I've been slowly modifying my 2012 Toyota Tacoma since I bought it in September, 2012. Not wanting to be a credit card upgrader, I've made steady progress, with a few major purchases in the mix when it made sense. The next logical, expensive step was to add a winch, which also meant replacing the OEM bumper. Since the bumper is also an excellent mount for a 20" single row LED light bar, it was time to add one of those, too.

One of the reasons I bought a Tacoma was for the aftermarket parts support, and bumpers are no exception. My preference for a lighter build has guided many of my choices (aluminum skid plates instead of steel, Softopper instead of hard shell, etc.), so at half the weight of steel, an aluminum plate bumper was the way to go. I've always admired the designs and craftsmanship of Pelfreybilt products, and their recent free shipping offer pushed me to place an order. I decided on a single, center hoop design, which brought the weight to 65 lbs.

Next, it was time to figure out what winch made sense for me. I wanted a simple, reliable, affordable option; speed and flashy features weren't important to me. I've had good luck using an Engo winch on a car hauler trailer for construction jobs, but I decided that the Superwinch Tiger Shark TS 9500 SR was worth a little more for the better control box and parts availability. I also opted for a Factor 55 fairlead and FlatLink, along with some BubbaRope Gator-Jaw synthetic shackles. 

You can see the large light bar slot in the bumper, above the fairlead opening. Having the winch and light nested inside the bumper protects them much better from the environment and thieves, but it also means that any serious problems may require removing the entire bumper for repairs. Even with an aluminum bumper and synthetic winch rope, that's 125 lbs to wrestle with, and I'd rather not have to do that often. With that in mind, I decided to skip some cheaper light options and ordered a Rigid Industries SR-Series 20" Combo bar. 

Other than the OEM headlights and the (weak) OEM fog lights, I have no other lights on the truck. I've been late getting back to camp on some very dark nights, and had to resort to using a handheld spotlight to find the turns. The combination of Specter flood (not sure which type) and Hyperspot driving lights should form a solid base for trail lighting. If I need more, I can nest a pair of better lights in the round holes in the bumper, or mount a pair of side floods near the front of the roof rack. I don't want a full width light bar on the front of the rack due to increased wind noise and glare from precipitation, dust, and the hood.

Here's the rub: I didn't expect the bumper to arrive for another two weeks, but it's in my garage, along with everything else. I'm leaving soon for a trip to Canyonlands National Park Maze District, and I'd feel pretty stupid if I ripped off the OEM bumper, or needed a winch that was boxed up at home.

Rather than spend $175 to have Pelfreybilt powdercoat the bumper, I decided to paint it myself. It's been a busy weekend rounding up painting supplies while trying to get other projects finished before the trip. I have to peel off the OEM bumper parts, test fit the bumper (along with the winch & light), prep & paint it, and mount everything once the paint cures. I have aluminum primer and black hammer paint, which I hope will hold up well enough.

I'm going to start removing the old bumper tonight and see how far I get.