Calling Denver Off-Road Bumper owners

[Sregorb]

All yof ou that have a Denver Off-Road Bumper... . Before I drop my $ on the install I wanted to check and see if there are any good/bad stories about them. I'm worried that (IMO) the winch is looking REALLY close to the front cooler! But I've been way off-base before so it wouln't be the first time I was worried about nothing... ... .



Anyone struck items (poles, walls, deer, etc) and have good (or bad) experiences with them?

Private mail ok too.



Thanks in advance!



Brian

 

[azcummins]

Sregorb- when you get it in, let me know as I'd like to come check it out. I want one, but I don't have the $$ right now.

 

[Mactruck]

Unfortunately, I have not put in a winch. (yet) So I can't help you there. In talking with Layne he has said a few people have put in the ne 15,000lb winch from Warn with no problems.

Fortunately I have not hit anything, but believe this - These Bumpers are BUILT. This is not Coca-cola's aluminum that was borrowed from the can factory. This is high grade thick 1/2" plate aluminum on the front w/ 3/8 " on top & bottom.

Do a search for posts by pnwradar, He hit a Deer a few months ago and with a hose cleaned his right back up. here's the post)



I've been thrilled with mine, It's also a real head turner. I always remember what someone asked me a few weeks ago. . "Hey, where do you drive that thing" My Response "Anywhere I Want"

Kevin M

 

[pnwradar]

I've actually hit two deer this season. The first was at speed, and solidly struck the bumper and right headlight guard -- hard enough to throw the (now much thinner) deer carcass about 20 feet into the bush along the road. No damage, other than blood & fur all over the nose of the rig (and temporarily modifying my blood pressure and heartrate).



The second was a small deer, center hit at about 20mph -- had almost enough room to stop, but no room to swerve -- just above the winch mounting hole, but below the grill guard. Didn't kill the deer outright, but did no damage and left very little blood/hair on the front. I briefly considered flooring the pedal and testing escape velocities for deer, but there was oncoming traffic, and I doubted the local deputy would see the humour in the resulting excitement, especially if the deer bounced off my bumper and into an oncoming car.



Once the winch is mounted, there's very little that actually protrudes beyond the front of the bumper face. The winch body is bolted securely through the bumper face to the fairlead, and unless the bumper face, winch bolts, or winch body were to fail, there would be no damage. With the larger 12,000 and 15,000 winches, there's not a whole lot of clearance, but I actually prefer that to leaving it without a winch -- there's lots of free space for road debris to bound up and strike the radiator/cooler fins.



You can see on this picture of Earthroamer that the grill guard sticks out further than the winch fairlead, and is mostly protected from direct front hits. I think that anything large (tall) enough (tree, wall, moose, etc) to do damage to the winch mount will mostly hit the upper bumper and grill guard first. Anything small/short enough to hit the winch fairlead isn't going to do a lot of damage, IMO -- except maybe driving over small boulders, in which case you're more likely to rip stuff off the underside, as opposed to dinging the winch hard enough to break it off the mounting bolts and push it into the cooler.



All in all, I'm very happy with the DOR bumper. Stung a little bit to pay that much for a bumper, but having seen two deer bounce off it, I made the right choice.



-jon-

 

[azcummins]

Swerve? No way! I'd rather pay $5k for the repair of my truck instead of paying for a new one since I rolled it when I swerved off the pavement, then jerked the truck back on the road, causing it to flip. Most people who drop a wheel off the road end up flipping their car b/c they don't slow down while the wheel is off the road like you are supposed to do, then ease back onto the pavement.



I'd rather keep my life too.



there is deer on campus right? Sounds like I need a D-O bumper!

 

[Ted Constantine]

Tell you guys in the next couple days. Mine will be into the shipping depo tomorrow and on the truck tomorrow night so I can get to the dyno in NE this weekend. I have a warn 12000 in the garage waiting for the install. BTW the 15000 and 12000 are the same size and weight. Same motor, different gear ratio and a shorter thicker cable on the 15k. The 8k the insurance company had to pay to repair my truck after the deer less than a month ago has made me justify the bumper. The money the insurance was going to pay for the stock bumper, almost 750 is going toward DOR bumper. That lessens the



Layne is a great guy and has helped me out immensely.



Ted



PS- call him don't try to email if you are trying to get a hold of him.

 

[Sregorb]

DOR

Great! (so far) Just reinforces my thoughts exactly. I've already ordered it and am just waiting for the next one back from the coaters (black). I'll take the short trip (2hrs with traffic) and get it installed by the best (read: the guy who built the thing )



What I was worried about was a hit on the bumper pushing back on the mounts enough to where the winch would drive back (with the bumper) into the cooling fins of something delicate. I figure anything coming hard enough to hit and bend mounts will be enough to push back bumper into grill... ... Sounds like it has to be a pretty significant force to A. cause damage to the bumper and, B. move the bumper significantly enough to cause damage to another part/panel/etc.



