Before we spend up to $1500 to have a bull bar fitted to our Patrol we were wondering what experiences and opinions others may have on this subject.  We've heard of some instances where kangaroos have collided with vehicles side on and done extensive damage, so a bull bar would not have prevented it. 

Are they essential for the great Around Oz trip?  Has a bull bar saved anybody thousands of dollars damage when hitting a roo, cow etc?
 If driving at dusk or at night is avoided, how often is an animal likely to run across the road in broad daylight? 

We are interested in hearing your stories/feedback on hitting animals or near misses on the road at night/day, on or off road, etc. 

The aim of a bullbar as I see them is to save you not the vehicle . There design is to aid in the deceleration factor so instead of the dash board of the modern tin can winding up in your lap at a low speed impact it stays out front, be it broken and dented. If your vehicle has airbags fitted the bar must conform with the Australian standards so it will go off when the impact is high enough. Never count on been off the road before dark, a slight miscalculation a flat tyre a heating problem and there goes the schedule, and no one is going to pull over when you can see the lights of town coming up or a camp fire in the foreground . Buy a set of the animal whistles that fit to the front bumper they seem to work , Ive seen roos and cattle poke their heads up as I approach so I assume it's the whistle doing the job. Nothing will stop them coming out it thats their intent and there are always the ones already on the road that cause the problems

I've had bullbars on all my vehicles that have done the round trip, to be hit from the side is a strange thing and happened to us on the way to the south east just along the coorong down from policemans point, the big bugger came out of the shrubbery didnt give way to his right and bounced off our vehicle right next to the dragon, took me a week to get the stain out of the seat fabric, could never get the buff mark out of the vehicle either, it was a toyota crown super salloon, beautifull car if you hit a cow, camel or something of similar size then a bullbar is not going to help you but it will help with smaller animals particularly kangaroos which delight in jumping straight out in front of you, look closely at the next one that does that, I bet he sticks his tongue out at you, cheeky buggers they are bullbars are probably not essential but I would have one, again just for the peace of mind, if for no other reason than to hang the mobs of spotlights and aerials that are of course mandatory equipment, make sure the connections are far beyond the bumper ideally it should be bolted to the chassis rails and made solidly, steel preferably (yes I hear you out there, aluminium is just as good and a lot lighter, blah, blah, blah, whine, whine, whine, whinge, whinge, grizzle, grizzle, well it bloody well isnt!!! hit a roo at 90 kms and see, I have!!) they are also very good at getting the nosy old codgers out the way in the caravan parks, one nudge will do you, dont chase them too far up the road, they get puffed easy, just one round of the park is sufficient to keep you laughing about it for a week, ah!! the looks on their faces is so precious, simple things in life give such pleasure and last so long just a word of advice, dont run over them, they dont like it and you will never hear the end of it, they just keep on and on and on!! oh my leg, oh my hip, oh the pain, jeez!! they just dont stop!! bloody whingers, a little bit of blood and they just wont let up with the grizzling

It's not the bulls you have to watch so much, especially if the country you're driving through is fenced. 
Heading north out of Clermont in Qld, 2006 I was confronted by 9 filthy big furry hoppers bounding in formation across the highway. From the Cruiser's cab they looked huge. They looked like a mob of corporate "suits" going to a convention. A new collective for kangaroos perhaps? But I digress.
The "Smart Bar" I have on Rosy was fitted when I bought her. It's high tensile plastic, for want of a better description. It has a bit of spring rather than solid resistance which carries through to the chassis. I'm serious, it's called a smart bar.  I don't know what they cost up front. They look a bit softer than the alloy or steel version, and some are formed to follow the lines of your grill.
Like Dave06 it's a reassurance thing. Something between me and "them", whatever they are. But nothing beats keeping vigil, and don't drive during dusk or after dark if you can avoid it.  Happy and safe travel

Thanks Dave and Wombat for your thoughts. 

Dave, your preference for steel over alloy sounds like good advice , it will save us a couple of hundred bucks if we go for steel. 

The last time we had a near miss with a roo we were driving our old GQ Patrol on Muir Hwy in WA's south-west. It was 1.00pm in the afternoon and I left a huge cloud of smoke and 30 metre skid marks on the road and 20cm skid marks in my underwear so I can only imagine the mess on your seat fabric in your Toyota Crown.  I was too busy standing on the brake pedal to notice if the roo poked it's tongue out at me!!

As for running down those "nosy old codgers" is it worth using up the fuel just to keep them at bay?  Wouldn't it be easier to say "I think I saw a couple of $2 coin on the ground near the toilet blocks"? I reckon they'd be tripping over each other just to get there.  ha ha

As already has been said , avoid early morn and evening, stop for a cuppa till full light or full dark, Copped a roo at dusk west of Katherine in 03, jumped striaght into the side of me ,have brush bars also so no damage to fourby and it aint only the roos, watch the Emus in the plains of the west, had a big momma pacing me up the hwy south of Karratha, suddenly came across my nose, was very prepared for her and missed her easily, not so the 15 little ones following, small enought to be lower than the grass, but big enought to run very quick, got a few tangled in the suspension of both 4wd and van, that ended my day right there Mike and Judy enjoy your sunrises

Bridgee wrote:

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Before we spend up to $1500 to have a bull bar fitted to our Patrol we were wondering what experiences and opinions others may have on this subject.  We've heard of some instances where kangaroos have collided with vehicles side on and done extensive damage, so a bull bar would not have prevented it. 

Are they essential for the great Around Oz trip?  Has a bull bar saved anybody thousands of dollars damage when hitting a roo, cow etc?
 If driving at dusk or at night is avoided, how often is an animal likely to run across the road in broad daylight? 

We are interested in hearing your stories/feedback on hitting animals or near misses on the road at night/day, on or off road, etc. 

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B4 you drop $1500 on the table have you looked for a second hand one ,  have seen a few about which have not taken a front on hit  and have been refitted to another vehicle.

 

I just been thinking about bull-bars too...the trip towing our CT.. interstate was scarey Xmas as I got within a few meters of a roo...that came out from behind a tree, it was daylight...if I hit it with My AU...I think cause of the bonnet shape...I and rosie would have it on our laps...Ohhhhh by the way...the bull-bar is to go on our latest investment a...2005 MITSUBISHI PAJERO NP GLX ..Wombat...thanks....never thought of second hand one.. Dave