RAM front winch bumper

[Farmer 5500]

Good morning all,
Just joined moments ago. I am a 2020 5500 Laramie owner. I'm a hay farmer making round bales and big square bales. Using a 38,500lb 40' gooseneck for hauling them. I love my truck so far. Even low output Cummins pulls like a dream. First RAM/Cummins of my life! Only problems so far are TPMS keep dying on me. Dealer replacing them free, but annoying.
Anyway, I want to add a Ranch Hand type traditional looking front bumper and an opening for a 16k-20k winch. Factory bumper isnt going to hold up to the task long term. Front grill looks like a total loss with a deer strike.
Not finding many options on the bumpers. It seems like there's little except the modern looking "off road racing" types available. I like the traditional ranch hand style with a grill protector and head light hoops.

Any suggestions?

 

[Chrisminx]

Www.bumpersandbeds.com

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

AEV should have their full grille and headlight bar ready for release here soon (as an add-on) As of now, it’s only available with the low bar like I have. Their green SEMA truck has the full bar but this site won’t let me upload the pic.

 

[Farmer 5500]

That bumper would be fine with a grille guard

 

[2manyprojects]

Check out these guys: Buckstop Bumpers

They build to order and while not cheap they are in the same range as the AEV bumper. Lots of options and turnaround is about 2 months, at least when I spoke with them in January.

I've been on the hunt for a bumper also, and ones that house decent sized winches are limited.

 

[Farmer 5500]

A housed winch would be preferable, but I would be ok with an exposed winch on the bumper.
Tough to find a 18-20k winch, too.
Was thinking of contacting Altec. They build all the utility company trucks. Don’t think they work with single customers like me, though. Probably has to be a big utility company

 

[Bcjmill]

The Altec bumpers on the bucket truck are hydraulic winches. They are awesome and very strong. So that would be something else to figure in the hydraulic system. If you know anyone at you local power company or co-oo they may be able to help.

 

[Bcjmill]

But those hydraulic winches are usually on the medium duty trucks. On the 5500 and 550's we usually run a heavy duty Warn Winch .

 

[Farmer 5500]

Yeah I mean I have the PTO capability. Would like to have central hydraulic pump and tank on the RAM, like on my dump trucks to power a hydraulic winch rather than an electric winch, but we are talking north of $5,000. A 16-20k electric winch is probably ~$2,000.
Id like to do the bumper and winch for $3500 or less, hopefully.
The other thought is finding an older F550/Ram 5500 utility truck being parted out or scrapped, removing bumper/winch, painting it and making it look nice, then adapting to my 5500.

Then there are under hood hydraulic winch pumps, driven off the engine belt......
The hydraulic winches need a running engine and a lot of plumbing to work. The electric winches are cheaper and run off battery power, if engine is dead.

You can find a Jeep or 2500 truck winch on any corner of the US. Trying to find something for my truck (5500) with a bumper, is really tough.

 

[Bcjmill]

The hydraulics are great but they will break stuff too if it's in a bad enough bind. We have broken front ends with them and ripped a few bumpers off. I would go with electric winch for sure. I will check Monday morning and get some pics of my 550. It's not a hidden winch, they are on winch trays

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Get a warn 16.5 and learn to use a snatch block

 

[Farmer 5500]

The hydraulics are great but they will break stuff too if it's in a bad enough bind. We have broken front ends with them and ripped a few bumpers off. I would go with electric winch for sure. I will check Monday morning and get some pics of my 550. It's not a hidden winch, they are on winch trays

That works for me. Thanks.
I have to pull stuck equipment from the mud at least once a month. Getting close even with a 4wd farm tractor puts the recovery vehicle in peril as it can get stuck, too. That's what do now and could really use a vehicle with a winch.
I will be doing a land clearing job with a mulcher this week on sloping ground in mud. A 75' winch/cable would be perfect for safer recovery than yanking with a farm tractor. Intending on using the winch more for recovering other stuck vehicles than pulling the 5500 out, although that could happen, too.
After 30 years, I know a 550/5500 4x4 was not designed to go far off road. But it can be useful as a winch platform to free stuck vehicles.
Here I am below pulling the 5500 with trailer off mud on top of frost. Trailer in tow.

 

[EK701]

Check out these guys: Buckstop Bumpers

They build to order and while not cheap they are in the same range as the AEV bumper. Lots of options and turnaround is about 2 months, at least when I spoke with them in January.

I've been on the hunt for a bumper also, and ones that house decent sized winches are limited.

Here is my Buckstop bumper On my 2020 3500 HO

 

[Farmer 5500]

Exactly what I want, but painted black and a 16-20k winch (not sure what winch you have there). Could use a flat diamondplate platform to stand on instead of smooth on top side of bumper.
Mind if I ask what you have $ tied up in that set up?
Thanks for the picture. Very nice.

 

[EK701]

Exactly what I want, but painted black and a 16-20k winch (not sure what winch you have there). Could use a flat diamondplate platform to stand on instead of smooth on top side of bumper.
Mind if I ask what you have $ tied up in that set up?
Thanks for the picture. Very nice.

You can get lots of different colors, including black. They use powder coat instead of paint. I don’t have a winch, but it’s set up for one. You can specify a few different mounts. As far as cost, my setup retails for $2200. They are very well built. I have one on my 2002 2500 and I got in a wreck while towing 8k. Only damage to my rig was scuffed powder coat on the bumper. The Ford Mustang was totaled.

 

[2manyprojects]

Exactly what I want, but painted black and a 16-20k winch (not sure what winch you have there). Could use a flat diamondplate platform to stand on instead of smooth on top side of bumper.
Mind if I ask what you have $ tied up in that set up?
Thanks for the picture. Very nice.

The most "common" big electric winch seems to be the Warn 16.5Ti, which is around $2k. It seems Warn is behind in production and finding one, let alone getting a discount is challenging currently. Beyond 16,500 lbs pull, you're going into the industrial market vs. general consumer.

 

[Farmer 5500]

The most "common" big electric winch seems to be the Warn 16.5Ti, which is around $2k. It seems Warn is behind in production and finding one, let alone getting a discount is challenging currently. Beyond 16,500 lbs pull, you're going into the industrial market vs. general consumer.

I think Mile Marker makes an 18k.... been a long time since I looked. There was another company that made a 20K electric but cant remember name right now.
Sherpa Stallion achieves a 25,000lb rating. https://sherpa4x4.com/products/stal...LQ1qCv0XoB0t2hpX2a4s5FhCHwGG6CDRoC0B8QAvD_BwE
I also remember there being ones available with a fan belt driven pump, but the way that engine compartments are now, you cant thread a piece of string though one.

 

[2manyprojects]

Yeah, I see ComeUp USA has a new 20K electric winch out. There's so little space available now in these engine compartments that you're hard-pressed to install much of anything. I've got an ARB twin air compressor and I'm pretty much resigned to install it in/under the bed area.

 

[Bcjmill]

 

[Bcjmill]

Hey sorry it looks so long but that is the winch tray I have on my F550 work truck