Ford E-Series High Clearance front receiver

[Kneeboarder1025]

Hi everyone.

I've got a 2004 E-150 XLT. Right now now the only thing "off road" about it is that it has the factory LSD (which works well I've discovered). I'm looking for a cheap way to attach a winch and get recovery points in the the front. I already have a Warn M8000 mounted on a receiver cradle from my Tacoma days. The problem is, that front receivers from Curt or Draw-tite hang below the plastic on the bumper - I can see one of those getting banged up in a parking lot, let alone a rocky mountain road - As much as I would like it, a U-joint front bumper is way out of the budget right now. Is there anything in between out there?

 

[bbbthreat]

Maybe get a universal receiver hitch with some 1/4" plates, a welder, cut off wheel, and some beer you could modify and reninforce your stock bumper to set the receiver to the height you want. Not super easy but you can make mounts that tie into your frame with the plate steel and weld your recievier to the plate, and cut a hole in your bumper for the receiver to poke out.

https://www.ebay.com/p/2-X-12-Inch-...3D711-117182-37290-0%26rvr_id%3D1273242716354

Another option is to hit up MOVE Bumpers and get their DIY kit. Again same tools listed above, but you can option the bumper to a configuration that works for you. Plus, they can cut a hole in your bumper to accept a receiver hitch in the front; just request that in your quote. U Joint looks at a lower price point. Just weld it up and paint it yourself.

https://www.movebumpers.com

 

[Bbasso]

My typical front receiver has yet to touch anything and is hardly noticeable...
While I don't play in rough trails by any means I don't have any worries about it bottoming out or getting banged up.

It's hardly noticeable : pic
http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/17756-Pics-of-your-VAN!-Post-up!?p=2339669#post2339669

 

[Kneeboarder1025]

Thank you for your replies.

@Bbasso - I'm glad that you haven't noticed an issue.

I'd like to get a receiver up as high as is reasonable because of my experience with my Tacoma - it also had a front receiver that I used to mount the winch with - I clunked on a number of rocks and managed to plow the winch into the bottom of a mud hole on some trail runs. While I realize that a I wouldn't take a 2wd van to the same places I took my Taco, my experience there makes want to get the receiver up as high as I can.

I'm thinking about having the receiver tube come through the rounded off rectangle in the bottom of the bumper - I'll need to have a fab shop look at my options there, but it does bring up another question:
Do I want to block the airflow going to the bottom half of the A/C condenser and the radiator - In looking at vans w/ plate bumpers (IE Alumniness) that area is blocked off, so while I want to think it shouldn't hurt anything, I also know that on our recent trip to UT, our AC was having a really hard time cooling in heavy traffic, engine bay hot, upper 90's outside - if we managed to get rolling about 20 mph or higher it really helped the AC - engine coolant didn't really heat up. Not wanting this thread to get into AC performance, just some personal experience that caused me to wonder if blocking that area is a good idea / what others w/ plate bumpers experience is.

Also, I do recognize that mounting a winch in the receiver is going to block airflow, but the winch is portable, so it won't be there all the time (only on trips where I might need it)

Thanks in advance