A Bar OR Bull Bar for Overlanding

[G-Cam]

Ok - bit of opinion needed on this one..........

I'm looking to do a bit of 'overlanding' the question is should I fit an A bar or keep my wrap-round Bullbars fitted?

[Snagger]

There's not that much of an advantage to either, and given that you already have the bullbars, I assume you have already got that agreed by your insurers.

It's your vehicle, so it's your choice. I think this thread will achieve little more than a debate over the differing aesthetic tastes of other members - some really hate bullbars but without much reason other than taste.

Personally, I prefer bull bars to A bars as they offer more useful protection - A bars seem to do no more than give you somewhere to mount spots. I thin k you could also find something more useful to spend the money on, like spares, tools, travelling equipment, insurance and vehicle support (AA or equivalent).

[G-Cam]

Thanks - yes it was more around the 'practical aspect' of Bull vs A.


I do need to inform my insurance company....good point....I mentioned it when I took it out last year, but it is not noted.......basically they say if it was an 'option' its fine with them...back in 1993 it was Factory/dealer fitted with bullbars and came with twin suspension setup + some other mods. Its on a SORN at the moment and the only person to be injured by the Bullbars was my dad when he tripped over them!

[a dyche]

my personel view,

for overland use the bull bar i would off thought would be the best, as it gives you some front end protection, which you don't get with the A bar,

to be honest the only practical thing foe the A bar is for hanging spots on and you still get this from the bull bar,

just my views,

Alec

[AJC]

I have a bull bar which serves my purpose.

On a Moroccan trip mate A went into the back of mate B's Disco and the damage to mate A's 110 was far worse (apparently) due him having a bull bar fitted. The bull bar bent back into the wings and grill surround.

Just another angle to think about.

AJ

[redhand]

I have a bull bar which serves my purpose.

On a Moroccan trip mate A went into the back of mate B's Disco and the damage to mate A's 110 was far worse (apparently) due him having a bull bar fitted. The bull bar bent back into the wings and grill surround.

Just another angle to think about.

AJ

Ouch :( Still it doe's empthasise the importance of keeping your distance :D On the otherhand who's to say what damage might have been caused without the bullbar.

[G-Cam]

I have a bull bar which serves my purpose.

On a Moroccan trip mate A went into the back of mate B's Disco and the damage to mate A's 110 was far worse (apparently) due him having a bull bar fitted. The bull bar bent back into the wings and grill surround.

Just another angle to think about.

AJ


:eek: Ouch again.........As they say.....I would hate to see the other car!

[MIKESLANDY]

That looks like one of those ARB bull bars, I thought it would fair up better than that:eek: , suppose its down to what the difference in speed between the two.
Mike

[bahamarover]

trouble is with these bars is they look the biz, but in actual fact there is very little strength in them, good for pushing through bush's etc but not for much else...........keith

[G-Cam]

trouble is with these bars is they look the biz, but in actual fact there is very little strength in them, good for pushing through bush's etc but not for much else...........keith


Interesting point - having a closer look you can see that it is an 'all in one' winch bumber & Bullbar.........the question is is the OEM one any better? It bolts on.

[Highlander2]

I fitted the fold down Britpart one to the new Landie for farm use. We carry hay and stuff on the fold down bar so is practical too.
Do not see any reason to fit an A-bar as in my opinion they are only cosmetic..
Bull bar protects Landie from cows and horses bumping into them in the fields so proects lights and bumpers etc.

[ken110]

:D:D I dont think youre supposed to crash into things with them. arn't they called nudgebars as well..... there might be a clue in the name there:D I'm surprised by how much the winch bumper squished :eek: looks a bit bu&&erd.. I think it could have been much worse without though...something tells me he wasn't doing the recommended speed for the conditions :D:D

[Highlander2]

The unfortunate thing in farming is cows and horses bump in to you in the excitment of romping around in anticipation of being fed. So Bullbars are useful for that and should be allowed by law for farmers at least. Bull = Cow in this case.

[FI90]

As Snagger said in an earlier post, it's probably aesthetic really and down to personal choice. The real question is why do you want them at all. They both add extra weight. I have an A-bar fitted cos I wanted extra lighting since I frequently travel off-road at night. I don't anticipate bulls (or cows) nudging my Rover ir I might have chosen differently but in my case it was only an illumination issue.

[bvudzichena]

That looks like one of those ARB bull bars, I thought it would fair up better than that:eek: , suppose its down to what the difference in speed between the two.
Mike

That's not an ARB bullbar! They have indicators built into them.

That bullbar was most probably supplied by Goodwinch - a BRB Husky Roo Bar.

Bullbars are the way to go. Apart from physical protection, jacking points, spotlight mounts and winch mounts, they also provide you with a place to mount your hilift jack.

