Anything welding

I'm all for cutting stuff, as many here know, but some things are better purchased

It's the custom stuff where people like me and a few other members here can do without large commitments

 

The bumper is 14 gauge, I'm pretty sure they all are, yours, too.

I used 16 gauge to make my brackets.

After I welded the 1st one in place I tested it by standing on it. I'm 225 lbs. No deforming was noted.

 

So my question would be, if you add a 2” receiver hitch that clamps onto the bumper between the bumper mounts, compered to your brackets that attach near the frame mounts, would that make a difference as far as torquing the bumper?

 

Most of the hitch receivers are mounted directly to the trailer frame in front of the tube bumper.

I wouldn't be comfortable mounting a receiver hitch to the 14 gauge bumper unless it was only going to hold a bike bracket.

 

This is the receiver I’m talking about

 

That would be fine for sticking in a bike rack.

 

Can I etch mild steel with muriatic acid?

 

Yep!

A lot of how-to's on it as well

 

I've never used it before. I put it on cold and it didn't do much. I warmed up the piece and it worked great.

 

I never have either, but have friends that have done it before.

Come out as expected I hope?

 

What he was trying to tell you is that the bumper is about half the thickness of the plates of that receiver. In 4" square tubing, that isn't going to be strong. Camper/motorhome bumpers are more for show, you get hit and it's going to fold pretty easily. Carrying (or pulling) more than 100 lbs would be pushing it.

 

I know, I was wondering if those brackets would help strengthen it enough to keep it from twisting.

 

Maybe I'm not tracking, I'm not seeing how they help with twist (flex?) reduction.

 

You still have the same thinwall tubing as the base. Some people run a piece of 2" square up under the camper and tie into the frame for support. The only way to get the bumper to support anything heavier than a bike rack is to cut it off and weld on a heavier piece of 4" square.

 

The brackets saddle the bumper, and the brackets tie back into the frame. It would stiffen the area at the mounts but maybe not as much towards the middle of the bumper.

 

I see now. Thank you.

 

The way I described it may not be the proper terms. On the brackets you made, it looks like they mount close to the frame where the bumper mounts. Did you reinforce that section any?

 

Non at all. They are welded to the tube. There are 4.

 

Finally finished the shoe rack I started......Last October lol. Just needs some paint now.

 

Not the best photo, but it's what I could find on the google. Here they are installed: