Bryan Irons
Ranch Hand Work Bumper
Words and photos by Bryan Irons @bryanirons
As we saunter through the halls of SEMA every year we are presented with a myriad of off road and truck products from every aspect of the “sport”. Some are purely aesthetic; others are strictly “Get’er’dun” engineered, but most fall somewhere in between. This is most prevalent in the bumper category. While many we see have great flowing lines and are very pleasing to the eye, we’re pretty sure that the first errant shopping cart is likely to make it look like the Reynolds wrap off a baked potato.
We also see well-built units with enough widgets to give a Swiss Army Knife a run for its money but couldn’t survive a Canadian winter without looking like a shipwreck come spring. We needed a work truck bumper for a 2016 Ram 3500 that would stand up to the rigors of working in a excavator business every day and not get us towed out of the mall parking lot for looking derelict.
We ordered a rear bumper from Ranch Hand Products who are known for building tough as nail units engineered for working trucks since their inception in 1986. Most of Ranch Hands hardcore work truck bumpers utilize 3/16” checker plate for added grip and have no-nonsense designs that would put a Sherman tanks’ armor to the test. We wanted something just as tough, but a little less “loud”. Their Horizon line of bumpers has taken the knowledge of “what works” and made a unit that looks like it belongs on the vehicle it’s attached to.
When the 50 kg unit landed, we were immediately pleased with the smooth lines and soft corners. The 7 Ga. high strength steel was sure to ward off any errant rocks or debris and built-in steps, marker lights and 1” shackles were another plus. Included were also a set of OLD flush mount LED floodlights to assist in reversing duties complete with wiring harness.
We really appreciate the small details that only a manufacturer that has been around the block a few times can display. Powder coated finishes that last AND can easily be colour matched should you bang them up is one bonus. The pre-drilled and easy to use backup sensor grommets are another. Although it would be nice to have a plug and play wiring harness for the bumper and the extra lights, the electrical installation on this unit is nothing the home DIYer can’t handle, and re-using the factory 7-ypin trailer connector is just a smart move in our book.
At the end of the day, we really appreciate the time and design that went into these USA made bumpers and after a few harsh Canadian seasons, they are still looking great. Meanwhile, the factory rear bumper we pulled off the truck seems to be creating a rust spot in our driveway where we pitched it last year… It’s a good thing we upgraded when we did!
Ranch Hand Bumpers – www.ranchhand.com
Painless Wiring – www.painlessperformance.com
Curt Manufacturing – www.curtmfg.com
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The hardest part of the whole disassembly was figuring out how to assemble the Rube Goldberg spare tire lowering device. What a pain.
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The rest of the bumper disassembly was just plugs and clips along with a few bolts.
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We had to cut one offending bolt off in order to install the new bumper as there were no provisions for it. Not a big deal and a quick cut is all it took.
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We decided to pre-assemble our bumper as best we could so the included 20-watt LED floodlights were installed with the stainless hardware…
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… and the backup sensor grommets were installed using a little window cleaner to slide everything into place. Plugs are included if your truck does not have any sensors.
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There are four included marker lights, two in the steps and two for the license plate.
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They all connect to the factory license plate lamp wire shown here. We like to solder and tape our connections.
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Weather-pak connectors were used to allow the harness to be disconnected and keep debris out of the connections.
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Time to mount the bumper with the included plated hardware. Have a buddy around to help align it before it’s all torqued down to specification.
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Plug in the remaining devices such as the factory 7-pin trailer connector and backup sensors.
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To keep new wiring from getting destroyed by dirt and rocks, we used some pieces from a Painless Performance Power Braid wire loom kit. It can be installed after all the wiring is in and offers great protection against chafing and sharp corners.
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The Power Braid won’t fray and looks factory. We still like to tape up the ends of the braid for a clean look and keep it all in place.
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A few bumpers we have installed in the past made it almost impossible to install a receiver without being a contortionist to reach the pin. Not so in this case as the factory hitch was easy to access. Job done. NEXT!!!
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