Tree tap September 04, 2023, 12:43:08 pm My trip homeward was getting a bit boring, so decided to tap my rear passenger bumper into a lonely pine tree in a moment of distraction.Thinking cleaning out the pine bits and sealing up with some 3M 5200, but I’m open to other suggestions. 3 Likes
Re: Tree tap Reply #1 – September 04, 2023, 01:36:52 pm Hi Dave; My sympathy extended on this unsightly blemish! Anything to keep water (and subsequent rust) out of there. 5200 might be a little too permanent in case you want to attempt a more permanent cosmetic fix later. I've used an 'inexpensive' Harbor Freight hydraulic straightener to straighten out my bumper in similar 'taps'. https://www.harborfreight.com/4-ton-portable-hydraulic-equipment-kit-58204.html Your damage may be less amenable to straightening with this tool. It's hard to do much surface repair without damaging the paint (heat, welding or pounding). RonB 1 Likes
Re: Tree tap Reply #2 – September 04, 2023, 05:47:29 pm The bumper appears to be bent inward in the corner, it will need to be pulled out before reattaching the top piece.I have used my Jeep's winch to pull out several damaged bumper endsThe top piece looks to be bent upward a bit too. This is a more challenging piece to straighten, I have used a large acetylene torch to heat this piece red hot before hammering it straight.A body shop can remove, straighten, weld, or glue on the top piece and then repaint the damaged area.Or you can wear it proudly as a battle scar. Your choice.Most older or well-used LDs have damaged rear bumpers.Larry
Re: Tree tap Reply #3 – September 04, 2023, 08:43:27 pm I’m inclined to keep the scar, as a reminder what not to do.Just need to seal it up from rot/rust. 2 Likes
Re: Tree tap Reply #4 – September 04, 2023, 09:19:35 pm Dave,Welcome to the club. I’ve got a similar “battle scar” on the same spot. Backed into a 6x6 campground marker while leveling our RB. Ron wanted to give a go at straightening it out but I’ve decided to let it go. The Mothership wanted 4 grand to R&R the whole thing. Too rich for my blood. I’ve encountered other hazards along the way over the past 8 years of ownership. Punched a hole through the coach door on a U-Haul trailer while getting propane once. Vince fixed that one. A tree reached out and scratched the passenger side of the entire coach on our most recent journey to Yosemite Valley. Unsightly indeed. We arrived into the valley after dark and I didn’t realize how close I was to the roads edge.I rubbed that out with a Meguiar’s Polishing Compound. Amazing results. I did have a crack appear on the rear corner of my rig after returning home from a particularly hot stay in Zion one year. Vince fixed that one too. Good ol’ Vince. A magician if ever there was one.I’ll need to put some sealant on my bumper soon. But as it stands it is not much of a bother to me. Now, I don’t back onto my leveling blocks. I pull forward onto them instead. Much easier all-in-all. Good luck with you scar of honor. Maybe a bit of rubbing compound to lessen the marks.Kent 8 Likes
Re: Tree tap Reply #5 – September 05, 2023, 11:05:09 am Quote from: Dave Katleman - September 04, 2023, 12:43:08 pmMy trip homeward was getting a bit boring, so decided to tap my rear passenger bumper into a lonely pine tree in a moment of distraction.Thinking cleaning out the pine bits and sealing up with some 3M 5200, but I’m open to other suggestions.DaveSorry for the bad luck. But I think all the memories will outshine a little bump going forward. You are so lucky to do what you are doing. Continued safe travels.RonS 1 Likes
Re: Tree tap Reply #6 – September 05, 2023, 12:21:12 pm Taps happen.The left corner of our LD's rear bumper was pretzeled while backing up what at the time was our new Jeep Wrangler, and jackknifing it. The bumpers met and the Jeep easily won. The ends of LD bumpers are not very strong and bend without much force.The repair involved cutting back several inches of the top piece of the LD's bumper and straightening the pieces before welding them back together. It was then ground smooth, sealed, and then painted.The previous Jeep Cherokee could be jackknifed and pushed backward without hitting the bumper on slippery surfaces. The steering was stout enough to withstand this type of occasional abuse.Larry 2 Likes
Re: Tree tap Reply #7 – September 06, 2023, 12:15:18 pm Hi Dave; As Larry said, "welded back together". From the get go, Lazy Daze should have welded that top joint together before mounting it on the rig. Any close encounter pops that glued seam apart. Even without that the sharp corners of the top shelf piece abrade and after 10-15 years start rusting. Once the rust gets started you can't get in there to really clean it out. LD should at least have used a colored grout to match the rig, or default black to minimize it showing. As Kent said almost everyone has managed to hit something at one time or another. I managed to hit a fire hydrant in front of the UFO museum in Roswell. Barely a tap, to apply some yellow paint on my bumper. Glad I didn't break off the hydrant! I'm including pictures of a friend's MB in red. I didn't take a picture of that corner, (dang it!) but just the other corner. It all looked much better afterwards. Dave, Just fill the gap with Dynaflex Ultra, a tube of Iron Gray sealant. DYNAFLEX ULTRA™ Advanced Exterior Sealant | DAP Global I use this in white, brown, black, wish they had a blue, but it can be painted. In your case a dark grey. RonB 3 Likes
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