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I'm looking to go with a more formidable front bumper, particularly one with tow hooks or D-rings, and I have found many options but none that really seem to fit my budget.
Here's what I sort of have in mind:
I understand there are options from Alumness, Blue Lake offroad, Buckstop, and many others, but I was wondering if there were used options, or vendors offering military discounts or the like. $2500+ seems a bit excessive to me... Also, I think some enthusiasts have confirmed that F-series bumpers from certain years are a direct bolt on. Is that true?
Here's someone selling an F-series winch bumper that's been re-worked to fit the E-series. It's in Phoenix, so probably not a good option for you. There are a number of pictures you could use to help guide you if you picked up a bumper to mod locally.
I think the bumper in your pic is the top one on this page. Can't seem to find the prices and probably won't bother....these are definitely tough looking but I couldn't justify it for my use. These are Ford approved, for what it's worth.
I recently met a guy who is making custom bad *** bumpers that are super beefy! I mentioned you were looking and hopefully he will chime in soon with more details on pricing and options. emailing him now so hopefully you hear from him asap!
There are some beautiful after market bumpers for the E-series, but it's tough to justify the cost on a 10-15 year old van. I recently designed and built a front bumper (post above0) that incorporates 2 tow hooks, a winch mount, license plate mount and a 24" LED light bar.
I haven't figured out how to attach a photo but if you PM me I'll forward a few to you.
These guys are quite similar but they use aluminum instead of steel for weight reasons. However, the prices are fairly similar. Front bumpers are around $2,000 and rear bumpers with a spare tire bracket are around $2,500. It kills me that I paid $3,000 for my 2000 e-250 and will probably spend close to $5,000 for bumpers in the future! Still, I like the idea of the added impact protection and better spare tire holder.
Naaah....way down the priority list, my wife retired this year so money is tighter than it has been and we have some home projects we've gotta do. But we're having a great springtime; I've got her back on her bicycle and we're using the van for hauling bikes and stuff.
Box on Wheels. This bumper in the link below is in Pensacola. You may be able to get it cheap and modify it to fit. He paid $850 to have it fabbed by Draken Off Road. They have gone out of business but they sold their CAD designs and have a phone number to call for availability.