Bumper w/ winch and Blue Ox base plate

[pacificshore]

In installed a Blue Ox base plate on our 2023 Wranger JL Rubicon so we could tow behind our RV. I want to replace the stock plastic bumper so I can mount a winch. I'm considering a Barricade Alloy Series Aluminum bumper (to minimize the front end sagging) or Rugged Ridge Arcus. Does anyone here have a recommended bumper that works with the Blue Ox base plate? I think as long as the winch plate mounts between the frame rails, and the bumper doesn't extend below the bumper mounts by more than the stock bumper, I should be OK. Any guidance is appreciated.

 

[wayoflife]

It'd be hard to say for sure how your base plate will work with other bumpers but I think your assumption is probably correct. So long as what you end up getting is installed similarly or the same as a factory bumper, I would think it should work fine or with minimal modifications to it.

 

[CalSgt]

Not 100% sure but I think a lot of aftermarket bumpers don't need the base plate to flat tow. Instead the tow bars connect to the recovery points.

EVO 1/4 pounder bumper says something about towing and so does genright


Couldn't get a picture of the EVO but here is Genright:

 

[duktrx]

Not 100% sure but I think a lot of aftermarket bumpers don't need the base plate to flat tow. Instead the tow bars connect to the recovery points.

EVO 1/4 pounder bumper says something about towing and so does genright


Couldn't get a picture of the EVO but here is Genright:
View attachment 388377

What CalSgt suggests is the best option; it won't compromise the approach angle. For the adapters needed to go from your Blue Ox towbar to the D-rings, look on eTrailer.

 

[pacificshore]

Thank you all. I wasn’t sure about the bumpers with D rings and adapters because I saw something online that warned they weren’t a strong enough attachment point for towing. Of course, opinions are everywhere on the internet, and I trust the real world information here more.

 

[duktrx]

Thank you all. I wasn’t sure about the bumpers with D rings and adapters because I saw something online that warned they weren’t a strong enough attachment point for towing. Of course, opinions are everywhere on the internet, and I trust the real world information here more.

Not all D-rings are created equal; you want a bumper where the D-rings attach to the frame horns.

 

[pacificshore]

Not all D-rings are created equal; you want a bumper where the D-rings attach to the frame horns.

Thank you for that detail - thats’s probably the difference between ‘good’ for towing and ‘bad’. If I remove the Blue Ox baseplate, I will definitely gain approach angle, which would be awesome.