So I did some more modeling and tried out
Boywonder's suggestions as they seemed like an intriguing idea. I did come across a few problems with these ideas that I have laid out below. Also, I am really liking all the suggestions so keep them coming!
The first one I tried was just a quick model where I slide the ladder back into the brush guard simulating it being one continuous piece. The issue I found with this idea is that the ladder would fall outside of the van's back curve unless the ladder was modified to match this curve. I think that would end up being more complicated and I am not sure how I would like the look of it. But this is still on the table as an option.
For the second one, I tried the half ladder idea. The one issue I found with this one is that this would require upper rungs to be mounted to the van body which isn't ideal in my opinion. Also, I am not sure I love the look of it. What does everyone else think of these two ideas?
Since people seem to be enjoying seeing some rendering and model views throughout the design process I decided to play around with a few other ideas I thought of. I realized while working on the model that it really would be best to have my license plate mounted somewhere it would still be visible even with my bikes on the back. So after trying a few ideas I landed on adding a recessed section in the middle of the bumper face for the license plate. Not only would this give me a location for the plate that would be seen even with my bike rack installed it also adds a center step on the rear bumper.
Then I went on to revise the storage box to be more similar to
Boywonder's bumper where the storage compartment goes back in between the frame rails. This model isn't totally perfect for real world conditions but it's a start to visualize the idea.
Then after studying the Southco latches a little closer I think I came up with a clean way that I could have a button-operated release mechanism for each swing out. These seem to be similar to how Aluminess does the latching but theirs are lever actuated rather than cable actuated.
Then based on a previous recommendation from
dhally I modeled a design that would allow for the lights to be inset slightly in the bumper ensuring that they wouldn't be damaged by something. This also allowed me the opportunity to add a protected mounting location for an air chuck. I have been looking at possibly doing an air system similar to
The "Wifey" Air Sytem which uses a central pressure gauge and a hose connection to each wheel to make air up times faster. Alternatively, these spots could also house a portable solar panel connection port or an Anderson plug for external 12v power. What does everyone think about this design iteration?
Also Just for the fun of it, I did a quick animation of the bumper just to see how everything was working together. So far I think it's looking like it will work.