Keep making the old slee rear bumper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sleeoffroad]

Couple of things that came up.

Stocking two different kinds of bumpers has drawbacks, mostly from a financial point of view.

We make bumpers in batches of 10, that means we have double the inventory to pay for. That is a pretty big number when you start adding it all up. Also, the warehousing is an issue. These things take up a lot of space when you have to store them. So the effort is always to reduce the number of products, but still offer the options.

With this bumper we are going to cover the non-tire carrier option (however it will have spindles with covers), the single carrier and the double carrier options. Also the centered tire option.

The only drawbacks on doing it this way is that you might have a spindle that you will never use, but it adds the option of buying the bumper now and then the carriers later.

Our next step is to make the old style carrier that will work on this bumper. We will add an extra set of holes for the latching and nylon pads. So worse case, you have some holes that will have plugs in them.

We realize that the old style carrier is popular, but we were also asked for a double swing-out a lot.

Depending on how things work out, we might then also look at a left side tire carrier.

 

[1loudLX]

Christo, if you're ever going to tease at the idea of a left Tire carrier, get the offset right one more to the side, like how the kaymars are. That way down the line it'll be cheaper to add the left instead of needing to replace both.

If yours didn't have such awesome clearance and strength/durability that's what I wouldve gone with

 

[highonpottery]

Depending on how things work out, we might then also look at a left side tire carrier.

Personally, I would hope to see this as an option. When I finally scrounge up funds for a bumper w/ tire swingout, I'd want the tire on the driver's side. I'm one of those people who like to look over their shoulder when they drive in reverse - I've driven vehicles w/ centered tires on a carrier and it is quite difficult to see around it. I've also driven vehicles w/ tires on the passenger side and I find those are even more difficult since they are right in my line of sight when i look over my shoulder. Can't say I've ever driven a rig w/ left-mounted tire, but something tells me that it would provide a much better line of sight for the driver (and for the ).

 

[1loudLX]

Right side carrier would allow me to not have to re-position my rear camera as I've got mine offset to the left

 

[ginericLC]

Personally, I would hope to see this as an option. When I finally scrounge up funds for a bumper w/ tire swingout, I'd want the tire on the driver's side. I'm one of those people who like to look over their shoulder when they drive in reverse - I've driven vehicles w/ centered tires on a carrier and it is quite difficult to see around it. I've also driven vehicles w/ tires on the passenger side and I find those are even more difficult since they are right in my line of sight when i look over my shoulder. Can't say I've ever driven a rig w/ left-mounted tire, but something tells me that it would provide a much better line of sight for the driver (and for the ).

HA! Someone like me. that is the exact reason I got rid of my Slee original style carrier. I wanted the tire on the driver's side. Other than not being able to see out the back everything else was great. Had there been a left mount availalbe I probably would have gone that route.

 

[sleeoffroad]

I thought I would post a picture of the new rear bumper. Available now. Updates on the site this weekend.

 

[2000UZJ]

I like the new one better, now I do!

 

[Anthony.L]

WOW, the new bumper is WAY hawt!!

I was considering the rear ARB with dual swing-outs. Not anymore, bring on the SLEE!!!

 

[imprtazn4]

That will be my next upgrade after Im done w/ the life and sliders!

 

[1loudLX]

WOW, the new bumper is WAY hawt!!

I was considering the rear ARB with dual swing-outs. Not anymore, bring on the SLEE!!!

no way! That arb is too complicated and bulky.

 

[FullyLitLED]

are these bumpers rated for towing? 5000 lbs possibly?

 

[Anthony.L]

are these bumpers rated for towing? 5000 lbs possibly?

I was going to ask the exact same question. Up to 5000lbs would be great.

 

[1loudLX]

There's length discussion on why they're not officially rated but it boils down to extreme cost. I'll say this on behalf of my slee rear bumper, it's made out of thicker steel and bolted in more locations then my hitch was. It's been tested by mud members to hold up to towing thousands of miles offroad in rugged terrain.

 

[pman]

There's length discussion on why they're not officially rated but it boils down to extreme cost. I'll say this on behalf of my slee rear bumper, it's made out of thicker steel and bolted in more locations then my hitch was. It's been tested by mud members to hold up to towing thousands of miles offroad in rugged terrain.

I have to agree, rated or not, these bumpers can tow alot of weight. Spresso is a good example. I just wish Slee would add safety chain hook ups on them.....something that i feel was missing on the first version of the rear bumper.

 

[sleeoffroad]

We don't add safety hooks because that would imply we do rate them for towing. However those are easily added to the inside of the rear crossmember.

I did look into raring the bumper, and even if we did want to spend the money, it is not that easy. There are classifications for receivers that is set by the SAE. One can send the bumper to a lab and they do stress test on the bumper to determine deformation rates and then classify it as a class III IV or V. That is the easy part. However that is still not a rating. In order to RATE it, the manufacturer then has to state that the bumper/receiver can be bolted to the vehicle that is was designed for and GUARANTEE that the vehicle can tow the stated load for the entire duration of the warantee period of the vehicle without incident or problems. That is a pretty big statement for a small company to make.

If we had it tested and it conforms to CLASS V standards, then we would probably rate it as a CLASS III to cover ourselves since that would leave a pretty big margin. If we did that, then people would still bitch and say that is not enough. So in short, rating a bumper/receiver is not the easiest thing to do. Even WARN that makes rear bumpers do not rate them, last time I checked.

 

[pman]

I had a feeling you weren't adding the safety chain hookups for that exact reason.

I think Kaymar and ARB are the only companies that have bumper rated for towing......granted they are much much larger companies

 

[Anthony.L]

I don't need the rating, that's good enough for me.

 

[1loudLX]

We don't add safety hooks because that would imply we do rate them for towing. However those are easily added to the inside of the rear crossmember.

mine has em

Then again you're the only one that has used my bumper for towing

Here's one, out of the many possibilities, of the ways you could install provisions for safety chains.