Read how Heath Rice upgraded the look of his Kenworth T409 SAR with a Rancher Bumper that fits right and that’s barely needed to be touched in four years.
Heath Rice - Owner-Operator, Heath and Tamara Rice Trans
2019 Kenworth T409 SAR
1 truck - Owner-Operator
Rancher Bumper
B-double routes - night running, length-restricted configurations
Four years, multiple wildlife strikes, zero downtime - bar sanded and polished once in that time
Heath Rice runs a single Kenworth T409 SAR as an owner-operator under Heath and Tamara Rice Trans, pulling B-doubles and doing most of his work at night. When Heath bought the truck it came with a bullbar, but it stuck out too far for his B-double configurations and it had to go. Heath wanted something shorter, smarter-looking, and tough enough to handle whatever came out of the dark on a nightly run.
The T409 SAR came with a bullbar that worked against Heath on B-double work – it stuck out too far and put the overall length over what the configuration allowed. He needed to reduce the front overhang without losing protection and without ending up with something that looked like an afterthought on a well-kept truck. He also does most of his running at night, where wildlife is a genuine and constant risk.
Heath went with the Rancher Bumper in polished alloy, a more compact profile than the bullbar it replaced, bringing the T409 SAR back within B-double length limits while improving the overall look of the truck. Australian-made and hand-finished, it was the right fit from the consultation through to the fitment. That was four years ago.
Multiple roo strikes over four years of night running — not a dent or bend.
Australian-made and hand-finished — sanded and polished once in four years, hand-washed 2–3 times weekly and still going strong.
Four years of B-double work and night running — solid throughout.
Polished alloy — kept in great order with minimal maintenance over four years.
From consultation through to fitment and four years on the road — Heath calls it an awesome experience, start to finish.
Compact enough to keep the T409 SAR within B-double length limits — solving the problem the old bullbar couldn’t.
Multiple roo strikes on nightly runs — heavy thuds in the dark, bar shows nothing but a few fur scratches.
Multiple strikes at night — no dents, no bends, no damage to the truck.
Gives Heath real confidence on nightly runs — wildlife hits hard but the bar doesn’t show it.
Built to suit the Kenworth T409 SAR — reduced length over the previous bar while improving the look of the truck.
Heath does most of his running at night, which means wildlife encounters are part of the job. In four years behind the wheel of the T409 SAR, the Rancher Bumper has taken a few decent hits — a couple of sizable roos that hit with a heavy thud. Each time, Heath kept going. The bar showed nothing but a few fur scratches. No dents. No bends. No downtime. After four years of regular hand-washing and one sand and polish, it still presents as well as the day it was fitted.
Zero downtime, kept rolling every time
A few fur scratches on the bar, nothing more
Four years on, bar has been sanded and polished once - That’s it
Heath totally recommends AJ’s - From consultation through to four years of ownership
Rancher Bumper
2019 Kenworth T409 SAR
Polished alloy
FUPS Compliant
No
Australian-made, hand-finished
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ADDRESS
3 Holt Drive, Torrington QLD 4350
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GET IN TOUCH
PHONE
ADDRESS
3 Holt Drive, Torrington QLD 4350