I have had many bull bars over the years. I've had a genuine Land Rover product (very nice), a flat one that I made myself, a square one and wrap arounds with and without light protection. My conclusion is that an "all in one" such as the ARB, T Max or Goodwinch is the only way to go.

I made the one in the picture below two years ago. The photo was taken at my workshop shortly after I'd been to the Zambezi Valley with the truck and given the bullbar a severe workout :D :D :D

While we're on the subject of protecting your Land Rover. I'm attaching pictures of the bumpers that I made from some scrap metal I had laying about. These things are really good - especially if you are in a situatuion where you need to move a vehicle that's trying to block you in from behind.

The best bullbar you can buy is made just outside Johannesburg for Land Rover. I understand that it is available in the UK, but I still can't find it in my January 2007 Microcat. The part number is 4H1917764AB and it is available over the counter here - but there's a bit of a wait as it's very popular, made by hand etc etc. It is an all in one, wrap around with mountings and knock outs for a winch, it has several light mount options, has slat light protectors and the bumper portion is made of thick steel. This means we can put tow hitches on the front and launch our boats with it.

I currently have some of these on order for my Defenders.

South Africans launch their (21 foot plus fishing) boats into the sea by hitching the trailer to the front bumper, driving hell for leather toward the breakers and then slamming on the breaks - thus allowing the boat to shoot off the trailer and into the water :eek:

[jasper110]

australian army bars;

[AJC]

:eek: Ouch again.........As they say.....I would hate to see the other car!The only damage to the Disco was the bottom of the spare wheel carrier which was bent in and a the rear bumper bent up preventing the door from being opened.

AJ

[alex]

I`ve had a few cows lean on my trucks. Also hit a few deer and sheep. I like the idea of having the radiator or air con condenser protected especially when on a long travel.

Alex

[Snagger]

Wrap-around bullbars are notorious for increasing the amount of wing damage on a significant impact, but you have to ask yourself "would the wings not be wrecked anyway by the accident, regardless of bullbar fitment?". My suspicion is that while the bar may increasse the amount of body damage if it gets bent back, the severity of the impact required to bend the bar that mush would be enough to trash the front body work regardless.

For what it's worth, I made sure my bullbar was flat and protrudes further forward to increase its spacing from the body work, thus preventing body contact in all but the most extreme cases of bar deformation.

Take a look at Bearmach's BA 005/2 - I'm pleased with it; the only problem I've had in 12 years was a small split in the plastic coating of the top outer tubes 5mm outboard of the uprights, which I cured with a couple of wraps with black electrical insulation tapee (next to invisible).

[G-Cam]

Some really good points being raised.

I renewed my insurance today and told them about all the mods and the Bull bars (which have been fitted from new). My insurance WENT DOWN by £1 vs last year!

I guess I have the bars already, so I may just tart them up a bit where the plastic coating has started to come off...... They do provide some added protection for the lights as well.

They are the wraparound ones - and there is already a bit of wing damage....possibly from an aeroplane or yob (it used to be airfield or police owners).

The spots on them were way old....so i will replace them.

I may also weld some antenna mounting brackets onto them as well for my Ham Radio gear.

I would like to go to 'lots' of places- but realistically The Alps/Pyrenees/Morocco/Iceland are on the short range (next few years) radar.......I would love to try Africa.but even a set of bull bars wouldn't stop a Rino or Elephant!

There is also something of a benefit of 'looking aggressive' in towns and cities....not in relation to pedestrians (I'm always very cautious and courteous toward them), but in relation to 'other drivers'!

[G-Cam]

Also - having hit 3 deer in the past few years.....full Bull bars could be handy round this neck of the woods...

Its just a pity that I have never been in the Landy when I hit them (Audi,Ford,Seat in that order)

[bvudzichena]

I may also weld some antenna mounting brackets onto them as well for my Ham Radio gear.


I'm not trying to teach you to suck eggs, but think about your ground plane when deciding where to mount the antenna. Aluminium isn't a brilliant reflector.

Some countries can be very sticky about what they allow people to bring in.
Radios are a no no in Morocco.
The Tunisians don't like GPS.


I would like to go to 'lots' of places- but realistically The Alps/Pyrenees/Morocco/Iceland are on the short range (next few years) radar.......I would love to try Africa.but even a set of bull bars wouldn't stop a Rino or Elephant!


The best I've ever done is a giraffe. You don't want to know how much damage that can do to a truck.


There is also something of a benefit of 'looking aggressive' in towns and cities....not in relation to pedestrians (I'm always very cautious and courteous toward them), but in relation to 'other drivers'!


This is a good point. Every second Tom, Dick or Harry drives an SUV of some sort in SA, but idiots on the road get out of your way when you have a Defender with a big bull bar.