I've been looking around at rear tube bumpers to swap out with my stock one for off-roading but can't seem to find one with license plates in mind. Call me a goody two-shoes but the law requires here in Kalifornia that the rear license plate be lit. The majority of my time in the truck is on the road so I don't need to get hassled with fix-its and crap. It would be cool to have a rear tube bumper with a license plate mount and lighting or mounting hardware to take the lights off the stock bumper and put it on the tube bumper.

I'm sure just about anything can be fabricated for me through a custom order but was just wondering why no one, that I've found yet, has something like this already? Off-road worthy protection that fits and has a stock look to it would be cool. When I say stock I don't mean that it looks like the OEM bumper but looks like it could have been an option off the lot, ie license plate lights, signals, etc. built in.

 

Honestly I think the issue IS the fact that keeping the plate in the stock location is going to NOT give you (or this market) the net effect of a design that gives you more clearance (becuase of the LP height).
I was on several occasions going to build a rear bumper for my Taco but wanted to make something more for production(ie to sell) , and I could never get past the LP issue. If I was building just for me I would have put the plate (wired in with lights) into the tail gate , and made the bumper how I personally would have wanted it which would have been for max ground clearance , and also a wrap around design.
Richard

PS I realize there is a market for what you are looking for I just dont know if I personnally want to jump into it. I am really just looking at stuff that will really help out offroad - not just a replacement.

 

Badland's rear tube bumper comes close as it has this diamond plate piece that goies up under the tailgate it looks like. If you could just mount lights to it somehow it would be nice enough.

 

I want the side protection too though. Guess I want my cake and to eat it to!

 

check out rocky mtn fab in ft collins colo they have a set up that slides into the receiver hitch and holds one of the factory lights, me and my buddy have these and they are sweeeeet, my friend bought a billet specialties lighted licence plate bracket and installed some maglite flashlight brackets to it and then it just snaps onto the tube it self and this is what i plan to do as well and this would work on any tube bumper of about 1 3/4 size and allows you to move it to the side middle etc... pretty nice set up good luck

 

All Pro just started making Taco rear bumpers for $349 unpainted and $400 powdercoated. From what I can tell it looks like it has a licence plate mount. Im sure it wouldnt be too hard to rig up some lighting with your stock plate lights. Maybe all pro has a lighting kit or at least some ideas.
These guys are semi local too, save money on shipping by stopping by their shop.


All Pro Off Road
Their Taco page

Oh.. and Im pretty sure its direct bolt on like their other bumpers.