Installing Steel front Bumper on ACE 30.2

[DogLovers]

Wouldn't it have been easier and more functional to fabricate a tubular bumper behind the body like race cars are set up with?

[txc2936@yahoo.com]

dude, you need to get that chromed... but that will probably out cost the entire project.

[Cabinetmkr]

Originally Posted by sdsstep545

Attachment 33124

This for functionality or design aesthetic?
If you ever have to get towed… will it interfere with the tow vehicle clearances?

Also.. won’t it look odd stopping short of the full width? 102” is max allowed in any state if I recall

[bobhhoy]

Originally Posted by sdsstep545

Hi,
Has anyone successfully installed a real Steel bumper on their ACE?
I started this post because no one I have found, has successfully done this online.
I have searched the internet for any real success stories and found none.
I have seen many discussions of this issue, but no solutions.

I have looked at the RV Body design and there is nothing but air between the fiberglass shell and the Ford F53 chassis for about 20 inches.
I have since purchased a Ford F650/F750 front bumper and am now in the redesign phase of that bumper to make it fit front end.
The curvature of this bumper is very close to the fiberglass shell Shape, but not wide enough. It will need to be cut on both ends to be extended for width of chassis.

Has anyone else done this before and able to give solid suggestions for this Mod?
Thanks,
Scott

I put a "bull bar" on the front of my 2017 Ford Transit (cutaway) Compass. It is a Luverne Truck Equipment 3" black tubular "Tuff Guard". I really like it. It has been on my MH for 50,000 miles. I particularly like the fact that it is a 'ladder' to stand on and clean the front windshield. The license plate fits in the bracket.

[sdsstep545]

Originally Posted by Cabinetmkr

This for functionality or design aesthetic?
If you ever have to get towed… will it interfere with the tow vehicle clearances?

Also.. won’t it look odd stopping short of the full width? 102” is max allowed in any state if I recall

Hi,
Rv is 8 feet 2 inches wide. Well below the limit you quoted.

[sdsstep545]

Originally Posted by txc2936@yahoo.com

dude, you need to get that chromed... but that will probably out cost the entire project.

Hi,
I wish I had the money for the chrome. It is just going to be black and simple.
Thanks

[sdsstep545]

Originally Posted by bobhhoy

I put a "bull bar" on the front of my 2017 Ford Transit (cutaway) Compass. It is a Luverne Truck Equipment 3" black tubular "Tuff Guard". I really like it. It has been on my MH for 50,000 miles. I particularly like the fact that it is a 'ladder' to stand on and clean the front windshield. The license plate fits in the bracket.

I had that same thought for cleaning the windows. I guess it will work to stand on for cleaning.

[sdsstep545]

Originally Posted by Cabinetmkr

This for functionality or design aesthetic?
If you ever have to get towed… will it interfere with the tow vehicle clearances?

Also.. won’t it look odd stopping short of the full width? 102” is max allowed in any state if I recall

This is for Functionality. The bumper will be the width of the vehicle when done. There is nothing between fiberglass shell and chassis for about 20 inches. A read a chat where a RV'r had a simple accident under 5mph and it cost him over 10 thousand to get the front cap repaired/replaced because it just disintegrates. No one in the vehicle industry would ever get a car, van, bus, truck to pass any form of testing if they were built like an class A RV. I would hate to see what a front end impact test would look like for class A RV. At least the Class C's have a real van chassis and the bumper is mounted to the chassis. But the Class A's that I have looked at so far are fake bumpers. The thought of what happens to the driver/ passenger in a front end impact is frightening at the least. Sometimes the seats that the driver/passenger are sitting in, are bolted to nothing but plywood, no steel at all. They rip right out of the vehicle on impact. Im not trying to be a downer here, it is the first Class A rv I have owned all others were C. So I started reading on the safety aspects of accidents in Class A's and became rather concerned. I looked at many accident pictures for front end impacts, and many would have been minor with a simple steel bumper up front. I had holes punched in the "bumper" fiberglass of our rv when a pickup truck in front of us had the tail gate suddenly drop and all the patio furniture in his bed dumped out onto the expressway.
The second close call was a person towing a trailer for landscaping, suddenly cut in front of us and jammed on their brakes. He had to go off the road onto the embankment to keep from hitting the car in front of him. I stopped just a few inches short of hitting his trailer. If we had had had contact, our trip would have been over because it would have crushed the fiberglass, but a bumper would have taken most of the impact like they are designed to do. note : the trailer did not have a single working light on it.
These are my thoughts on why I want some form of Bumper up front.
Thanks,
Scott

[sdsstep545]

Originally Posted by bobhhoy

I put a "bull bar" on the front of my 2017 Ford Transit (cutaway) Compass. It is a Luverne Truck Equipment 3" black tubular "Tuff Guard". I really like it. It has been on my MH for 50,000 miles. I particularly like the fact that it is a 'ladder' to stand on and clean the front windshield. The license plate fits in the bracket.

I had to look up your RV. That is a really nice RV.
A bull bar would definitely be helpful to reach the widshield.

[sdsstep545]

I have started building steel 3/8" sandwiching plates. Holes are drilled in fiberglass. The fiberglass shell is only 1/8" thick. There is no other embedded structure, just fiberglass.
Bumper is cut and part of the bumper mounts (bumperside) are also built. Next step will be welding the two sections together and build one complete bumper mount per side.

