RANCH HAND BUMPERS
As we saunter through the halls of SEMA every year we are presented with a myriad of offroad 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’ armour to shame. 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-pin trailer connector is just a smart move in our book.
At the end of the day, we really appreciate the quality and design that went into these 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!