Do you have a rear bumper on your build?

[Irving]

I'm trying to decide upon a design and materials to make a bumper for my new trailer. What have some of you used? Got any pics?

[eamarquardt]

I'm trying to decide upon a design and materials to make a bumper for my new trailer. What have some of you used? Got any pics?

The bumper pulls in and out 30 inches so I can put a ramp and a small motorcycle, bicycles, or whatever back there. It also drops down so that it is completely out of the way so you don't bang your shins when you are using the galley. The tail-lights are inset into the 2X4 tubing.

Cheers,

Gus

[prohandyman]

Cut down front bumper from an old pick up truck...

[Woodbutcher]

Mine is a rear bumper off a Jeep Wrangler.

[S. Heisley]

Mine is a rear bumper off a Jeep Wrangler.

Oh! I like that!

[Irving]

Mine is a rear bumper off a Jeep Wrangler.

Wow. Perfect fit.

[halfdome, Danny]

This is how my friend Ed does it on his builds.
It's simply a square tube of steel with the ends capped off and two flat steel tabs for mounting to the chassis.
He has it chrome plated for looks and longevity.
Danny

[AlgoDan]

Oh boy that looks sweet, I like the way it blends in with radiused corners and being black....

Mine is a rear bumper off a Jeep Wrangler.

[Irving]

My plans right now are to make a bumper that sits back 4" or so from the rearmost surface. That way if I was to be rear ended hopefully it has a better chance of damaging only the bumper and not the wooden body. I figure if the bumper is snug with the rear of the trailer then when you are rear-ended the bumper itself is forced into the wooden back.

[halfdome, Danny]

I've considered putting on a bumper a time or two.
A bumper can be nice but it can also be a shin knocker and make it uncomfortable when cooking.
The key to preserving the rear of your teardrop is to have it well lighted and marked with the addition of a high brake light and clearance lights.
Have someone assist you when backing up and have back up lights to help them do their job properly so you don't back into an object at a camp site.
Defensive driving is also helpful.
If you observe a jerk texting or driving in a manner that makes you feel uncomfortable, slow down & let him pass you.
Danny

[Irving]

I've considered putting on a bumper a time or two.
A bumper can be nice but it can also be a shin knocker and make it uncomfortable when cooking.
The key to preserving the rear of your teardrop is to have it well lighted and marked with the addition of a high brake light and clearance lights.
Have someone assist you when backing up and have back up lights to help them do their job properly so you don't back into an object at a camp site.
Defensive driving is also helpful.
If you observe a jerk texting or driving in a manner that makes you feel uncomfortable, slow down & let him pass you.
Danny

Good advice. I plan to add a third brake light and to put reflectors here and there.

The couple of times I have been rearended I was sitting at a stand still at a red light.

[halfdome, Danny]

The couple of times I have been rearended I was sitting at a stand still at a red light.

I've had the same experience a couple of times without a trailer.
Danny

[pohukai]

Mine is a 2x4 covered with aluminum channel repurposed from a window valance from an office. It will provide some protection but if I'm rear ended, I'm not sure how much ANY bumper will help.

I've wired for a high level brake light/running light on the hatch, but haven't installed it yet. Hopefully, that won't be a problem next weekend on our first trip.

bumper.png (206.14 KiB) Viewed 1381 times

[Irving]

Mine is a 2x4 covered with aluminum channel repurposed from a window valance from an office. It will provide some protection but if I'm rear ended, I'm not sure how much ANY bumper will help.

I've wired for a high level brake light/running light on the hatch, but haven't installed it yet. Hopefully, that won't be a problem next weekend on our first trip.

bumper.png

Depends on how hard you are hit. If you have a bumper that is set back away from the body by several inches and it is fairly beefy steel it may be just enough protection to save the teardrop from any splintering, shattering and cracking apart.

[Nobody]

Think I may have posted this a time or three before but... My bumper was intended more for decorative purposes than actual utility but when I was rear-ended Labor Day weekend of 2010 the little bumper actually deflected the impact enough that damage to the TD was more cosmetic than actual. Appears it deflected most of the impact downward to the trailer chassis rather than impacting the body of the TD. I was able to continue my trip & use the galley as normal. Upon return home & after the insurance settlement I did all the repair myself & even tho if you look closely underneath you can still see signs of the damage, the chassis is square to the coupler, it tows normally, & there is no external damage apparent.

My bumper is simply 2 pieces of 7/8" square steel tubing spot welded parallel to each other & covered with a re-purposed late 80's Chevy diamond tread tailgate protector that I 'folded' around the steel tubing. Used a couple of 1 x 1/2" steep bars to bolt it to the TD chassis so after the rear ender I was able to just replace the bars & re-mount after chassis repair. The impact was severe enough that tho there was only moderate damage to the TD itself, the chassis apparently transmitted enough force to the hitch that my factory receiver was bent downward slightly which necessitated replacement of the receiver...

We've never had any problem with the bumper intruding into our work space at the galley so apparently I got the mounting distance right (at least for us ). After the experience with the rear end collision I think my bumper did make a difference & was worth the effort.




After the rear end collision



After repairs