Adventurous
Explorer
Who is your insurance? I was rear-ended and got a check from State Farm that I used to purchase a Bodyguard rear bumper and have it shipped to me.
I would go for a heavy duty bumper if funds allow, otherwise, stick with what the insurance will cover.
The check from insurance will cover a portion of an aftermarket bumper, though that portion will vary based on the options selected and company chosen. Right now the 4X Innovations standard rear bumper with swingout is a tempting option. It is one of the few double shear (yay for good design!) I can find that isn't in the neighborhood of $2K shipped and they advertise reasonable wait times.
I can't say enough good things about my CBI Bushmaster 2.0 rear bumper. I have the swingout with spare tire carrier, gas can carrier, and hi-lift mount. Admittedly, with all 3 mounted back there, it is heavy. For day-to-day driving, I don't carry the hi-lift with me, but I do always carry my spare tire and 5 gallons of gas. I currently have their older style (purchased in 2013) with the oilite bronze bushings in the spindle; their newer versions have roller bearings in the spindle and are supposed to be much easier to open and close. I will find out soon enough, because like you, I was recently rear-ended and the other guy's insurance is buying me a new rear bumper (since he tweaked the swingout spindle to where it wouldn't open properly). I got an insurance check large enough to pay for any bumper on the market but I opted for the same exact bumper from CBI.
Is it necessary? I'd say that's up for you to decide based on your usage. I like the extra work space of the fold-down table for cooking, etc, and I also like the fact that my spare is not under the truck.
Those are my main motivations as well. I like the thought of having a fold down table at my disposal for those quick little meal prep situations instead of busting out our 6' folding table that I carry along. I also dislike having the spare under the truck for a multitude of reasons and would love the ability to carry the spare plus gas cans, the hi-lift, and traction boards on the rear bumper. That would free up a lot of space on the roof of my vehicle where I generally do not like to keep those items.
I like the CBI bumpers but I don't think one of those is in the cards financially. Unfortunately my insurance check wasn't generous enough to grab any bumper out there so I had to knock them off the list. Glad to hear it all worked out in your favor however!
I have an all pro standard bumper. I like that it moves the hitch up, as sooner or later the hitch will drag when it's in the stock position. Also, of course, you can use a high lift on it, and it has two shackle mounts. What I don't like is that to move the hitch up, the hitch also has to move forward a bit, which can limit the size of tire that will fit underneath. I think that might be a problem with all of the bumpers that move the hitch up, but I'm not sure.
Check out http://www.insainfab.com/home.html. The website does not do his product justice. Really nice work, and he also works in aluminum. There are more pictures in the CO section of TW. Also, if you decide to stay with the stock bumper, I'll bet you can find on on CL, as people sell them when they put plate bumpers on. Glad you and your truck are not worse off. People driving with heavy trailers should be leaving a bigger gap.
If I were to get a non-swingout rear bumper it would have to accommodate a 255/85 in the spare location which as you mention the All-Pro does not. I may end up stepping back down to a 265/75 at some point so that would be less of an issue, but that's not the situation currently. The other disadvantage to me is that the All-Pro high clearance hitch is not weight rated. That might not be a big deal to most, but I foresee a 4K lb trailer in my near future and prefer the assurance of a DOT tested and rated hitch. So far the only company I can find that will stand behind their hitch rating is 4X Innovations/Armortech.
Unfortunately I don't think the Insain stuff is in my budget either. I may inquire to see if they are even in the ballpark of what I'm willing to spend, perhaps their locality would offset some of the shipping costs the other guys charge.
I would also try to spring for a HD bumper of your choice. As for the spare tire carrier, fuel cans, etc., I think it depends on your future plans for the truck. Are you moving to 35's? Planning any really remote long distance overlanding?
35s would be cool but I don't see going in that direction. It would be an expensive waterfall of trimming, gears, and tires for modest benefit considering what I do with the truck. I do prefer to travel in more remote locations, so the extra fuel would definitely be a plus. My biggest concern at this point is spending extra money and adding additional weight to the vehicle if there will be minimal benefit. There's nothing worse IMO than ending up with a vehicle that is built way beyond what you do intend to do with it. I prefer to think of myself as someone who likes to explore and be prepared for getting to those special places that most don't visit. Not to mention there are only so many dollars to go around, might as well be conscious spending them for the right reasons!
Thanks for the feedback all. Keep it coming. I've mulled over the rear bumper decision for years and were I to do it over again would probably have opted for a rear bumper before a plate bumper up front but hey, it is what it is at this point. Just want to make sure I solicit the feedback of those who have been there done that before I plow forward.