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Does anyone know of any rear bumper that are BSM compatible?

BajaTaco

2️⃣ Bronze
Joined
Mar 8, 2021
Messages
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Location
Portland, OR
2021 TRD OR DCLB Auto
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Hey y'all, I'm looking to replace my stock bumper and add something higher clearance and more durable than the bumper caps.

My DCLB has the BSM installed and I haven't seen many options that allow for this.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks in advance.
 
 
Many have reported their BSM’s malfunctioning with this bumper though. C4 used to offer one exactly like it and pulled it for the same issues.
 
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2 issues with steel bumpers and BSM

1. the BSM are calibrated to work only when mounted at a very specific angle that comes on the stock bumper mounting locations and they are also supposed to work only through the thin plastic. So putting any metal in front of them will cause inaccuracies or malfunctions.

2. After market companies do not want to be held liable if you hit somebody because your BSM said it was clear but was actually malfunctioning because of improper calibration or placement. It is just not worth legal issues that could come from that situation.

that being said I had BSM and then removed them when I got my C4 high clearance bumper. I have not missed them at all. I think that things like BSM enable you to pay attention less.

the OG BSM of looking over your shoulder and in your mirror is the better way to go
 
2 issues with steel bumpers and BSM

1. the BSM are calibrated to work only when mounted at a very specific angle that comes on the stock bumper mounting locations and they are also supposed to work only through the thin plastic. So putting any metal in front of them will cause inaccuracies or malfunctions.

2. After market companies do not want to be held liable if you hit somebody because your BSM said it was clear but was actually malfunctioning because of improper calibration or placement. It is just not worth legal issues that could come from that situation.

that being said I had BSM and then removed them when I got my C4 high clearance bumper. I have not missed them at all. I think that things like BSM enable you to pay attention less.

the OG BSM of looking over your shoulder and in your mirror is the better way to go
This is a good perspective. The bumper caps have not held up well with the basic off roading I've done so I am in the market for a high clearance bumper.

I was shopping to keep the BSM feature but I definitely understand the steel/plastic issue
 
Hmm, let me see if shed some light here.

Many have reported their BSM’s malfunctioning with this bumper though. C4 used to offer one exactly like it and pulled it for the same issues.
We haven't seen "many" claiming faults with our products. There have been a few tweaks made here and there to ensure we supply a fully working plug and play BSM compatible bumper. The issues we've ran into seem to be unique situations per customer such as steep curbs or improper installation, and there have only been a few. We're a fairly small company trying to fill a need in the Tacoma market. If any issues arise, we strive to make sure that they are corrected for further production. Unlike C4, we started off strong with our BSM products and we aren't pulling them off the market any time soon!

2 issues with steel bumpers and BSM

1. the BSM are calibrated to work only when mounted at a very specific angle that comes on the stock bumper mounting locations and they are also supposed to work only through the thin plastic. So putting any metal in front of them will cause inaccuracies or malfunctions.

2. After market companies do not want to be held liable if you hit somebody because your BSM said it was clear but was actually malfunctioning because of improper calibration or placement. It is just not worth legal issues that could come from that situation.

that being said I had BSM and then removed them when I got my C4 high clearance bumper. I have not missed them at all. I think that things like BSM enable you to pay attention less.

the OG BSM of looking over your shoulder and in your mirror is the better way to go
Some good points here. We had to make sure we kept the placement and angle of our BSM brackets as close to stock as possible. Our brackets that house the sensor are aluminum and the covers are a 3D printed nylon. I surely hope that no one relies 100% on their blind spot monitors to make a lane change. Yikes!

There have been many questions in terms of calibration of the sensors, and in our years of production, the only time a sensor needs to be calibrated is if the battery is unplugged from the truck for a few hours during installation. To re-calibrate, we simply drive the truck in moderate traffic for 5-10 miles and they calibrate themselves.

Are the BSMs necessary for life itself? No. Were they a cool feature we wanted to keep? Absolutely. We paid good money for them, and we're gonna keep em!

We will continue to improve and broaden our products and we appreciate the tag on here!



Hope this helps.

-Ethan
 
Hmm, let me see if shed some light here.


We haven't seen "many" claiming faults with our products. There have been a few tweaks made here and there to ensure we supply a fully working plug and play BSM compatible bumper. The issues we've ran into seem to be unique situations per customer such as steep curbs or improper installation, and there have only been a few. We're a fairly small company trying to fill a need in the Tacoma market. If any issues arise, we strive to make sure that they are corrected for further production. Unlike C4, we started off strong with our BSM products and we aren't pulling them off the market any time soon!


