Sharkey

Yeah, I'm not interested in the Olympic version. The angles and hardware of the carrier alone lead me to believe that thing is a rattle waiting to happen. I'd love to see one in person though.

I started this thread because I saw Benchmark's new website had a rear winch bumper, but there was no picture.

Anyway, I understand your point about the departure angle but the proper design might lessen that problem. I don't run a lot of rocks yet, so while departure angle is a concern, it might not be as much of a concern for me as for some other people.

Much of my wheeling leads me to situations where it makes more sense to get "unstuck" by going out the way I went in as opposed to trying to pull myself deeper into the problem. I've considered the hitch mount warn (and then putting a tube receiver on the front of my Jeep) but I just don't like that kind of setup.

If you run a relocated muffler, I would think you could run a rear winch without too much trouble. The PITA would be getting to the winch itself to engage gears. Maybe that problem could be solved by cutting out the storage tub in the rear (or at least adding some sort of sealed access lid to keep the tub watertight but allow access to the winch when need be.) I dunno...just thinking out loud...sorry.

Harbourone

I'm waiting on an email back from Kenny at river raider. He's out of the office until the 1st of october but I asked all about where the winch location and other things. I'll post my emails in here when I get them back. Not trying to cut your throat Benchmark, this thread just ended up becoming more about rear winches and systems overall.

As for departure angles, I can see it pushing the bumper back a few inches. The value of having rear self recovery option outweighs the few degree loss IMO. Also, let's face it. 99% of us will never need big departure angles. I don't, the steep departures I've ever done have been soft edges.

SiliconTi

I have the Warn setup, and although it does hurt departure quite a bit, the times I needed it, it really saved my butt. I'd love it to be a bit higher and in a bumper, but then you are talking about a muffler relocation, then the evap relocation, etc. One project turns into 5. I just remove mine when I do not need it.

I am anxious to see what they came up with.

Benchmark Designs Inc.

My $.02

There are a small handful of other companies out there that make rear winch bumpers. Some are pretty good, some not so great IMO.

What I came up with is designed to be high-clearance, accessible, strong, rattle-free, practical etc. I was a wheeler long before being a manufacturer and I'm not interested in gimicky, rube goldberg contraptions that only look cool at SEMA. In the NW, I wheel in harsh conditions - deep snow, tight tree trails, wet rocks, etc. I've seen average trail runs turn into worst case scenarios on more than one occasion. When that happens, we need gear we can fully depend on.

There's more than 1 way to skin a cat. Certainly you can rig a creative pull with pulleys and a front winch, or go with a multi-mount setup. Believe me, I've gotten myself unstuck with a high-lift and rope!

Sharkey

^^ all of which is exactly why I can't wait to see what you came up with.

BoggerSwap

I hope it involves just a hole for a fairlead, with the winch where the (relocated) muffler was. Put the trailer hitch and plug under it (with a skidplate), because I need the hitch lower, not higher. Shackles of course, and lights would be a nice touch.

The tire carrier is another story. I hope it has a locking pin (open), adjustable height of tire, and optional gas can holders.

Just my 2c.

Harbourone

Any chance on a tire cage option? I like the look and the ability to slide the carrier along an obstacle instead of sitting on the spare hung up.

Benchmark Designs Inc.

Alright, here's a sneak peak. We shipped out a bunch of orders today and still found time to grab some impromptu pics of the new rear bumper.

STANDARD Features:

Rear Winch Mount!
D-Ring Mounts
Hi-Lift Mounts
Roto-Pax Mounts
CB & Sand Flag Mounts
2" Receiver Hitch
Swing-Away Tire Carrier (Locks in the open & closed positions!)
Dual 5x5 and 5x5.5 Bolt Patterns

Benchmark Designs Inc.

What we really tried to do was incorporate all the "must-have" features in a way that works great and looks great too. Also, all of the things like jack mounts, gas can holders, cb mounts, etc. are all standard features. They're designed to be integral to the bumper, and as such they don't look like an afterthought.

Hope you guys like it!

OnBelay

Love it! Would be great with some reverse lights. You might think they're gimicky, but I love mine on my LOD. If the final design meets my needs, I will sell my LOD in a heartbeat.

P.S. would be great to have some gerry can mounts (so I can re-use what I already have) and a cargo rack.

Keep up the good work!

-Dawn Marie