<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">What say you Miss Polly? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Do we have a Miss Polly?
I also think the casters idea just focalizes all the energy from a crunch into just one (or two) spots on the bumper - right where the caster is attached. You'll might end up with even a bigger dent in the bumper there. I think you should spread the energy of a crunch out, not focalize it.
I doubt anyone here will put a wheelie bar that has a firm shock built into it onto their trailer
but that would do the trick. It would absorb some of the energy. (I WILL pay $25 for a picture of it though, if you do put a wheelie bar on your WW.
)
I have been building a welding table at home and bought a 2'x4'x1/2" plate of steel for the top. Unfortunately, it has a 3/16" bow to it across the 4' length. There goes $100.
its hard to shear a sheet that size without introducing some bow to it.
So I propped up each side of the plate on 2x4"s and parked my truck's front tire on the middle of the sheet of metal for a week to bow it back to true. My 8000 pound truck will temporarily bow the metal sheet back to true-flat while it is parked on top of the plate, but once i take my truck off, the plate bounces back to its slight warp!. My truck won't even make the middle of the plate touch the ground when its parked on it and its only 1.5" elevated off the ground and thats over the 4' length!!!! (2x4" on each end)
This is my long-winded way of what could have been simply said: metal strips are strong and diffuse the weight of a boo-boo. Welding on a supporting 2x2" square tube, or a 3" angle would probably give the bumper better overall protection, and still be pliable enough to still be a crumple-zone in case of a major accident and not transfer the energy to the frame.
Now, on my wretched welding table at home, so that i don't waste the $100 i spent on the 2'x4' plate, i am welding 2x2" tube on the plate on both sides of the 4' length WHILE my truck tire is parked on top. I move my truck back and forth a few inches, and with a carpenters 4' level on the plate, weld when i get each spot level. The weld will hold the 1/2" plate level once i take my truck off. Long pieces of metal are STROOOONG.
I'm of course looking forward to having my truck tire, inflated with 90 pounds of air, exploding because of the heat in my face as i weld 8" away from it, but that is another thread.
(man i have been looking for a long time for a reason to use that "off topic"
little-dude.
Mike