Some good points here. We had to make sure we kept the placement and angle of our BSM brackets as close to stock as possible. Our brackets that house the sensor are aluminum and the covers are a 3D printed nylon. I surely hope that no one relies 100% on their blind spot monitors to make a lane change. Yikes!

There have been many questions in terms of calibration of the sensors, and in our years of production, the only time a sensor needs to be calibrated is if the battery is unplugged from the truck for a few hours during installation. To re-calibrate, we simply drive the truck in moderate traffic for 5-10 miles and they calibrate themselves.

Are the BSMs necessary for life itself? No. Were they a cool feature we wanted to keep? Absolutely. We paid good money for them, and we're gonna keep em!

We will continue to improve and broaden our products and we appreciate the tag on here!



Hope this helps.

-Ethan
Outstanding that a small company is focusing on the Toyota Tacoma niche market. Great work!
 
Tacomaniacs,

I added to Apogee Off Road to the Military Discount List. 10% off with code MILITARY10.
 
Realistically, you can't see out the blind spot on these trucks if you have a camper shell. For me with the rear head rests up, which they are 100% of the time, I can't see through the cab rear window and out the shell window. So the BSM come in a damn sight more than handy.

Your average tacoverland bro with max trax or rotopax on the side of a bed rack can't see the blind spot either. And with the 90% tint that the other half of tacoma bros have you can't see it either. So yeah, I rely on the BSM, and still look back, but I can't see anything when I look back so that's probably just me taking my eyes off the road for no good reason at all.

The one day i drove without the shell on though, yeah I could see the blind spot. But with the shell, and now with a fridge in the back, yeah, I need the BSM.

Good to see Apogee is on here. That gives me confidence in that product.

I have read reviews, on 4WP own site that show mixed reviews of the BSM.

In the end, I need the BSM more than I need a steel bumper. What I'd like is something that replaced the trailer hitch with one that hides behind a flip up license plate for added clearance and also provided two recovery points cut through the stock bumper and left it all intact otherwise. It could hang down a bit to protect from dragging.

-M
 
I have not. Still waiting on it to be decent outside. Work schedule is crap. Just sitting in my living room.
I like that you can add the swing outs to this bumper. I heard the wiring is complicated, and the harness is a little short.
I'll let you know if I pull the trigger on Apogee or 4WP. Thanks,
 
I like that you can add the swing outs to this bumper. I heard the wiring is complicated, and the harness is a little short.
I'll let you know if I pull the trigger on Apogee or 4WP. Thanks,
What wiring? BSM Extension Harness?

Nothing looked complicated at all.
For the lights, I'm just making my own harness. Wiring it to the front like all the other lights.
Got a couple long LED light harnesses then put them together by adding the Weatherpak connectors.

I will say styling and fitment wise, 4WD looks better aesthetically. The quality of it looks really well made.
I'm just not a fan of logos. The logo is embossed in front of the license plate. Less visible than the stupid A.
 
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@bonifacio, Well I just priced them both out. Apogee is $1000 more with shipping (~$300). That is the deciding factor for me.
4WP has free shipping. I can cover the 4WP logos with something else.
1651717186974.png
 
What wiring? BSM Extension Harness?

Nothing looked complicated at all.
For the lights, I'm just making my own harness. Wiring it to the front like all the other lights.
Got a couple long LED light harnesses then put them together by adding the Weatherpak connectors.

I will say styling and fitment wise, 4WD looks better aesthetically. The quality of it looks really well made.
I'm just not a fan of logos. The logo is embossed in front of the license plate. Less visible than the stupid A.

@bonifacio, Well I just priced them both out. Apogee is $1000 more with shipping (~$300). That is the deciding factor for me.
4WP has free shipping. I can cover the 4WP logos with something else.
1651717186974.png


For what its worth, I got the 4WP sliders installed and it was easy as cake- aside from wrestling with the 80lb bars themselves! But yes, there were relocation brackets for the electronic modules and wires under the truck and everything was high quality. Great instructions as well.

I'm trying to go bang them off some rocks to test the durability but the year's been pretty distracting so far.
 