[sdsstep545]

Getting bumper in place to begin welding mount brackets

[sdsstep545]

mounts completed. next step extend ends of bumper

[DogLovers]

I’m really lost in why exactly you are building this bumper project. From what I see in your posts and photos you used your metal fabrication skills to make a steel bumper and brackets then bolted the assembly to the fiberglass on the front of your RV. No tie to the frame? What have you accomplished besides putting a very unattractive hunk of black metal that doesn’t match the body contouring on your rig? Seems this won’t help at all in a crash over 5 mph. I just don’t get it.

[vegas25.5]

Originally Posted by DogLovers

I’m really lost in why exactly you are building this bumper project. From what I see in your posts and photos you used your metal fabrication skills to make a steel bumper and brackets then bolted the assembly to the fiberglass on the front of your RV. No tie to the frame? What have you accomplished besides putting a very unattractive hunk of black metal that doesn’t match the body contouring on your rig? Seems this won’t help at all in a crash over 5 mph. I just don’t get it.

Agreed with DogLovers.... Creative and thinking outside the box. Metal fabrication and design is much respected. Not following how your design will reduce / limit damage fiberglass cap. Minimal contact with steel bumper would cause fiberglass to fail. Maybe if inner bracket was tied to a crossmember or something?

[sdsstep545]

Originally Posted by DogLovers

I’m really lost in why exactly you are building this bumper project. From what I see in your posts and photos you used your metal fabrication skills to make a steel bumper and brackets then bolted the assembly to the fiberglass on the front of your RV. No tie to the frame? What have you accomplished besides putting a very unattractive hunk of black metal that doesn’t match the body contouring on your rig? Seems this won’t help at all in a crash over 5 mph. I just don’t get it.

Hi,
You Guys did not read the full thread then. You are correct that there is nothing tying to the frame yet. That is the next step after the bumper. That is what the sandwich plates are for. The inside one will be the mount plate to the chassis.

There are three steps to this process. The bumper mounts, the bumper extensions, then the frame/chassis to the inside mount plate. I am now on step two of three.
Thanks,
Scott

[sdsstep545]

Originally Posted by vegas25.5

Agreed with DogLovers.... Creative and thinking outside the box. Metal fabrication and design is much respected. Not following how your design will reduce / limit damage fiberglass cap. Minimal contact with steel bumper would cause fiberglass to fail. Maybe if inner bracket was tied to a crossmember or something?

Hi,
You Guys did not read the full thread then. You are correct that there is nothing tying to the frame yet. That is the next step after the bumper. That is what the sandwich plates are for. The inside one will be the mount plate to the chassis.

There are three steps to this process. The bumper mounts, the bumper extensions, then the frame/chassis to the inside mount plate. I am now on step two of three.
Thanks,
Scott

[sdsstep545]

Hi,
My Coworker is cutting up a pickup truck for disposal. He is giving me the sections of the chassis/frame from under the truck for my extensions. I hope this clears up why my build is in the order it is happening.
This lack of structure from the chassis to the bumper has been the driving reason for this project - there is nothing between the fiberglass shell and the chassis for about 20 inches. First I have to get the bumper in place, to figure out how to build the chassis to bumper extension. I also have to wait for him to finish his project(disposal) of old truck. He is building a trailer out of his old truck bed.

Sorry - I thought I clear about the lack of anything structural between the fake bumper and chassis. I realize I did not directly say I am planning on putting something in there, It was more or less implied. I am sorry for not being specific on the extension to fill the void space from bumper to frame. But yes you are both right, it would be utterly stupid to just mount a bumper to the fiberglass.

Thanks for reading my bumper buildout. I hope this clears all this up
-Scott

[taylorbob1]

I understand what you're trying to accomplish.
And I like your methodical process (it was obvious to me that your next step was tie-ing into frame)
I will be following your progress.

[sdsstep545]

Hi,
I have only looked at the ACE rv's. Are other Class A rv's built with a fake bumper too? Is your's like this also?
Just mounting the bumper mounts to the front of the fiberglass it was flexing like crazy and they only weigh about 5lbs each. My son who was helping me was laughing and saying "That fiberglass bumper is supposed to do what in an accident?"

[taylorbob1]

Originally Posted by sdsstep545

Hi,
I have only looked at the ACE rv's. Are other Class A rv's built with a fake bumper too? Is your's like this also?
Just mounting the bumper mounts to the front of the fiberglass it was flexing like crazy and they only weigh about 5lbs each. My son who was helping me was laughing and saying "That fiberglass bumper is supposed to do what in an accident?"

Vegas/Axis, built on an E series chassis, is set up the same as yours.
That is, no real front bumper

That said...the 2014-2017 Vegas/Axis "hood" folds downward for engine access.
Thus, there's not enough room to place a bumper designed like yours.

For my model year, the bumper would need to be a narrow steel plate (thickness) that sits almost directly on the fiberglass structure so that there's clearance for the front hood.

Others have mounted a front hitch receiver, attached to the frame & penetrating thru the fiberglass.
Any attachment on my chassis (bike rack or bumper attachment in receiver) would need to be removed each time engine access is desired.