Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » rear bumper modifications (fine line of ugly vs practical)
| rear bumper modifications [message #282457] |
Sun, 19 July 2015 11:35  |
lqqkatjon
Messages: 2324
Registered: October 2010
Location: St. Cloud, MN
Karma: 5
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Senior Member |
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I am getting to the point of needing to do something to my trailer hitch. I have just a flat bar, with a ball on it now, that I bought when I first got my coach. It is supported by the plate holding the two pieces of bumper together and it is bolted to the rear frame rail. I switch between the trailer ball, and I end up bolting a bike rack to the thing as well on some trips. The last trip the weight of the bikes(kids bikes I think got heavier this year), bent my flat plate down over the trip. It has always just been meant to be a temporary thing, but now I need to either bend my trailer hitch back, or actually fix and complete my hitch.
I am not going the blaine merril route, because partly cost, even though time is money, but mostly am really thinking of adding some more features to the back of the coach. a frank jenkins rear box, is also out of budget.
I do own or have access to metal working tools, so I intend on fabricating something on my own. I do not want it to take a year to build, but I am just now trying to really think out what I want and need to do.
So cost being somewhat of a consideration, who has pictures of what they have done, and how has it worked for you?
right now I am planning on installing a 2" receiver tube through the bumper(for trailering/towd hauling). with a second 2" receiver tube coming out between the bumper and spare tire.(for 2" reciever bike rack or cargo tray). The second tube, I will have to cut and move my spare tire bracket up a couple inches to make better clearance for the tube, and installing pins and to allow tire cover to tie on., and I think I am going to try to push the bumper out from the coach as far as I can reasonably do it, by just making up some brackets to go on the outside of the shock mounted bumper. I am hoping to get enough outward on the bumper to maybe be able to haul a small generator, or our weber Q bbq on either side of the spare tire. I want to keep that outward distance to a minimum, because the more out I go, the longer the 2" tube for the hitch has to be, and that tongue weight leverage could end up being a problem. I think just a couple inches might do it.
So just fishing for ideas, without going too crazy.
Jon Roche
75 palm beach
EBL EFI, manny headers, Micro Level, rebuilt most of coach now.
St. Cloud, MN
http://lqqkatjon.blogspot.com/
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| Re: [GMCnet] rear bumper modifications [message #282459 is a reply to message #282457] |
Sun, 19 July 2015 12:04  |
Ken Henderson
Messages: 8726
Registered: March 2004
Location: Americus, GA
Karma: 9
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Senior Member |
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Jon,
Sounds like you want something similar to mine, plus your additions:
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/g3287-thru-the-bumper-hitch-for-toad-towing.html
Ken H.
On Sun, Jul 19, 2015 at 12:35 PM, Jon Roche wrote:
> ...
>
> right now I am planning on installing a 2" receiver tube through the
> bumper(for trailering/towd hauling). with a second 2" receiver tube
> coming out
> between the bumper and spare tire.(for 2" reciever bike rack or cargo
> tray). The second tube, I will have to cut and move my spare tire bracket
> up a
> couple inches to make better clearance for the tube, and installing pins
> and to allow tire cover to tie on., and I think I am going to try to push
> the bumper out from the coach as far as I can reasonably do it, by just
> making up some brackets to go on the outside of the shock mounted bumper. I
> am hoping to get enough outward on the bumper to maybe be able to haul a
> small generator, or our weber Q bbq on either side of the spare tire. I
> want
> to keep that outward distance to a minimum, because the more out I go, the
> longer the 2" tube for the hitch has to be, and that tongue weight leverage
> could end up being a problem. I think just a couple inches might do it.
>
> So just fishing for ideas, without going too crazy.
> --
>
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Ken Henderson
Americus, GA
www.gmcwipersetc.com
Large Wiring Diagrams
76 X-Birchaven
76 X-Palm Beach
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| Re: rear bumper modifications [message #282589 is a reply to message #282558] |
Mon, 20 July 2015 09:40 |
Keith V
Messages: 2337
Registered: March 2008
Location: Mounds View,MN
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Jon,
I have an under the bumper receiver which looks plenty strong, but hangs low. I'd definitely go with the through the bumper idea.
I also have 2, 1" receivers mounted to the frame, I use these to carry a Harbor freight aluminum carrier with extra junk on it.
The dual receivers work really well, ( but the PO didn't make them the same height for some reason ) the carrier is extremely stable.
The best part is the spare tire doesn't have to be relocated.
I'll get some pictures tonight
Keith Vasilakes
Mounds View. MN
75 ex Royale GMC
ask me about MicroLevel
Cell, 763-732-3419
My427v8@hotmail.com
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| Re: rear bumper modifications [message #282593 is a reply to message #282457] |
Mon, 20 July 2015 10:26 |
Carl S.
Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.
Karma: 13
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Senior Member |
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Jon,
PM sent.
Carl Stouffer
'75 ex Palm Beach
Tucson, AZ.
Chuck Aulgur Reaction Arm Disc Brakes, Quadrabags, 3.70 LSD final drive, Lenzi knuckles/hubs, Dodge Truck 16" X 8" front wheels, Rear American Eagles, Solar battery charging. GMCSJ and GMCMI member
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| Re: rear bumper modifications [message #282623 is a reply to message #282457] |
Mon, 20 July 2015 13:17 |
lqqkatjon
Messages: 2324
Registered: October 2010
Location: St. Cloud, MN
Karma: 5
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Senior Member |
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I would be pretty scared of that contraption myself. maybe not so much for towing a towd(no tongue weight), but for anything else.
basically, that design is almost exactly what got me into trouble this last trip. I will have to post a picture, but if you can imagine a bike rack that is supposed to slide into a 2" receiver hitch, I drilled a 1" hole in it, and flip my 2" ball upside down, and used that to bolt the end of that 2" tube rack to the flat hitch. Nut inside tube, ball facing the ground.
the leverage of 4 bikes on that bike rack bouncing 150 miles, slowly bend the flat plate end down about 30 degrees. I used a rachet strap from the top of the bike rack, to the tire carrier, to the bikes back up before they fell off, or dragged on the ground for the trip home.
leverage is the problem, so keeping the ball mounts, ect.. reasonably close to the frame, or extra supported is what is key. a big reason that blaine's hitch has the rear mount I would guess. Not for towing towds with no tongue weight, but for the tongue weight loads of a heavy trailer, cargo carrier, or surprising how much leverage 4 bikes bouncing and hanging off the back of a bike rack can create.
Jon Roche
75 palm beach
EBL EFI, manny headers, Micro Level, rebuilt most of coach now.
St. Cloud, MN
http://lqqkatjon.blogspot.com/
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