Well, I pulled the trigger on this instead. It arrived yesterday. Super fast shipping and only $67 to ship from SLC, plus a $202 military discount. So I have some work to do this weekend. As many of you know I have had great experience with Artec Industries (front bumper and LCA skid plates). I decided to sacrifice the BSM (which reportedly may or may not work) for function and quality I know and have come to expect from Artec Industries. I have some plans that I will share soon once it all comes together.
1652409173127.png
 

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So I was on a little road trip today to Bozeman, MT and I thought I would see what it was like to turn off BSM to get used to my new bumper (which is not BSM compatible) once it is installed. That's when I realized a wonderful thing. If you have an anytime camera just activate the rear facing view while in motion. It is way better than BSM as it gives you a very clear picture of the car passing you until it is right along side you. I confirmed this multiple times on the trip and on both sides, even when I passed other vehicles. As far as backing out of a parking spot, the rear view camera will see things before you do. You just won't have the cross traffic alert since you won't have BSM. But that didn't work half the time anyway (or gave false alarms too frequently for me to pay attention to). So if you have an anytime camera use it. If you don't, you might want to get one. It gives you a front facing camera as well.
This is the best one I found. No fisheye effect.
1652571229891.png

1652571370433.png
 
All Pro Off Road makes a rear bumper that is BSM compatible!

 
2 issues with steel bumpers and BSM

1. the BSM are calibrated to work only when mounted at a very specific angle that comes on the stock bumper mounting locations and they are also supposed to work only through the thin plastic. So putting any metal in front of them will cause inaccuracies or malfunctions.

2. After market companies do not want to be held liable if you hit somebody because your BSM said it was clear but was actually malfunctioning because of improper calibration or placement. It is just not worth legal issues that could come from that situation.

that being said I had BSM and then removed them when I got my C4 high clearance bumper. I have not missed them at all. I think that things like BSM enable you to pay attention less.

the OG BSM of looking over your shoulder and in your mirror is the better way to go
Backing out of head-in parking spots on city streets with a long bed double cab truck on a daily basis, I would never give up BSM. No amount of head-turning matters if there is no line of sight. Sad to hear it won't be possible.
 
Reporting in about the 4WP bumper.

BSM does work. Only issue I have is small. When I'm parked on my incline driveway and put it in reverse, parking sensor beeps as if something is there. If anything it's overly cautious when the bed is pointed down. When parked on level ground, no issues. Took pictures and stuff doing the install but have to find them between phones.

I liked the design of the bumper minus the 4WP logos. There's 3 and not really noticeable. I'm just a sterile fan.
Only other thing I'd mention is installing the rear light bars. Gotta have tiny hands. I ended up modifying some long allen keys. I'm sure there's a smarter way to do it.
 
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Harness from 4WP bumper.
Is this the bsm wiring harness that extension?
Reporting in about the 4WP bumper.

BSM does work. Only issue I have is small. When I'm parked on my incline driveway and put it in reverse, parking sensor beeps as if something is there. If anything it's overly cautious when the bed is pointed down. When parked on level ground, no issues. Took pictures and stuff doing the install but have to find them between phones.

I liked the design of the bumper minus the 4WP logos. There's 3 and not really noticeable. I'm just a sterile fan.
Only other thing I'd mention is installing the rear light bars. Gotta have tiny hands. I ended up modifying some long allen keys. I'm sure there's a smarter way to do it.
 
Realistically, you can't see out the blind spot on these trucks if you have a camper shell. For me with the rear head rests up, which they are 100% of the time, I can't see through the cab rear window and out the shell window. So the BSM come in a damn sight more than handy.

Your average tacoverland bro with max trax or rotopax on the side of a bed rack can't see the blind spot either. And with the 90% tint that the other half of tacoma bros have you can't see it either. So yeah, I rely on the BSM, and still look back, but I can't see anything when I look back so that's probably just me taking my eyes off the road for no good reason at all.

The one day i drove without the shell on though, yeah I could see the blind spot. But with the shell, and now with a fridge in the back, yeah, I need the BSM.

Good to see Apogee is on here. That gives me confidence in that product.

I have read reviews, on 4WP own site that show mixed reviews of the BSM.

In the end, I need the BSM more than I need a steel bumper. What I'd like is something that replaced the trailer hitch with one that hides behind a flip up license plate for added clearance and also provided two recovery points cut through the stock bumper and left it all intact otherwise. It could hang down a bit to protect from dragging.

-M
Same here. I have a Smart Cap and blacked out windows. I look but can't see anything. It's nice to have the extra protection of the BSM to keep me from smashing into another vehicle with 3 kids in the truck. I'm in the market for a swing arm bumper with BSM. If anyone has found one that works Id like to get on it. Someone tapped my bumper and now the BSM beeps randomly when driving. Pretty annoying.
 
Same here. I have a Smart Cap and blacked out windows. I look but can't see anything. It's nice to have the extra protection of the BSM to keep me from smashing into another vehicle with 3 kids in the truck. I'm in the market for a swing arm bumper with BSM. If anyone has found one that works Id like to get on it. Someone tapped my bumper and now the BSM beeps randomly when driving. Pretty annoying.
Apogee has one out now!
 
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