So winter is finally here and so is the ice and snow. This is my first winter with my Smittybilt XRC rear and I just noticed a built up of ice on the bumper. It was a fair bit, which stopped me from being able to open my tailgate.
It was an easy fix, get out a flat head and chip it away. I am wondering if anyone else has had to deal with this and what have you done?
I am just worried that if I spend all winter(which will go to march/april) chipping the ice away, eventually my powder coating on the bumper will be chipped away too.
Any ideas?

 

Personally, I wouldn't be using a flat head screwdriver to chip ice off my new bumper....or anything else for that matter. I think you're taking a pretty big chance there. If it was me, I think I'd try to use a chunk of 2x4 or something to scrape off just enough ice to be able to get the tailgate open, and leave the rest. The more you mess with the ice every time the more chance you take for scratching it up.

 

I uee a cheap rubber mallet that I carry under the DS in the winter.

 

Yeah I don't like using the flat head either. I was just in a pinch and needed to open it. I wonder if a platic scraper would be safe to use?

 

I would NEVER use a flat head on my new bumper, there are LOTS of other ways to clear the ice in a hurry....

 

LMAO, that's a good way. You could also just pour warm water on it

 

just smack it with a rubber malett like mentioned above

 

Wonder if there's anything out there you can coat it with to make the ice easier to come off... some kind of protectant spray maybe?

 

I was thinking of a spray too. Kind of like a lock de icer.....except for the bumper!

 

Yes exactly!