Bumper Cap

[CavemanCharlie]

My Travel Trailer bumper (or sewer hose holder if you prefer) has a cap on the end that keeps falling off and getting lost. (So what else is new right.)

My old style cap has no tabs on the sides of it so it is just held in the bumper just by friction. (There is not much friction)

I thought about purchasing a style of cap with the tabs and drilling the bumper but, I see that there are other options.

One option is a cap with ribs on the side that looks like it would fit tighter.

The other option is a cap made by WirthCo that says after you put it in the bumper you press in the middle of the cap and somehow that locks it in place.

Will either of these other end caps work ? Should I just keep buying the original cheap cap that falls out once a year ? Or, should I just buy the one with tabs, drill the bumper, and get it the heck over with.

Thank You

[GaryWT]

I just tap them each time I do a walk around. Have not lost any yet but I am sure I will. I have never or will never put my sewer hose in there anyway.

[hussbuss]

I keep my caps in by drilling a hole thru bumper and cap and then I use old long allen wrenches. They are about 5 inches long and never fall out.

[rbpru]

I have lost three so far. I now have one like that pictured with the bungy cord, so far so good.

If I lose it, I am going to drill a small hole through the bumper and the cap and drop in a small nail.

[downtheroad]

temccarthy1 wrote:
Are you all kidding me??? You can buy a set of these for 6.99 on Amazon! Buy 2 or 3 sets! Why would you make some rig or drill holes or put dumb looking bungees on your bumper when these are so cheap!? And buy the ones with the little holes that keep bugs out....You squeeze the tab in the middle to take it out.. They fit very tight...Haven't lost one in 2 years with my TT...

Well excuse me (us). I guess we all should just have asked you first instead of contributing our ideas and experience. I apologize of my "dumb" suggestion.

[Timtation]

3oaks wrote:

temccarthy1 wrote:
Are you all kidding me??? You can buy a set of these for 6.99 on Amazon! Buy 2 or 3 sets! Why would you make some rig or drill holes or put dumb looking bungees on your bumper when these are so cheap!? And buy the ones with the little holes that keep bugs out....You squeeze the tab in the middle to take it out.. They fit very tight...Haven't lost one in 2 years with my TT...

Well good for you. :R

However maybe some people don't like the inconvenience of loosing their sewer hose along with their bumper caps.

Were you really replying to the post about not using caps? The push in caps don't seem to fit your rant.

[3oaks]

temccarthy1 wrote:
Are you all kidding me??? You can buy a set of these for 6.99 on Amazon! Buy 2 or 3 sets! Why would you make some rig or drill holes or put dumb looking bungees on your bumper when these are so cheap!? And buy the ones with the little holes that keep bugs out....You squeeze the tab in the middle to take it out.. They fit very tight...Haven't lost one in 2 years with my TT...

Well good for you. :R

However maybe some people don't like the inconvenience of loosing their sewer hose along with their bumper caps.

[temccarthy1]

Are you all kidding me??? You can buy a set of these for 6.99 on Amazon! Buy 2 or 3 sets! Why would you make some rig or drill holes or put dumb looking bungees on your bumper when these are so cheap!? And buy the ones with the little holes that keep bugs out....You squeeze the tab in the middle to take it out.. They fit very tight...Haven't lost one in 2 years with my TT...

[Tax_Man]

I took an old wire clothes hanger cut two pieces that would fit through the hole I drilled (top to bottom) with a long bit. Bent the wire pieces like an upside down J. Wire through the holes. No problem.

[old_guy]

many years ago when I bought my first TT the people at the TT place told me to drill holes at the top and at the bottom as close to in line as you can get, then cut a wire clothes hanger in two at the bottom and again after the bend and put it into the holes, it will keep the caps from getting lost.

[fla-gypsy]

I just left them off

[Timtation]

Original caps have/had hairpin clip and that is semi-okay. The clip gets spread over time and cap wiggles open but generally does not fly off. I have replaced them with the push-on types from CW called "no insect bumper caps", not sure if they will still make me as happy 12 years down the road as the pinned caps have but it was time for a change and to date and 6 months into the change, I am happy.

[CavemanCharlie]

Hummm,,, If I drill one hole in the top of the bumper and cap and put a big R clip over the end that might work too.

[CavemanCharlie]

Huh, :)the bolt all the way through idea is something I never though of.

I can grab a 1/4 inch bolt from the farm. We have a bunch of them that are that long or longer and we hardly ever use anything that small anymore.

Heck, except for cosmetic reasons I would not really even need the cap anymore. (I would probably keep it though) If the bolt was extra long I would not need a wing nut either. Just paint it black to match the bumper and go.

Thanks Everyone . Sounds like a good project for this weekend when it will be too cold and windy to go camping.

[TxTwoSome]

The problem with drilling a hole and inserting a screw, is the screw INSIDE the bumper can tear a hose up.

I used pop rivets to attach a spring clamp so there is no screw to catch on anything.

[downtheroad]

On a previous trailer I just drilled the bumper and cap and put a long eye bolt through both. Used a wing nut on the bold...but lost the wing nut and just ended up with the bolt which never fell out. It held the cap in place perfectly.

Home Depot



Edit: Wow Colliehauler...we think alike - but you are faster...:)