Bumpers-Do they really protect our vans?

Considering finding a way to bring the bumpers flush with the body so that there is no gap between body and bumper for a cleaner look.

Based on experience, do these bumpers really offer any real protection other than in very low speed taps?

It will be a rare occassion that I will try to parallel park, so tapping the car in front/behind me biggest chance I will have of tapping the bumper. If I rear end someone, I don't have much confidence the bumpers will do much to protect the van anyhow, but perhaps I am mistaken?

Perhaps the support brackets could be moved back a bit to close the gap while still leaving some room before crunching the face or rear?

YES! If you run without bumpers, you are risking serious body damage. Bumpers are there to take the brunt of impact in rear-end collisions. I have been rear-ended in my van, and it mangled the bumper, but did its job and saved the body from damage. I simply took the bumper off, had it straightened and re-chromed. The car that ran into me was completely wasted. Entire front end all the plastics and hood was trashed.

I would NEVER run a van without bumpers. When I see people doing that I cringe because one good rear-end collision and you van is trashed. Its very difficult to repair body damage at the rear doors or front grille area, and this is exactly what the bumpers protect.

Thanks, KK, for the feedback. I know the initial question sounded like a stupid one, but I was curious to hear from someone and actually been in some type of a fender bender. I definitely wouldn't go bumperless for the exact reasons you mention even though I do like the look. I just didn't know pushing the bumper back a little bit would drastically affect the protection it offered. Maybe I won't mess with it after all...

I'm welding in internal bumpers for safety. This angle iron is going in. Good luck to the car that hits me. I hate the look of bumpers on my econline so figured out an alternative

Weirdbeard, you got any pics of that internal bumper set up?

I need to take some pics of that and post it up

How about this for an idea LMC truck and Dennis carpenter Ford sell chrome and SS steal bumpers for the back of step side ford pick-up strait with the ends rolled in not as wide as stock but new and priced fair look good to

Hey Dennis Carpenter has new chrome ones for 189.95 on the chevy ya can put a 2"x 4"angle across the front on the horn ends that stick out 4" side down the front there is thick top and bottom lip on the bumper POR-15 the angle first set the bumper up on it use washers or body shims to hold it up off the angle mark it and drill out the holes it will fit closer to the body because of the wide lip on the bumper use SS steal washers behind the bumper to keep it off the angle and it will be strong as hell but it shorter kinda leaves the front corners unprotected but for front impact it will save your ass I like the look better because they dont stick out past the body