One of the questions I get asked quite often is, “Where can I get a bumper winch for the Ram 2500”? Until now, the only answer I could give anyone had to do with utilizing a welded, squared-off, aftermarket bumper. However, that has recently changed as I just found out about Vice Designs.
When looking at this behind-the-bumper winch setup, it is the most factory-looking winch mount I have found for the Cummins-equipped Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks. That is because it mounts behind your factory bumper. Vice Designs has developed a precision-designed mounting system that positions a WARN winch behind your Ram’s factory bumper, giving it a huge bump in functionality. However, one reason a front-mounted winch has not been a popular item on Cummins-powered trucks is airflow through the intercooler.
According to Vice Designs, “We noticed no differences in day-to-day performance after installation. Intake air temps were similar, and the winch had little to no impact when compared to the high-temperature exhaust getting dumped back into the engine during regen cycles.
“There are trade-offs to every accessory. If somebody wants to gain the advantages and conveniences of adding a tool such as a bumper winch, you need to bolt a few heavy brackets and thus restrict a bit of air. We kept this in mind when designing the mount and skid plate and made it our goal to funnel as much air as possible into the intercooler. Air is captured from the opening above the bumper, below the bumper, and openings in the winch plate itself. Lastly, the backside of the bumper remains sealed to the fan shroud which pulls air through the system.
“We believe it does a much better job than every aftermarket winch bumper we’ve come across, including mounts that sit in front of the bumper. We recommend our Defender Skid plate which has formed edges to grab as much air as possible.
“In conclusion, if you’re a hot shot trucker, pulling 18,000 pounds over mountain passes every day, this may not be an ideal upgrade. But if you want to gain all the advantages that having this handy tool brings, we believe it’s the best method to do so.”
I am told the bumper winch mount is made from a strong and stable 1/4-inch-thick HRPO A36 plate steel. The winch plate mounts directly to the oversized front tow hook and bumper mounting hardware. This mounting style of using the integrated hook mount means no rattles or scratched paint.
No drilling or extensive modifications are needed as this winch plate attaches with factory bolts directly to existing frame points. The complete kit includes all the heavy-duty brackets and quality-graded hardware required. All you need is a WARN VR EVO 12,000-pound winch (available separately).
The brackets and plating are coated in a Satin Black powder-coat finish which perfectly matches your grill accents. The kit is designed specifically around the WARN VR EVO Series of Winches. Why? They have the strongest pulling power and largest motor for medium body winches, the clutch handle is clockable, and the easy-to-access control box is compact and easily relocated to the engine bay with Vice Design’s *Control Box Relocation Kit.
The electronics have an IP68 Waterproof rating and are ready for all environments. Each kit includes a high-quality wireless controller and comes with either synthetic rope [12-s, 103255] or steel cable [12, 103254]
Vice Designs says this bumper winch mount for Ram 2500 is not compatible with any other 12,000-pound winch models but they will continue to explore other brands. This bracket kit is compatible with 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 RAM 2500 and 3500 trucks equipped with the 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel Engines.
*This behind-the-bumper winch kit Requires Vice Design’s Warn VR EVO Control Box Relocation Kit which positions the control box in the engine with a specialty bracket and includes a new power harness.
