Cutting the Fat. Bumpers???

[TexasTJ]

I am seriously thinking for selling/ Trading my front and Rear Bumpers to help get the Fat out of my truck. I bought the Truck with the bumpers on it so I have no knowledge of what it takes to remove them and I would need Replacement factory bumpers. Would it be fair to ask $1800 for the Tactical4x4 Rear with duel swing outs and $1399 ARB with winch.



I could Also Be Talked into a deal that would include my National Luna Duel Batter system.

Would this be worth the trouble? for a couple of extra MPGs and to Get payload Back???

 

[krick3tt]

sell the whole thing and get something else. why sell it (stuff you put on) to get a few pounds off and maybe get 2 more mpg? it is a 300+ hp vehicle and will surely pull you around.
I hear Jeeps are lighter. don't for get that roof rack that has such an aerodynamic hold back, and that snorkel too.

 

[TexasTJ]

I can’t afford to buy a new vehicle right now as I am an underplayed school teacher. There are also other economic factors that are not anyone’s business on a forum, but needless to say I’m in the truck for another couple of years.

 

[krick3tt]

you have my sympathy for being underpaid as I think almost all teachers are. realizing that selling bits off your vehicle may be your best option, considering. there are probably,or may be, a few that may donate their original parts that they remove, rather than junk them, to help you out. hope so.

 

[Ovrlnd Rd]

I'd check in to what replacement bumpers are going to cost first. It could be you're dollars ahead just by keeping the ones on there.

 

[TexasTJ]

I'd check in to what replacement bumpers are going to cost first. It could be you're dollars ahead just by keeping the ones on there.

No for sure it would only work if I could keep the buyers Factory Bumper.

 

[Victory_Overland]

Depends if you want painted or not but I would surely go with what @krick3tt said and offload the vehicle while it has value remaining. You can probably get much more for it and be able to buy a lower cost, more reliable, and far more economical vehicle.

I have a few of the parts sitting around for sale that are new and you'll want new parts since old is brittle and the mounting pin areas crack off. You can get bumper covers unpainted from aftermarket places for relatively cheap and they are all black and look pretty nice IMO.

Get on Atlantic British and do a price check for all of the parts needed to put factory replacement parts on and you'll probably agree it is not worth the trouble or the effort as its a pain and expensive.

 

[gatorgrizz27]

Regardless of MPG improvements, which I expect will be very slight aside from removing the roof rack, $3,000 would buy a lot of gas, so I’d look at it that way.

I’d find somebody local to swap bumpers with rather than dealing with buying OEM ones, shipping, etc.

 

[morrisdl]

I feel your situation...my Lr3 needs to go on a diet too!!

 

[rlynch356]

I think you are over thinking it... first go to the local truck stop/dump and weigh your truck with nothing in it. Then load it up as you would to go wherever and weight it again and add your typical passenger weight

figure out where you are at as a baseline first then start looking at the mass.

a 2008 LR3 has a gross weight of 7,126lbs ish (I googled it, look at your sticker for yours) payload is about 1,300 lbs..

bumpers, winch etc add weight, but you can also subtract it as well (rear seats are ~70lbs yeah ish for instance.. and most people carry too much crap when they go camping. I did for years and so I sold my camp trailer and started going light with only what I use (hint mark what you use when you go and eliminate the rest..)

If its MPG's and maintenance costs your dealing with then, I'd sell it as is, if possible and get something else.

I don''t own any more modern rovers.. and I've had a bunch (3-LR3's, a L322, etc..) been there, over it, I'll fix my old ones thank you

 

[tdhunter13]

Hey @TexasTJ , to answer your first question I would be interested in the rear bumper. Could do a swap for my setup (pic below) which has an early rev of the voyager swingout. I’ve (jokingly) been hoping someone would rear-end me as I have wanted the TR Bumper for a while now.

To your other questions I agree with everyone else, you won’t get much if any MPG back wrt to the rear bumper as it doesn’t cause much if any drag. You may net a little with the front, but my biggest gain has been from removing the FR Roof rack. Payload wise, dropping both bumpers and potentially the sliders would net you a good chunk.

