Rocky Mountain Westy Plate Bumpers Field Testing Pics added

[Rocky Mountain Westy]

Hey Samba crowd,

So I have been talking for a long time about plate bumpers. I have had a lot of phone and email conversations about these bumpers. Well round one is ready to go. I built 20 front and 20 rear bumpers. The first round was built was finalizing the product. Future production runs should go faster.

Here is a little backround and insight into the design and engineering of these bumpers. Here are some of the key points I considered when thinking about production bumpers.


Price, I think GW discovered this. $1000 per pair shipped to a doorstep. Our bumpers will be very competitive with this pricing

Function: I wanted to have a bumper package with options. We have a whole list of options for these bumpers that can be added as you go. They are Modular!

Shipping: I learned that tube bumpers are hard to ship and they are hard to store. These new plate bumpers will ship and store in heavy duty cardboard boxes. Fed ex Ground.

Customer Feedback. My fellow Samba members had a key role in designing these bumpers. Thank You very much. At RMW your opinion matters.

Style. We put so much love, attention and $$ in our vans why not put cool bumpers on them.

Strength. We need a strong Bumper. Our vans deserve it.

So here is what I came up with. Here is a link to my photobucket album with 200 pictures of the product and it being installed. It took two of us three hours to install both bumpers, and we weren't really working that hard. It is Saturday!

Photo bucket link http://s873.photobucket.com/albums/ab292/rockymountainwesty/Plate%20Bumper%20album/

Here are some pictures to inspire you and I know some of don't like to wander off the Samba land

Front Bumper with two hooks

Here is a shot of the front bumper mount. These front mounts are made of 3/16 steel. The plate metal of the bumper is 12 gauge cold rolled steel. also super sturdy.

The J clips provide adjustment for aligning purposes


IMG]http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab292/rockymountainwesty/Plate%20Bumper%20album/DSC_0836.jpg[/IMG]

Here are picture of the 12 gauge steel end caps. No these are not the original plastic ones. These ar a master piece in themselves Super heavy duty. Notice the Stainless Steel allen hardware.

Here is a picture with a center over rider. We have already prototyped right and left over riders that wrap around the corners, like on our Pikes Peak bumper. These are all bolt on components that can be added to your base bumper as you desire.

In the near future we will have the over riders available. We also will have a front mount reciever option. We will be making a winch plate. Light tabs and lots of other accessories.

Here are some Rear Bumper pictures. We made a few rear bumpers without a reciever hitch mount. In the future we will probably but a reciever in every rear bumper we manufacture. The Rear bumper is made up of 7 pieces. The two end caps, the two side wings, the two mounting channels and the integrated center section step. The center section is made of 3/16 plate in is very durable. The towing capacity has not been rated but it is comparable to the capacity of a Vanagon.

Here is a better picture of the center step and the end cap. We will also be making end caps that are full length to the wheel well. We didn't end up with a great straight on picture of the rear bumper today. I will be taking more tomorrow.

Here is a picture of the centr section and the way it attaches to the van. Our mounts are 19 inch long Channel that bolt to the frame rails using the two stock bumper bolts plus one other bolt toward the front of the van.

Here are a fewpictures of the Rear bumpers with Tire swing and cargo carrier mounted. The swings can be added at any time. Every bumper is ready to accept these components.

So here is the beginning of the Rocky Mountain Westy modular plate bumper system. If you would like more information pleas call Mike. We will be launching a new website in September and these bumpers will be featured on our new website.

Thanks again to the Samba community for all the support.



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Rocky Mountain Westy Inc.
www.rockymountainwesty.com
970-310-3441
[email protected]

The Splitzgauer build (when I have time to work on it and update the thread)

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=497133

[snoop]

Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout! Beeeuuutiful!

Thanks for listening...sure it will be wildly successful.
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87 Westy Camper

[blakeck2]

looks extremely beefy!
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1986 Vanagon Syncro GL, westy interior, GW 2.4 and all locked up

1973 Thing

[Rhinoculips]

GORGEOUS!!! How much do they weigh?
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“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.” - Edward Abbey

Click to view image

[Rocky Mountain Westy]

[captdave]

Thats some sweet looking hardware

[Outback Kampers]

Mike, looks awesome, worth the wait! I love the modular concept, far and beyond the GW bumpers in every way.

BTW, photobucket sux. It wants a password, and when I try to make an account, no matter what name, address etc I use it tells me I am 'ineligible'. Ha! Why not host the photos on your own web space?
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Karl Mullendore
1990 Syncro 16" sunroof Reimo highroof conversion
1990 Westy Multivan 112i automatic
1992 LT31 Karmann Distance Wide 'La Tortuga'
2014 Touareg X TDI

[turbotransporter]

Nice job Mike and Co! Do we have to guess the photobucket password??

PAPASMURF?

I want to see pics of the plain Jane version, no hooks, no tire carrier, etc.... I'd like to keep my personal 2WD Westy rather mild looking, at least for now!

[Syncrozilla]

Mike, those bumpers look great! Very nice design.
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Please do not message me on TheSamba. Use my email, [email protected]

[Alaric.H]

It looks like we have a winner. The rear looks like it could be a bit thinner but that would not stop me from getting a set.

[tschroeder0]

WOW, very nice work. I like so much that you kept elements of the original design, just awesome!

[Rocky Mountain Westy]

[wjjr]

Very cool indeed!!! Totally digging the modular design, very open format, super cool! Can't wait to see all the possibilities!
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'90 Vanagon Carat auto x2
'87 Vanagon Gl Syncro
'85 Vanagon Wolfsburg Weekender (poptop)

[Rocky Mountain Westy]

[syncrodoka]

The files are available to view now.
I like beefy bumpers but the affect approach/departure angles in a bad way.

[Rocky Mountain Westy]

[canasync]

FINALLY!!! I have been hoping for something like this on the market for a long time. I actually came up with a similar design myself since I was tired of waiting except that mine has a bit lower profile (thinner). But you have done a great job Mike, I really like the idea of the modular design. I may just buy a set of yours instead of completing my design.


I was too excited when I saw this post so I wrote this and phoned a friend of mine that also wants this style of bumper before looking at all the pics and reading your full write up.


Great Job!!!

[climberjohn]

heyo RMW,

Thanks for your Samba listening and R&D time to create these. The modular approach seems like a potential winner, as one size does not fit all.

However, I will be perhaps a naysayer here. I admittedly do not know jack about steel fabrication, but the way this appears, the modular components are attached to one another merely with j-clips? I'm sorry, but this just does not seem that robust to me. Would not a serious smack to the corner compromise these connections? Are these little clips made to take a serious impact?

I'd love to hear that I'm wrong, because I really like most all other aspects of the design. You have surely put some thought in the overall strength of the system, so please respond and let us know your thoughts on this. (Anyone else who knows about steel fab, please chime in.)

-CJ

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'86 Westy, 2.5 Subaru power
Know your limits. Exceed them often.

[purplepeopleeater]

Freakin sweet, I tried removable corners but it didnt seem very strong and isn't that the point of these?


But who cares if these are not strong as a solid one...I think it looks top notch the rear one is my fave.

[j_dirge]

Have you done the structural calcs to determine the hitch rating?
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-89 GL Westy, SVX.. finally.

-57 pan f/g buggy with a 67 pancake Type 3 "S"
"Jimi Hendrix owned one. Richard Nixon did not"
-Grand Tour, Season 1, episodes 4 and 5