Bumper integrated winch mount - product dev questions

I'll take one for my13

 

I would seriously look into one of these if you made them. If i needed a winch and didn't want to spend the $1200 on a plate bumper at the same time as getting a winch, i would definately look into this alternative. hope you guys produce it, people will buy it.

 

I'm going to give it a few more days for a 12+ owner to volunteer after that I'll move on to the 05-11 models. Those of you who are local and volunteered here or via PM please check your calendars to see if your truck would be available the week before turkey day... just in case.

 

I'd be interested in one when you finish the development phase.

 

Just stumbled on this thread, thought I would share my experience.

I built a hidden winch mount w/ my uncle in-law a while back using the OEM bumper. This might help with the R&D, and design ideas. You will likely need to notch the pass. side for the A/C lines. I also had to trim the upper brace that sits in the middle of the grille, above the winch.

Hope this helps, and feel free to PM me with any questions. Hope you have a speedy recovery back to health! :thumbsups

- Benson X

 

With my setup I do not have to drop the whole bumper setup the lower black valance has been trimmed and the slots made for the d-rings to slide down. That is a nice piece of work and good luck with the sale.



My control box hot wire to a switch so it cannot be used without turning on the switch



just giving you some ideas

 

in for one for my 2012!

 

I will sub just for casual interest and a cool design idea but my main issue would be lack of front end protection because I still have the flimsy factory bumper.

 

Ok.. so no 12+ volunteers for the 19th.

I have a few PM volunteers but I'll post here too.

05-11 local owners, who can make their truck available for the 19-20th and possibly the 21st.. just to be safe?

My goal here is to eliminate the center section of the bumper cover just as the FJ but since I'm not a Taco owner I can't say for sure just how well that will work. The posts above by Benson and weazel are very helpful and greatly appreciated.

 

Ok 300rem7 has kindly volunteered and committed to be the guinea pig for this project so the 05-11 version is first up! We are meeting at the machine shop next Wednesday and hope to have a prototype by the weekend.

 

GorillaTec from Wheeler's:

 

yep, like was said above you can either delete the whole lower middle bumper cover or you can cut out a slot in the lower valence mesh, either way looks good IMO, i would be interested if you can make on that isnt terribly heavy or expensive

 

That's the one I was looking for. I was going to PM Brad since it's a similar design w/ the valance cut. Still damn spendy.

I thought it was called RhinoTek/RhynoTek or something like that

 

Glad you found that. Exactly how I would build it in general. No sense in creating another then is there? Price is probably about right too.

 

I wouldn't shelve your design man, even if the price is the same. There're plenty of Tacos to go around

Plus, look at bumpers, skids, and sliders. there are 10+ fab'ers making almost the same shit with their own unique twists and they all make it work.

 

I have a 2013 and would be interested.

 

Ah he'll no. This just shows what's been done already. Can you do aluminum? If you can then do aluminum, no one had made this type of mount in aluminum yet

 

Been eating on me all night, something wasn't right.

So, I go to gorillatec's site and look at Wheeler's site and product listing. Hmm.. there's one for the FJ too. Gee, design looks familiar and some of the verbiage too.

http://www.gorillatec.com/index.php/vehicle-parts/low-profile-fjc-winch-bumper.html

Ok, one thing you guys don't know about me, part of what I've done for a living is find people and connect various pieces of information together. Keep that in mind, not that you have to be a rocket scientist to figure this out.

Since my spidey senses were tingling I did a little research.

GorillaTec, LLC is in Reno, NV. Even though they don't list an address their phone numbers confirm this.

http://www.gorillatec.com/index.php/contact

I check my sales records, one order to a Josh Davis in Reno Nevada in October 2012.

Guess who's a member of said GorillaTec LLC? You guessed it, the very same Mr. Davis.

http://www.corporationwiki.com/p/2bwcuh/josh-davis

http://nvsos.gov/sosentitysearch/CorpDetails.aspx?lx8nvq=L5KOAm8gHHablhZbSRI9Ww%3d%3d&nt7=0

Now, I'm not going to publish the personal details and what not that back this up as I don't share customer info and typically wouldn't even confirm a name, but all of this is public info at one level or another.

Oh...GorillaTec LLC was formed less than 60 days after I shipped this to him.

But if you are going to rip off my design and market it as your own then guess what, it only serves to motivate me. Was it illegal? No, absolutely not. Some say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but gee, at least say you based it on my design... just as I stated when I started off with my used Lucrum mount 2 years ago. Lucrum was no longer in business then and I wanted a mount for my FJ but didn't like several things about their design to I designed my own.

No, patents won't fly here, already checked, too many similar products out there now and prior, plus it's cost prohibitive.

Yeah, I'm gonna make a Tacoma mount, count on it but I'll do it on my own and not by copying his mount that was copied from my FJ design....or would that simply be a circle of life?

 

What a snake! Sorry your idea was ripped off, it shows that your idea was great! Good luck!

 

dooo it!!! if you can beat their price im all ears... their mount is too spendy to begin with then too top it off with being a copycat.... more people need to know that that bumper isn't original to them