Stone guards on camper trailers
Submitted: Monday, Jul 29, 2013 at 15:52
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Road Warrior
Ok, so I understand the reason for having those slanted forward stone guards on camper trailers, I've seen enough of them and pictures of broken rear car windows to work that one out. Gotta love Aussie ingenuity.
However we're looking at the "wind-up" type of campers (like the Jayco Hawk/Coromal F400 etc) and I am yet to see one with this stone guard fitted?? Is there some little quirk of design I am not getting (like the shape of the front of the camper) or...something else??
Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Monday, Jul 29, 2013 at 18:46
Monday, Jul 29, 2013 at 18:46
I tried
the Rock Tamers (Big mud flaps) and was not happy with the performance.
Rocks and stones tended to ricochet sideways off the rubber flaps on unsealed tracks and I thought this was a
hazard to oncoming traffic. It didn't matter how I angled the adjustable flaps, I just couldn't get a satisfactory result.
Then bought a Stone Stomper, which is a trapeze style solution that is slung underneath the A frame, between the vehicle and that which is being towed.
A superb solution in all situations except for heavily muddied surfaces, in which case the mesh trapeze can be detached in no time. On this type of surface there wouldn't be much in the way of rocks to worry you. Simply reattach the trapeze when on a drier surface again.
Go for the Stone Stomper, it not only protects the rear of your vehicle and the front of your camper/van, but also gives protection to the underside of the A frame and camper/van being towed.
A great product.
AnswerID:
515554
Reply By: SDG - Monday, Jul 29, 2013 at 22:30
Monday, Jul 29, 2013 at 22:30
Having last years Jayco camper, I notice that the front of it is angled down, with some type of soft padding to absorb any hits. Nothing bounced back onto my vehicle recently on the
Oodnadatta, but a friend who has a Jayco a couple of years older, without padding, did.
I did however rip a very large hole in the stone guard surrounding the
water tank.
AnswerID:
515578
Follow Up By: KevinE - Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 at 08:35
Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 at 08:35
Really? No little stone chips at all on the back of your car at all? How lucky is that! I use 2 stone guards (trampoline & conventional) & I still get tiny stone chips on the back of my tug on that road every time I use it.
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Reply By: Member-Heather MG NSW - Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 at 08:22
Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 at 08:22
We tried all kinds of
home made versions on our previous van, with very limited success. Decided with our new van to buy a Stone Stomper and after thousands of kms of dirt roads, think it is wonderful. It prevents any stone damage to the front of the van and the rear of the tow vehicle.
Well worth the money and made to order.
A couple of years ago when we did the
Oodnadatta Track with another couple who towed a Jayco camper like the one you re thinking of, they had the rear window of their tow vehicle shattered from a stone deflected off the front of the camper, so it does happen.
regards,
Heather
AnswerID:
515586
Follow Up By: jgc - Saturday, Aug 17, 2013 at 07:58
Saturday, Aug 17, 2013 at 07:58
I would recommend a Dflector Stone Guard we did the
Oodnadatta Track with a Stone Guard on it and it worked a treat.
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