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Old 04-02-2013, 11:03 AM   #1
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$500+ for another plastic bumper?? I don't think so!!

My place of winter storage is at our local county fair grounds. You drop it off in the fall, they put it into one of the big buildings and they'll remove it come spring. I get an e-mail notifying me as to what weekend to come get it. It all depends on how soon the snow disappears. On the storage rental form, there is a statement you have to sign saying that you have insurance and the county fair board is not liable for damages.

A couple of years ago after winter storage, I found the rear plastic bumper on my 2005 Jay Feather LGT 27P was cracked. What was a 1 piece bumper was now at least 3 pieces. Close examination showed a mark mark where it got bumped. I called the dealer and found out a replacement bumper would be $500+, and that wasn't even with molded in color, so it would have to be painted. Overall, it didn't sound like a good deal, $500 for something as fragile and flimsy as the original.

My daughter's fiance it turns out, is a very gifted fabricator. I talked to him and he said he could make a custom bumper of diamond plate aluminum. After some fabricating and tweaking, here is what I ended up with.

You'll see the receiver tube hitch I previously installed for mounting a bike rack, not for towing another trailer. Not only is towing another ball hitch trailer behind a ball hitch trailer illegal, but the tube hitch isn't heavy duty enough for that. I only intended it to support maybe 80 pounds max of bikes and bike rack.
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Old 04-02-2013, 12:21 PM   #2
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Turned out nice!
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Old 04-02-2013, 02:43 PM   #3
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$500+ for another plastic bumper?? I don't think so!!

Looks good! Bet it will hold up better than plastic.
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Old 04-02-2013, 02:49 PM   #4
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Hey Tail_gunner,

you want to hold on to that lad......nice job!!!



Quote:
Originally Posted by Tail_gunner View Post
My place of winter storage is at our local county fair grounds. You drop it off in the fall, they put it into one of the big buildings and they'll remove it come spring. I get an e-mail notifying me as to what weekend to come get it. It all depends on how soon the snow disappears. On the storage rental form, there is a statement you have to sign saying that you have insurance and the county fair board is not liable for damages.

A couple of years ago after winter storage, I found the rear plastic bumper on my 2005 Jay Feather LGT 27P was cracked. What was a 1 piece bumper was now at least 3 pieces. Close examination showed a mark mark where it got bumped. I called the dealer and found out a replacement bumper would be $500+, and that wasn't even with molded in color, so it would have to be painted. Overall, it didn't sound like a good deal, $500 for something as fragile and flimsy as the original.

My daughter's fiance it turns out, is a very gifted fabricator. I talked to him and he said he could make a custom bumper of diamond plate aluminum. After some fabricating and tweaking, here is what I ended up with.

You'll see the receiver tube hitch I previously installed for mounting a bike rack, not for towing another trailer. Not only is towing another ball hitch trailer behind a ball hitch trailer illegal, but the tube hitch isn't heavy duty enough for that. I only intended it to support maybe 80 pounds max of bikes and bike rack.
Attachment 7117
Attachment 7118
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Old 04-02-2013, 05:14 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by Raugustin View Post
Hey Tail_gunner,

you want to hold on to that lad......nice job!!!
He'll be around a while.

He put a ring on my baby girl's finger last December. They're getting married June 2014.
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Old 04-02-2013, 05:34 PM   #6
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Looks nice.
He did a very good job.
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Old 04-03-2013, 10:10 AM   #7
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Nice!!
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Old 04-03-2013, 11:02 AM   #8
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Looks really good.
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Old 04-09-2013, 11:11 AM   #9
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Looks great, ours has a similar rear bumper issue and I've been wanting to do something like this. Could you get a couple more pics for me? Maybe of the sides and from underneath? Thanks!
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Old 04-09-2013, 10:55 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bnorth View Post
Looks great, ours has a similar rear bumper issue and I've been wanting to do something like this. Could you get a couple more pics for me? Maybe of the sides and from underneath? Thanks!
Don't have a pic from the underside, but here is one from the side.
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The underside is totally enclosed like the original. It was made in two halves. Final width adjustment was made by trimming the ends of the two halves. I fashioned a gap/splice plate out of aluminum and used aircraft nutplates for the screws that joined the ends together in the middle.

It's a tad crooked on the right end, the left end is straight. I think of it as first time/prototype bugs.
But over all, I'm very happy with it.

BTW, I did some caulking after the pics were taken.
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Old 04-14-2013, 08:46 AM   #11
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Congratulations!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tail_gunner View Post
He'll be around a while.

He put a ring on my baby girl's finger last December. They're getting married June 2014.

Congratulations on your new Son-in-Law! He is a talented fabricator! He might consider making a few of these and offering them to other trailer owners... I'm sure you are not the only person who has recognized that flimzy-ness of that original bumper. Just an idea in this entrepreneurial world we live in.
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Old 04-17-2013, 11:16 AM   #12
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I found a few more pictures of the bumper being fabricated.

My grandson wanted to help 'fisk' grampa's camper!! LOL
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Old 04-17-2013, 12:24 PM   #13
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Everything looks better when made with diamond plate! Great work, and congratulations to your family!
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Old 04-29-2013, 04:21 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MyBrokenJeep View Post
Congratulations on your new Son-in-Law! He is a talented fabricator! He might consider making a few of these and offering them to other trailer owners... I'm sure you are not the only person who has recognized that flimzy-ness of that original bumper. Just an idea in this entrepreneurial world we live in.
I would be in for one!
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