Stock Bumper Capability

[Little Lost in the Woods]

I have a 2017 Ram 1500, and I love look of it. I have no real desire to invest in an after market front bumper. That said I am not big into driving super aggressive trails though I want to be capable enough to safely go off road, as i will be doing several long trips all over the US next year.

 

[Sgtanderson]

Well, I'd say "safely off road" just depends on where and how far, so that's just knowing the terrain and capabilities of your vehicle. In my experience most of the modern stock bumpers are pretty thin, folks usually upgrade just to add a winch, but I definitely would have some good tow points available. My old F250 has some large tow loops up front and they come in handy if I needed a pull or to help someone else out.

 

[Little Lost in the Woods]

I have the sport bumper right now, so I was thinking of going to the steel bumper and install a 12K winch behind it. I have the factory tow hooks, witch I have been told are pretty solid (????).

 

[Sgtanderson]

I would think those factory tow hooks would be solid. I don't have a winch or know much about them...but Ive never seen one on a stock bumper.

 

[PBDNavigate]

I have a 2017 Ram 1500 Tradesman. The tow hooks are fine. They are mounted to the frame. The “bumpers” are really just thin metal covers. They will do nothing to protect your vehicle and are easily dented. The brackets that mount them to the truck are just thin metal also. I was making a multipoint turn around on a trail and gently backed into a tree and dented the back bumper. Not a big deal but still. You will more than likely suffer some cosmetic damage but do really need to replace them with heavy duty aftermarket ones? Sadly, you will never really know until many years from now when you get rid of your truck and realize that you still have the OEM bumpers on and they served you just fine. My advice would be to just leave the stock bumpers on until something actually happens to them that makes you really need to upgrade.

Of course, if you are going to put a winch on it you will most likely need a different bumper. That would be a good reason to upgrade...if you really think you will actually need a winch.

 

[Tom06LJ]

Stock bumpers are fine have them on my 2500 cummins I just installed a front receiver so I can move winch front to back .

 

[Sgtanderson]

A winch that mounts to a reciever hitch and can be moved from front to back? Now that's an idea I could go with. Any info on who makes that mount? or is it made by the winch companies?

 

[Tom06LJ]

Bought the winch mount from harbor freight ( not the pre-built one they are junk) welded a 2" square tube and drilled the pin hole , ran power cables with quick disconnects now it plugs in at either end and as a bonus I made jumper cables that plug in also .

 

[Tango Tiger]

I tend to agree with what PBDNavigate stated. Unless you’re wanting/needing a winch I think it may be a good idea to stay with the stock bumper until they actually need to be replaced. Of course if you’re simply needing a winch there is the option that Tom06LJ is using. I have a friend with a Tundra that has used the front receiver winch setup for years. I went with a hybrid bumper on my 4Runner simply to hold a winch, but I have no intention of switching to an aftermarket rear bumper unless the need arises.

 

[Billiebob]

AEV makes a real nice Ram 1500 bumper. On sale now likely because they are quitting making them since the 2019 is different.

Ram 1500 Front Bumper - American Expedition Vehicles - AEV

Ram 1500 Front Bumper AEV’s Premium Front Bumper is designed with maximum front end protection in mind. As the aftermarket’s first and only heavy duty stamped steel front bumper for the 2009-18 Ram 1500, the AEV Premium Front Bumper offers an unparalleled level of front end protection while also...

www.aev-conversions.com

 

[Billiebob]

Bought the winch mount from harbor freight ( not the pre-built one they are junk) welded a 2" square tube and drilled the pin hole , ran power cables with quick disconnects now it plugs in at either end and as a bonus I made jumper cables that plug in also .

a picture would be great, trying to figure how to attach it to the frame etc..

 

[TxasYukonXL]

Was very dissapointed when I spoke to AEV this week and the told me they didnt sell their Ram 1500 09 - 17 Recruit package anymore

 

[Billiebob]

Was very dissapointed when I spoke to AEV this week and the told me they didnt sell their Ram 1500 09 - 17 Recruit package anymore

Yep, same here. AEV is an engineering company, not a marketing company. They build the best products but the day the vehicle goes out of production, they move on. I have an AEV Highline Kit on my TJ but I cannot buy any replacement parts, not even the unique, vulnerable plastic flares. I'm thinking the guys who spent $70K on JKU Brute conversions will regret that decision.

Still, AEV builds amazing products, I just wish they would hire a few Bestop Marketing guys.

 

[PonoAdventures]

Like everyone said a stock bumper should be fine until you want to mount a winch. I ran with a stock bumper for awhile and had no issues on my F-150.

I only replaced the front when I installed a winch and I’m planning to replace the rear to get 6” extra clearance in the rear and get a better departure angle. My rear hitch has taken some hits on the trail and still fine though.

 

[Little Lost in the Woods]

You guys are amazing! Thank you for all the answers!

I guess I should elaborate; I have the 2017 RAM 1599 sport with the plastic front bumper. I would rather convert to the factory bumper than an aftermarket one. I think they look like crap... When I swap I'm going to mount a winch with the Vice kit. I have seen them used and there pretty good quality.

Again thank you for all the answers!!!!