Full width Stone guards - any ideas
Submitted: Monday, May 17, 2004 at 20:41
ThreadID:
12953
Views:
5142
Replies:
8
FollowUps:
4
This Thread has been Archived
Member - JC (VIC)
I am looking for any advice or experience out there regarding full width mud-flap / stone guards installed on the truck to protect the van.
I saw Rosscoe's recent post that the best advice was to cover the back of the car with cardboard but the last trailer I tool outback I fitted a simple wooden guard angled at about 45degrees. Never took a hit on the car but the guard was pretty destroyed by the time we got back (I did expect this).
Stone guards seem to follow three basic styles
* solid shields angled - deflect down
* padded fronts - minimise damage but can deflect up
* mesh type affairs, usually angled - remove the energy then deflect down.
A couple of people I have seen with the full length rubber mud flap types say they are great but I don't know how off road they ever go. Certainly one blokes van didn't have a mark on it after 10 years.
The idea here seems to be to mount the 'drop' near the back of the car and quite low letting the stones trail out behind.
So does anybody else know if the idea really works? I haven't seen any units for commercial sale.
Thanks
JC
Reply By: Midge - Monday, May 17, 2004 at 21:22
Monday, May 17, 2004 at 21:22
A couple of years ago we towed a new 17ft Qunitex Freedom Sport across the Gulf and all through Arnham Land, I bought 3 truck mudflaps bolted them to a strip of steel then bolted the whole thing to the rear wheel carrier which worked really
well, the only gap is where I had to cut a whole for the exhaust pipe, we went onto some really rough
places along the gulf track, didn't get a mark on the boat. Now we tow a campomatic trailer and use the same mud flap last year we took it out to
Walcott Inlet and Kalumbaru same result, A couple of months ago we went for a run up to Innaminka, didn't put the mudflap on,got stone chips all along the sides of the camper.
AnswerID:
58989
Reply By: Member - Pesty (SA) - Tuesday, May 18, 2004 at 00:26
Tuesday, May 18, 2004 at 00:26
When I joined my 4by club all those with campers had a steel peg coming up at the corners of the rear bumper almost touching and standing up about 2-3 inches with a loop/hook on them.
So as to not look stupid (yes I know what those in the know are thinking) I didnt ask what they were for, until our first trip and bingo, stone guard mounts.
Picture this Large piece of shade cloth width of 4by and trailer with a seem down both sides and across both ends with strech cord ( black cord about 6-8 mm that streches, like the centre of an ocky strap) pulled through the seem permanately fixed underfront of trailer and hooks on to strange pegs on 4by, which makes front seem hard up against towbar under b/bar. This is all under trailer draw bar and pulled up tight on strech cord. It streches when turning and not a stone comes up on the trailer. Simply unhook when need to get at back of 4by and drop on ground under trailer when camped.
It works
well and no one that I know with this system has had any breakages.
AnswerID:
59023
Follow Up By: Rosscoe - Tuesday, May 18, 2004 at 08:24
Tuesday, May 18, 2004 at 08:24
Steve,
I have an off-road (probably in reality, a dirt road) caravan. Except for times when I'm on really rough tracks I use a Hayman Reese Weight Distribution Hitch. Now while I have about an extra 150 mm ground clearance over a conventional rig the HR WDH hangs below the draw bar. Do you think the soltion you describe would be suitable?
I think the WDH would rub through the shade cloth in a very short time
FollowupID:
320675
Follow Up By: Member - Pesty (SA) - Tuesday, May 18, 2004 at 08:48
Tuesday, May 18, 2004 at 08:48
Rosscoe
I dont beleive that it would as it sags down in the middle a bit and as long as your bars didnt have any sharp edges I think it would last a long time and if it did 2 small holes at the bar ends wouldnt make much difference. If you are not in a big hurry we have a trip next weekend I will try and remember to take a couple of pics for you, send me your email addy
mine is on my rig
pic.
FollowupID:
320676
Follow Up By: Michael - Tuesday, May 18, 2004 at 11:44
Tuesday, May 18, 2004 at 11:44
Steve, That system works, i tried that with a cheap tarp when on the
Oodnadatta track(highway, its hardly a track) a few years ago. the tarp was torn to bits but worked
well. I used ocky straps to pull the tarp tight and for the cornering aspect. all works
well. We went through 2 tarps but saved the back windows.. Having read your post now, inspires me to do it properly for my next trip. Michael
FollowupID:
320700