Slee vs Kamar rear bumper advice

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Joined
Oct 4, 2004
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11
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Location
Hudson, WI
Looking to get a rear bumper and need to know if anyone knows what the towing capacity is for these bumpers? I am towing a 20 foot enclosed trailer and need to know if the bumpers are comparable to a class 3 hitch. Slee told me that they have not had there bumpers rated as anyone towed anything comparable to to my trailer with there slee bumper? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.
 
Slee's is not rated but is probably capable of towing a fair amount (it is a beefy bumper). This is mainly because of the costs of testing and certifying a tow rating for such a low-volume, fairly custom piece from a small business (versus some big company like, say, Reese, who can pay for this certification).

Kaymar is certified in Australia as being able to tow (if I remember) 7000 pounds. More than your truck is rated for.
 
what's the weight of the trailer you are towing? an empty 20 enclosed makes a big difference over one filled with bricks ;)

(welcome to 'MUD!)
 
The trailer is used to pull around my construction tools so it is not loaded with bricks. I sold my chev 2500 durmax about 2 months ago and want to try and wait for the new body style to come out in a 2500 so I need the 100 to be my work truck for a year or so. Thanks for the welcome!
 
Looking to get a rear bumper and need to know if anyone knows what the towing capacity is for these bumpers? I am towing a 20 foot enclosed trailer and need to know if the bumpers are comparable to a class 3 hitch. Slee told me that they have not had there bumpers rated as anyone towed anything comparable to to my trailer with there slee bumper? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

poohsfj welcome to the forum first :D

i have arb tow master bars which is rated to tow 5500 pounds.
 
funny, I might be buyin an '03 DMax tonite....

suspect the 100 will serve you well for a year, but you may need either airbags in the rear or a weight dist hitch for it...
 
I move the trailer about twice a year so along I can do that I should be fine.
 
Slee's is not rated but is probably capable of towing a fair amount (it is a beefy bumper). This is mainly because of the costs of testing and certifying a tow rating for such a low-volume, fairly custom piece from a small business (versus some big company like, say, Reese, who can pay for this certification).

Kaymar is certified in Australia as being able to tow (if I remember) 7000 pounds. More than your truck is rated for.

Yeah, it's either 7000 or 7500 lbs, can't remember (it's on the plate on a bumper). New 08 LX/LC w/ 5.7L will reportedly tow 8000 lbs from what some guy on ClubLexus learned at a lexus product meeting.
 
Yup, welcome to the forum!
 
So what bumper would you go with and why?


As always, it will depend on use. If you will be banging it over rocks and intend to use a 35" or larger tire, go with the Slee (tire carrier can take it). If you will be doing expeditionary or light-duty wheeling, don't plan on much larger than 33s, and you need to tow, I'd say Kaymar. The Kaymar is also a nicely integrated "system" where you can get two swing-outs (for two spare tires or a spare and a water can carrier), camp light, Hi-Lift mount, etc. Slee does have a better solution for mounting the Hi-Lift, and it is included out of the box. Both are extremely well-built for their intended purposes.

My $0.02,
 
I would go with the Slee...

Oh yeah, I DID go with the Slee ;)

The Slee bumper is the epitome of quality, and worth EVERY penny IMO :D

I have seen the Kaymar and it is a very nice bumper, but my first impression was that overall it just doesnt stack up to the Slee ;p


The strength, fit , features and ESPECIALLY the looks are tough to beat !

(and I am sure it would tow your trailer just fine ! )
 
I would recommend the Slee bumper without reservation. I have towed a 26' travel trailer and the bumper has worked well for that use. I believe that it is built better and connected to the frame better than the class 3 receiver I replaced with it.
 
Checked my Kaymar towing capacity...3500 kg, so 7700 lbs. If you want to retain the stock mudflaps, only the Kaymar, ARB, and TJM bars will work. I went w/ the Kaymar over the Slee due to the weight (I don't tow, it's mainly for rear-ending insurance; didn't want the extra weight to load down the AHC, as every extra pound on the bumper means one less pound of payload) and to maintain a more OEM look (curved surfaces have clean lines, wanted to keep the mudflaps, plus I do expedition touring, not rock crawling; overhang isn't important to me). The lightest weight is the TJM (according to slee), heaviest is the Slee, Kaymar is in the middle. At the time, the Kaymar w/ pivots was less money (paid $1199 for the dual pivot), but since then, the price is now like $1425. The only options are dual pivot or no pivot (special order). Kaymar no longer makes the single pivot. I figured if I got the dual pivot, at least I'd have the option of mounting a spare tire carrier or accessories in the future w/o having to actually buy the tire carrier now.
 
Thank you all for the help I will let you konw what bumper I go with
 

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