(Old photo as I apparently have no good ones of the back of 'Lux'.)


-Tyler

 

[gbarba]

Having recently added a lot of bulk to mine, this has been on my mind as well. Adding the rear bumper no noticeable difference for fuel economy, but since I put the front bumper/winch on in December, it's taken a noticeable hit - down roughly 1.5 - 2mpg average. The weight is also more noticeable in the ride. The range in these things already leaves a bit to be desired, but it may well be a wash for 1-2 mpg once you've taken the trouble to get it back to stock. Plus, from a pure vanity perspective, it does look pretty sweet as it is...

 

[Victory_Overland]

@TexasTJ you need to jump on that bumper swap w/ @tdhunter13 and work out a cost difference; that's half of your problem solved.

As far as weight:

Been cruising around with my new dual swing-out prototype with a spare and two full Jerries (1 x fuel/1 x water), propane is currently empty (add 3-5lbs) and my loss is consistently just shy of 2 gal. (I always round up as it is much more of a reality check). Of course I have a FR full rack, TR front and rear bumpers, and TF sliders; just a weighted swing-out alone is killing my mileage another 2mpg. Part of the lifestyle......lol

On that note, this is solely to work out any vibration etc. Then I will remove everything and get a solid "Empty Weight" of Victory. That means, just like in aviation, anything that is not removable before we get a "useful" weight from our "max gross (OEM spec)".

I'll weigh with bumpers, rack, sliders, empty swing-out, near empty fuel tank, full operational oils, and a completely empty interior except was is not normally removable.

Hence, EMPTY WEIGHT. Compare that from what JLR says the LR3 "originally/stock" weighs empty; subtract that from JLR Max Gross weight and that leaves "USEFUL WEIGHT" for my (Victory) LR3 before I hit the OEM specified MAX WEIGHT.

I'll go on the record and say that with all of the OEM interior stuff I took out; seats, paneling, etc. and then added back in with overland specific configuration such as my fridge/freezer (removable I guess), sleeping platform, etc. I am definitely lighter than stock. My bumpers, sliders, empty swing-out, and KM2's; no doubt I am way heavier than stock but the delta is not as great considering I modified with weight cutting in mind to offset some of those trail necessary upgrades.

 

[TexasTJ]

@Victory_Overland[/USER] I have pulled what I can out of my interior too. I pulled my 3ed row and switched it with my Wife's 5 seater rear deck. Although I did not pull the Rear AC as My dog Rides back there on long Family Trips. I was surprised how much they weighed, I would pull two of my second row two, but we keep my son setting in the middle

I'll go on the record and say that with all of the OEM interior stuff I took out; seats, paneling, etc. and then added back in with overland specific configuration such as my fridge/freezer (removable I guess), sleeping platform, etc. I am definitely lighter than stock. My bumpers, sliders, empty swing-out, and KM2's; no doubt I am way heavier than stock but the delta is not as great considering I modified with weight cutting in mind to offset some of those trail necessary upgrades.
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[USER=127869][/QUOTE]

 

[krick3tt]

Weight, this thing is heavy.
I pulled the third row seats but offset them with two 5 gallon Nato cans that I carry under the LR, and with a drawer system from FR that holds all my camp and cooking equipment. Equipment has been added in for tools and ARB fridge that is in the second row, sets in the center (that center seat is gone).
With the compliment of me and fully kitted for a week trip (on the last off road trip plus full tank) I weigh in at 7820 pounds. Checked the weight at a road side truck scale. I have two steel bumpers, the rear one has swing out tire carrier, front winch, FR roof rack and somebody's sliders. Oh yeah, snorkel too!
I did not buy this for excellent gas milage, never entered into the equation as my last vehicle was a 710M Pizgauer that got 16 mpg downhill with a tail wind. Before that a 404 Mog that got maybe 10 mpg if I was lucky.
So with the additional comfort and the ability to travel at mostly posted speed and great off road ability I am really ahead. Well, that is how I feel. It is also a DD and of course uses the most expensive gas one can buy.
Maintenance is a bit costly, parts are not inexpensive, but it is my baby and I have to live with the decisions I have made. I can do that.