin and the whole thing comes off.

This Thanksgiving weekend, we all went camping at California City. Most of the people there had their big Polaris and CanAm side-by-sides brough in by fifth-wheel toy haulers or diesel pusher RVs pulling cargo trailers. Then there's me in my itty bitty Maverick with no trailer, no UTV, just my trusty tent in the bed For those who do not know much about central and southern California, we got a whole lot of rain a week or two ago. There was a lot of flash flooding and washouts in the Mojave Desert. I did not try to keep up with those guys and their side-by-sides. I just asked them where they were going, took off a little earlier, and they eventually passed me. Because of all the little washouts, there were plenty of places to get a little rubbing action going on the new rear bumper bumper. Here are a couple photos right after I built it, a short little video I made crossing one of these little washout out there, and then a drone 360 photo of out camp. I'm the guy in the orange sweater standing next to the itty bitty white truck, with the tent in the bed, kind of off by myself. I planned on doing some drinking around the campfire and I knew I was going to need a little early morning privacy hehe

The California City Camp Drone 360 Photo https://photos.app.goo.gl/EfVh4ZCJgKNT84pr7

The Bumper Bumper Bumping

Hello Jason, your Tremor is still stock tremor suspension? Or have you done any additional lift?
Also, you should’ve just posted this video is pretty perfect expression of my concerns of the fx4 vs lariat vs tremor Maverick.. the dip you went through is very much the type of terrain issues that my mom will be dealing with on the property.. glad I got to see this.. bumper looks nice too.

 

[SP1966]

I'm going recommend naming it the Shin-Killer!

 

[JasonDroninAround]

Hello Jason, your Tremor is still stock tremor suspension? Or have you done any additional lift?
Also, you should’ve just posted this video is pretty perfect expression of my concerns of the fx4 vs lariat vs tremor Maverick.. the dip you went through is very much the type of terrain issues that my mom will be dealing with on the property.. glad I got to see this.. bumper looks nice too.

Yes, that is still the original factory tires and wheels and suspension height that the truck came with. I have only added those mud flaps, the tonneau cover, and now my bumper bumper. They do make much narrower skid plates that attach to the hitch but I wasn't looking to protect the middle of the bumper, I was looking to protect the corners of the bumper. I had already partially taken off the plastic bumper cover on the passenger side and to this day it usually will not stay snapped in right there below the tail light. The reason why I wanted to protect the corners is that if you are going over a dirt embankment or something that you know will be too much for the angles, you just take the obstacle at something like a 45° angle, letting each wheel take the transitions separately and reducing the problem with breakover. What this does though is bottoms out the corners of the bumper when departing. This is my first solution to that problem. I did not want to cut the bumper which is a more extreme solution to the same problem. If you always plan on going through dips at a 90° angle like I did for this video, you could probably get away with a much shorter piece of metal underneath there to reduce the chances of breaking your weld on your hitch or the Ford welds attaching the carrier.

 

[JasonDroninAround]

I'm going recommend naming it the Shin-Killer!

I am happy to report that I haven't hit my shin on it yet. After a lifetime of bashing my shins on assorted hitches, I think my body subconsciously stays clear the rear of pickups LOL

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