Aluminess Rear Bumper Install

[Gnarvan]

Pictures of the bumper mounting holes as promised. As you can see in this semi in focus photo the mounting holes are side by side. After double checking the way we mounted the bumper I noticed the hole we had to drill was the inside hole on the frame rails. That hole came through on the inside of the bumper comparment. There was one hole on the inside of the bumper compartment but it was way to low. There were no holes close to where we needed it to be. This was not a case of a hole being slightly out of place due to a frame rail alignment issue. I'm wondering if Aluminess just forgot to drill a hole or if I have some type of unusual frame rail mounting. It just hit me. I bet I mounted the bumper in the wrong holes. I could raise the bumper up and use the lower bolt holes the already exist in the bumper. That would make the back door hinge pins line up better.....DUHHHHH


A surprise benefit showed itself this weekend as I was loading boats at the takeout for the Wind River. The rails on top of the Jerry Can box work great as a takeout beer protector. You boaters out there know the value of a takeout beer and how they have to be protected from getting knocked over during the boat loading organized chaos event.

[Gnarvan]

I just took a tape measurer out to see if I could remount the bumper using the existing holes in the bumper. It's not going to work because it would raise the bumper up almost 2". The back doors would hit the nylon swing arm rests that are bolted to the top of the bumper.

[Ford_6L_E350]

Your van started life as a handicap van or? Judging by the tall top and rear doors, something special was intended.

I wonder if that conversion involved changing the bumper/brackets or a lift of some kind that required changing the bumper brackets?

Certainly your frame brackets look different than any I've seen.

Mike

[Gnarvan]

My van did start it's life as a wheelchair lift passenger van. The wheelchair lift was bolted to the floor inside the rear van. I've never seen any evidence of a rear bumper type accessory that would require special frame rails.

I wonder if my van is an in between model year thing. Perhaps a 91 1/2. Does anyone know what the bumper mounts look like on a 91 van?

[BIGVANS]

Ya know who would know for sure ……… John at Northwest Quadvan!