TheSamba.com :: View topic - Custom Tube Bumpers with Tire Carrier and Gas Can Holder

Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:15 am

Inspired by the the guys in the Vanagon forum I set out to have custom tube bumpers designed. Working with a local roll cage fabricator this is where we started.

Front:

Rear:

We have since moved to designing/creating the tire, and Jerry Can/Cargo Carrier. here is the design progression so far.

Starting Point:

Hinges are hidden:

Cargo Tray:

Brackets are hidden when it is removed:

Loaded Up:

Carrier lifts off when not in use:

Looking forward to the final touches, and powder coating!

Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:23 am

pretty bitchin!!

Is that a champagne spare wheel you have?

You DOG!! :D

Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:31 am

Can you open the rear hatch with that? It looks like the left part of the frame is juuust in the way. Could be the camera angle though...

Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:44 am

nice work, but is it legal in California?
Aloha
tp

Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:53 am

Tom Powell wrote: nice work, but is it legal anywhere?

and what happens when this happens?

Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:20 am

Nice job, I have been looking for a rear mounted tire carrier for an early bay. With no results. I like how you incorporated the step above the receiver. Keep on Busing

Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:25 am

Nice work!

I prefer the look of the traditional bumpers on the late bays. Vanagons are so ugly that even a 2X4 bumper looks good on them.

However, your bumpers would look good on the Tonka truck bus that is featured here often.

Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:41 am

hazetguy wrote: Tom Powell wrote: nice work, but is it legal anywhere?

well, seeing that volvo has a trailer hitch mounted bike rack that sits out a mile, i don't see an issue. plus, volvo being the safest piece of shit you could own, also has rearward facing 3rd row seats for your bundle of joy. as long as the apple of your eye doesn't tank up past about 60 pounds.

link to the bike rack

http://vccs.volvocars.se/accessoriesLegacy/en-GB/P2X/pack-n-load/tow/VCC-249301.htm

so begs the question, what happens when you get rear ended with that on the back with your kid sitting in front of it? it's called taking chances.

nice job on the bars! the p/o of my bus had these made up

sorry, don't have a pic of the bumpers, but you get the idea

Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:55 pm

All of the points brought up are ones that I obsessed about before moving forward with this set up.

My old bumpers were rusted out, and needed replacement. I liked the idea of something more substantial up front, and needed to have a tow hitch made for the rear since none were readily available last winter before I set out camping with the vintage tent trailer. I wasn't sure how the tube bumpers would look on a bus style body, but was pleased with the final result. I am going more and more functional with mods to the bus these days having a family of five and wanting to hold on to this thing for it's primary purpose -- camping, outdoors, and road trips. For example the bumper designs are great for tying down, and stepping up to strap down the kayak.

I would like to continue going the way of an offroad/rugged looking bus like the Tonka, but can't add any more lift or it won't fit in the garage. My BFG's AT's are going back on soon, after I finish painting the rims. We'll see how that looks. All this stuff is bolt on so I can switch it around based on what my vibe is, or what I'm using it for.

As far as the legality, and safety of carrying gas cans I hear you. That is why the part that holds them is more of a "cargo tray". I wanted the option to secure gas cans, ever since I ran out of gas on a desolate mountain biking expedition in the Pacific Northwest. Another option is to strap them in the roof rack above the cab, or to my Yakima Load Warrior rack. Not in the pictures are the hooks that have since been welded on to the tray for holding down a durable plastic box, or even a fire wood box. I've seen this alot with the vintage Land Rover vehicles in the sierra's. There are also an endless ammount of people running around with gas cans strapped to the back to SUV's, Jeep's, Vanagon's here in Norther CA.

Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:59 pm

skills@eurocarsplus wrote: well, seeing that volvo has a trailer hitch mounted bike rack that sits out a mile.

bicycles are not filled with 10 gallons of gasoline. at least not the last time i checked.

not saying the bumpers/rack don't look good. just saying if someone is going to smash in to the back of my vehicle, i could think of a few dozen other things i would want the first thing to be hit rather than 2 jerry cans.
another thing too is that, in case of a rear end impact, how on earth will there be access to the engine compartment to put out any kind of fire?
how easy/quick is the access even if there is something as "minor" as a ruptured fuel line/other kind of fire?

Sun Feb 19, 2012 2:13 pm

I think these bars were built to go out in the bush, not in the city where rear ending happens.I like it

Sun Feb 19, 2012 2:44 pm

volks14wagen wrote: I think these bars were built to go out in the bush, not in the city where rear ending happens.

ever see Deliverance? ;)

Sun Feb 19, 2012 3:15 pm

given the fact that these are legal

and these are legal

and these are legal

and these are legal

and they were probably all made in California - why would you ask that question?

Sun Feb 19, 2012 3:59 pm

Mal evolent wrote: ... why would you ask that question?

Because California has a law for everything. Perhaps Wisconsin is more liberal. However, I would assume that blocking the license plate and tail lights is illegal in any state.

Assuming that a product is manufactured in California does not necessarily mean that it is legal in that state or in any or all other states. Cannabis is an example.

Aloha
tp

Sun Feb 19, 2012 4:01 pm

You have as much chance at having a flat tire and rolling into a ditch, being hit head on, having a giant squirell fly through the window, seeing men in black cleaning up a road side accident, having the whole bus spontaniously disolve from a new viral rust................... :roll: :roll:

Ohhh god forbid he puts gas cans on the back of the bus :lol: They do it on Vanagons all the time, and yeah they seem to have Vanagons blowing up all the time :roll:

What about having an Eberspacher, a furnace-yes furnace running and burning not 2 feet from your gas tank in the bus :roll: :roll:

Some one quick, call the voodoo man to excise the deamons :lol:

I think thats a nice set up there. "F" the ignorant. [-(

Sun Feb 19, 2012 4:12 pm

Quote: Because California has a law for everything.

you are in error. I lived in California for 15 years and I know for a fact that there are two ( 2 ) laws:

If you want to, you would better not
If you would rather not, you damn well better.

Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:01 pm

Not to beat a dead horse, but this is a common thing to see where I live. Examples below, and you can see all kinds of aftermarket jeep bumpers with gas can storage locations just looking online.

As mentioned I may not even use the cargo tray for gas cans, but did want to fully utilize the swing out bumper space. BTW: Pins at each of the two hinge points at the ends allow you to pull the whole thing up and off the bumper. Easy clasp breaks it in half and both left and rights sides open up with stops so that full access can be had to hatch.

I'm actually thinking one of those vintage looking Coleman Steel Belt Coolers would look good mounted there. Who knows, maybe my emergency box that I hate to find a place for inside when we are fully loaded up.

Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:32 pm

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5562797&highlight=#5562797

Aloha
tp

Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:42 pm

just put a Pinto emblem on the back. nobody rear ends a Pinto

Sun Feb 19, 2012 7:11 pm

notchboy wrote: You have as much chance at having a flat tire and rolling into a ditch, being hit head on, having a giant squirell fly through the window, seeing men in black cleaning up a road side accident, having the whole bus spontaniously disolve from a new viral rust................... :roll: :roll:

Ohhh god forbid he puts gas cans on the back of the bus :lol: They do it on Vanagons all the time, and yeah they seem to have Vanagons blowing up all the time :roll:

What about having an Eberspacher, a furnace-yes furnace running and burning not 2 feet from your gas tank in the bus :roll: :roll:

Some one quick, call the voodoo man to excise the deamons :lol:

I think thats a nice set up there. "F" the ignorant. [-(

I like you brother, but you need to learn to express yourself without beating about the bush. :wink: