Home / Equipment / Tacoma / Demello Off-Road Rear Bumper


Rear Swing-out bumper
Vendor:

Demello Off-Road

2029 S. Eastwood St.
Santa Ana, CA 92705
Phone: 714.444.4049

Vehicle: Expeditions West: 2004 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD
Cost:

Custom bumper, contact vendor for pricing

Weight :

117lbs without lighting, jack or tire/wheel

Installation Difficulty | Time required Moderate | about three-four hours
Specialty tools required None
Expeditions West Product Rating
(Rating definitions)
Quality Capability: A heavy bumper, but great protection
Durability Value: Custom unit
Reliability Expedition Rating: Weight compromise for strength and technical trail protection
Overall Rating

Rear Bumpers for Expedition Travel

Requirements


1. Rear collision protection

The primary function of an aftermarket rear bumper is to provide impact (trail) and collision protection for the back of the vehicle. Within the first few miles of my expedition into Batopilas Canyon Mexico, my travel partners UZJ100 Land Cruiser was hit by an out of control (drunk) driver. The full size Chevy slammed into their Kaymar rear bumper at nearly 20mph and the bumper deflected the blow with very little damage. Had the stock bumper been fitted the damage would have been severe!

2. Spare tire mount

Getting the spare tire out from under the vehicle is a big safety advantage, allowing quick access to the spare in deep mud, rocks or the narrow shoulder of MEX1. This also makes the spare easy to inspect and service. Many SUV's and trucks cannot accommodate a larger diameter tire in the stock storage location, making a spare tire mount mandatory. In my case, moving the tire onto the carrier allowed for the installation of a 22 gallon aux. fuel tank in place of the spare tire.

3. Jack Mounting

Having a place to safely mount the Hi-Lift jack is critical. A provision that allows for secure, theft resistant and accessible mounting provides a big advantage in recovery situations. The one downside is exposure to the elements, which can be compensated with regular servicing of the jack or purchasing their all weather version.

4. 1/4 Panel Protection

While not required, 1/4 protection can help save valuable sheet metal from trail damage, a separated tire or light collision from another vehicle. It can also allow for a jacking point. Properly designed (as in the case of the Demello unit), the 1/4 panel protection can tie into the frame and stiffen the entire structure and help prevent the bumper from rotating.

5. Recovery and Towing

The rear bumper should include recovery points and a 2" receiver. While many of the bumpers are not rated for towing, it allows for a recovery point, multi-mount winch or solid way to tow a small trailer. I prefer that the bumper have two, widely spaced recovery points to allow triangulating the load of the pull.

6. Aux lighting and fluid mounting and other ideas

The rear bumper with swing-out can allow for mounting of auxiliary lights, antenna, water and fuel cans or even small, flip down work surfaces. The swing out can also mount rear vision cameras, bike racks and various other adventure equipment.

Word of Caution

It is extremely tempting to bolt everything possible to the rear bumper. Dual spares, fuel cans, jacks, bikes, etc. However, It is critical to keep in mind the leverage all of this weight behind the rear axle has. Make sure the frame is rated for the load and strengthen accordingly, and keep the weight to a minimum.

 
 

Installation

Note: This is a custom rear bumper. Installation is not detailed as it will vary by vehicle and requirements.

The rear bumper install actually started with Jason Demello welding on a frame reinforcement to the Tacoma. Read more here

The factory bumper was removed, along with the frame brackets
Jason and team positioned the bumper for install.
The bumper is stout and requires at least two to install. My bumper version ties into the bed, adding structure to the bedsides, which carry hundreds of pounds from the tool box, platform and roof tent.
HD twin hinges provide a strong support for the swing out. The hinge is the most common failure point for a tire carrier. The hinges are also greasable to ensure smooth operation.
A wide center structural support helps prevent the gate from sagging and coming out of square. The holes in the center plate makes for a great spot to mount a back-up light

Heavy duty (1" solid steel) recovery points are on both sides of the bumper and travel through the bumper square for connection to the frame. Massive brackets run deep into the rear frame channel to provide maximum support.

Demello's design allows for re-use of the factory license lights, which is a nice feature. Under the flip up license mount is a 2" receiver.
With the roof tent and spare tire, visibility in the rear view mirror was nil. So I installed a trick 24mm color camera from Total Vision Products
Impressions
Jason Demello makes ultra heavy duty protection, and this swing out rear bumper is no exception. I have jacked the rear of the truck (nearly 6,000 lbs.) from the side tubes without issue and extracted full size trucks from the mud. When I first went to Jason's shop to have the bumper installed, I mentioned how heavy the bumper was. Jason said "I don't want the thing to break on you in the middle of Mexico". Despite tens of thousands of miles of abuse, It hasn't!
Questions / Comments?