Bumper Burns

[ultraclyde]

It's been triple digits here for the last 4 days in ol' Georgia - a bit early even for us. I reached in the bed of my truck yesterday evening and nearly gave myself a third degree burn on the black aluminum of the tonneau cover. This started me thinking - it's de riguer for us all to have big metal racks, bumpers, skids and other trail jewelry. It's almost always painted flat black. I actually keep a pair of mechanics gloves handy when I know I'm going to be climbing on the bars packing or unpacking. So who has good tips and tricks to prevent scalding oneself on these skillet-hot surfaces in the deep summer?

 

[DaveInDenver]

So who has good tips and tricks to prevent scalding oneself on these skillet-hot surfaces in the deep summer?

I would advise that you don't.

Not sure how to solve it other than paint them white.

But I'll tell you this if you think a flat black bumper gets hot in the summer you have not owned an uninsulated aluminum pickup camper shell and made the mistake of climbing around inside with your shirt off. Holy turd, literally blistering hot on the inside of the aluminum skin.

 

[Airmapper]

My truck is black, ANY surface of it will produce a burn in summer not just add-ons. I've learned not to lean, rest, or touch any part of it that has been sitting in the sun. I'm not one of those who use the hood as a table to throw a map on and plan my route like the cool kids do.

 

[krick3tt]

almost any dark color will be extremely hot, OD comes to mind. In the desert it is unbearable. Same thing with leaving your tools out in the sun, only grab that hammer by the wood handle.

 

[dreadlocks]

Pickup Welding or Soldering or something involving making things with heat, eventually you just inherently develop an instinct to not touch anything thats potentially hot.. after you burn the crap outta your self a few dozen times in the process of making those synapses more robust

 

[Regcabguy]

I would advise that you don't.

Not sure how to solve it other than paint them white.

But I'll tell you this if you think a flat black bumper gets hot in the summer you have not owned an uninsulated aluminum pickup camper shell and made the mistake of climbing around inside with your shirt off. Holy turd, literally blistering hot on the inside of the aluminum skin.

View attachment 519273

Oven on wheels.

 

[nickw]

Land Rover figured this out years ago with their "Tropical Roofs":

https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/tropical-roofs-double-roof.29699/

 

[BritKLR]

......Ask a buddy to touch it first....what are buddies/friends for?

 

[Rovertrader]

My Dad was a welder, and after decades of refining synapse response, he could grab a hot piece of metal to move it, albeit very quickly. People would inevitably ask if it wasn't hot, to which he always replied "It is- I just didn't need to look at it very long"....