The Turtle V – Update #3 – Bumpers – 2019

May 31, 2019

The Turtle V gets a Buckstop front Bumper

The Turtle V, a yurt on wheels, was quite comfortable among its fellows in the beautiful Tash Rabat, Kyrgyzstan, valley.

The Turtle V, a yurt on wheels, was quite comfortable among its fellows in the beautiful Tash Rabat Valley in Kyrgyzstan.

The front bumper is a custom design by Buckstop Truckware in Oregon, incorporating some of the features of our previous bumpers like lockable storage compartments, two trailer hitch receivers, headlight protection bars and rock deflector in front of the steering cooler. Mounts for a Go Pro camera and our front Total Vision camera were added. We upgraded our previous 12,000 lb. Warn winch to their new 16.5 TI which is discreetly mounted low, and locked inside the bumper. The Viking synthetic line is safer and lighter. PIAA LP570 LED white long-range driving lights and PIAA 510 Series Xtreme White SMR fog lights were strategically placed. Both can be controlled with manual JRV switches or by the dimmer switch. A Passport SR1 radar/laser sensor is neatly mounted out of harm’s way.

Bumpers are made to keep a cow or a deer out of our radiator. To stop rocks and gravel from chipping the paint on the hood, we applied a computerized layer of XPEL Paint Protection Film. The same material protects our headlamps from rock chips and scratches. The film is non-yellowing. XPEL has custom-cut patterns for nearly every vehicle.

The Turtle V’s rear Bumper

The rear bumper was custom-designed by Unique Metal Products. Like the front bumper, it incorporates 2” X 2” HD trailer hitch receivers on both sides and the middle. The socket in the middle holds our Yakima bike rack, a Class 3 trailer hitch or a Mac’s Trail D-Vice. The end sockets on each side fit a specially designed drawbar that can be used for a Hi-Lift jack or an auxiliary table for our Weber Go-Anywhere BBQ, (see upcoming Camper Blog). The bumper itself serves as a compartment to store the main Hi-Lift jack bar, leaving the foot and lift mechanism stored clean and safely away.

For high clearance trucks, a rear bumper like this is a legal requirement in Europe to keep little cars from driving under you.

: A great truck needs a great bumper. Buckstop Truckware designed this one to our specifications in combination with their engineering expertise and their knack for CAD design.

: Two-inch trailer hitch receiver sockets on both sides serve as Hi Lift Jacking points, pushing trailers into difficult spots, or even a motorcycle rack, as we had on The Turtle II.

: On The Turtle II bumper two-inch trailer hitch receiver sockets on both sides served to mount a motorcycle rack.

: Locking weatherproof compartments were built into both sides of the bumper.

: We added a mount for a GoPro camera.

: Tucked underneath the light bar, we attached the front Total Vision camera.

: We upgraded our previous 12,000 lb. Warn winch to their new 16.5 TI.

: Buckstop mounted the new winch low between the frame rails and inside a locking compartment of the front bumper.

: Viking synthetic line is safer and lighter. A Passport SR1radar/laser sensor is neatly mounted out of harm’s way and out of sight.

: We replaced the Warn cable with a Viking synthetic line which is safer and lighter.

: Keep reading to see what those front two-inch trailer hitch receiver sockets can be used for.

: A rock-guard protects the power steering cooler.

: A thin layer of XPEL Paint Protection Film on the hood and lights stops rock chips that a bumper can’t and will protect modern headlights from destructive yellowing caused by ultraviolet light.

: Using XPel installation gel makes the application much easier.

: The rear bumper was custom-designed by Unique Metal Products and is very securely attached to the frame. This is the perfect storage place for our Mac’s Trail D-Vice.

: The Class 3 trailer hitch on the rear bumper is a secure mount for our Yakima easy-up bike rack.

: The bumper itself serves as a compartment to store the main Hi-Lift jack bar, leaving the foot and lift mechanism stored clean and safely away.

: A two-inch steel draw-bar was fabricated with at least two functions: An extension for the HiLift Jack and to mount our portable barbecue.

: When the extension bar is used with a Hi Lift Jack it adds two feet of additional lifting height, and it keep the jack from tipping into the side of the camper or the front of the truck.

: The lifting force is directly to the frame.

: By turning the bar sideways and using a couple of wing nut bolts, a table for our Weber Go-Anywhere BBQ is conveniently right below the quick-disconnect LP valve.