And that's exactly what I'm after



Oh yea, it'll be with the 12k winch installed. It'll be Earthroamer Part Deux!



Brian

 

[Sregorb]

ps.

ps. Layne has been great on the phone getting it set up and giving pointers/stories/examples! (FYI) He advised his website email is not up to par right now, so it's telephone contact only. Oh well, and no big deal for me



Brian

 

[Mactruck]

After I recieved my bumper I drove out to CO. and swung into his shop to meet him. He is very personable and great to work with and it was nice to see some of the rough materials he works with to come out with the final piece. He likes seeing his finished product mounted & ready to roll and I was happy to oblige w/ my truck as the example. ( I had to wash off about 4000 Nebraska bugs before I would show it to him though )



Ted Constantine, We'll have to get a picture of our rigs for his website side by side Have fun driving out & we'll see you in RI.

 

[Straight6Jeff]

The DOR piece is definitely nice. And half the weight of my Reunel. The Ruenel is a nice piece, but be prepared to drop some extra cash for some new front springs. Mine didn't sag more than an eight inch, but get on the binders hard and the nose dove fast.



I think that most of the MONGO replacement front ends are worth the dough. those cheesy factory pieces are a joke. I tagged a deer doing about 40 mph. It's head hit low on the passenger side. the all steel bumper sounded like a chuch bell gong. The deer was dead after the rear wheels, and the trailer, and my friends truck wheels ran over it.

 

[Ted Constantine]

mactruck,



Any sugestions on the install. I am working on leveling it right now.





I think I am going to bring the winch with me and do the install at the event.



Group project



I have picture I will bring of the damage from the deer on the stock bumper



Ted

 

[JBevans]

hey everybody... . I have been in the shadows for a while just reading all the disscussions and finally decided that I would join TDR and partisipate, by the way..... great site.



I notice that you all were talking about the The Denver Off-Road Bumper. It is deffinately a nice option for a front repacement. I am considering that one, or a ToughCountry Front replacement. Does anyone have a ToughCountry or have any deer stories using one? They are both $$$... and it would be great to see what eveyone thinks and to get some advice.

 

[jwgary]

What does one of those bad boys cost? My girlfriend's parents live in the middle of the hill country and it isn't unusual to see 20 or more deer just on the one mile dirt road to the house. The first hour leaving at night is white knuckle time. I would like to get a FER to help in the possibility of a deer colision.

 

[JBevans]

The ToughCounrty front bumper replacement will run me just over a $1000. That includes factory fog lights hookups, tow loops, and shipping. It is made with schudule 40 pipe and 12 guage diamond plate. The Apache Weights 180 lbs. and the Deluxe 210 lbs. I am looking at the deluxe.

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

calfroper

hey everybody... . I have been in the shadows for a while just reading all the disscussions and finally decided that I would join TDR and partisipate, by the way..... great site.

I have one for sale. . steel though. . very tough. I want a Road Armor w/a winch. The DOR looks cool. here's mine $550 if anyone's interested. I paid 650 but there are a few rock chips... I get lots of complements on it.



https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=28876

 

[DarrellB]

If you install one of those huge front bumpers (AKA Deer Killers) do you have to put a leveling kit under the frontend of the truck? I'm allready running 33" tall tires and don't want them to rubb. And can they make them without the holes for the winches? I have no need for a winch but would like more protection than the stock bumper and my Westin grillgaurd offers.



Thanks

Big D

 

[DarrellB]

Sorry forgot to ask one more question

Can you get any of them in a polished or chrome finish? (I love shiney things)



Big D

 

[azcummins]

You can get the Denver Off Road Bumpers in black or polished.

 

[JBevans]

DarrellB:

If you install one of those huge front bumpers (AKA Deer Killers) do you have to put a leveling kit under the frontend of the truck?

I am wondering the same thing... . I have the snowplow package on mine, so I don't think that 210 lbs. will make to much difference. Does anyone have a front-end replacement with the snowplow package? A lift kit would be nice to put on, but I can't justify it right now.

 

[pnwradar]

I didn't notice any droop in my front end, but I didn't measure before & after. The stock bumper is about 35lbs, and the DOR is about 100lbs (plus 20lbs or so for the mounts). The Reunel I looked at was several hundred pounds heavier. Without a winch, I wouldn't expect any sag at all in the front. With one of Warn's 12k or 15k jobs, you might sag some, but I doubt it.



-jon-