Rear Window Protection

What is corfluteattached.

All the best
Eric

Have a look at this site as many exploroz people have bought one of these and swear by them.

www.obiesoutback.com.au

They advertise regularly in Aust 4WD Monthly and are a local supplier.

Read all about it
http://www.ferret.com.au/articles/d0/0c03bad0.asp

Agree with Patrick.

After breaking the main window of the Jack, I have since purchased a rear window saver from Obie's Outback.

I guess it depends on what you call cheap.

Insurance aside, it would have cost me $1500 to replace the window, so a couple of hundred for a quality product was to me, an investment.

Cardboard? Yes, works well until it gets wet, then it is as useful as teats on a bull.

One word of advice. The Velcro supplied with the window saver is not all that long lasting. (the bit that you stick on the glass)
The long strips as originally supplied, are affected by heat over time and result in a "ripple" effect as they expand and contract. Mine looked shabby after 6 months or so.

I found that standard 25mm diameter Velcro spots work better as they don't seem to be affected by the weather.

We broke our rear window last year on a made road - after doing almost 20,000 k's - cost us $850 plus fitting plus inconvenience of waiting for it to come to Qld from Melbourne - anyway we found a perspex place who sold us a product call Tuffek - it is thin, flexible, completely see through - $50 cash - we cut to size and attached sticky backed velcro to window and cover - works a treat - a word of warning thogh - don't leave the cover on when your car is just going to sit in the heat all day - the glue on the velcro melts - had this happen in Mildura at Christmas - came out after lunch at Trentham Estate - the temp was in top 30's - and the cover was hanging at an angle - so now we take it off when we are not towing.
jules

SWMBO will deliver a resounding thwack to the left side of my brain if I try that on as an excuse to load extra cartons on our next trip LOLOL

you don't want to know how many cartons we had between two cars last year....lol

I'm glad to hear you took protecting your rear window seriously. You've got to have backup safety devices as well :))))

absolutely paramount !...hahahah

Mike DiD, cant quite picture what you mean but i am interested as I am trying to design a permanent stone guard to suit our jayco camper. Is there any chance you could give any further details to me on briggzee@westnet.com.au. Was also concerned about paintwork and not just glass. Much appreciated

Craig

Buy two lengths of steel tube, cut one to the length of the Rear Bumper and one to the length of the Trailer front.

Attach shade cloth to both bars using cable ties - allowing for turning.

Connect two Occy Straps between the two ends of the tubes and attach the shadecloth using cable ties. This stops the shadecloth sagging too much.

Permanently bolt one bar to the front of the Trailer.

Find two points at each end of the rear bumper where you drill two holes and Tap a thread, or attach two brackets with threaded holes to the bumper.

Drill two holes into the tube to match the holes in the bumper.

After connecting the Trailer, put bolts through the tube to attach the tube to the bumper.

I no longer have that vehicle or the Trailer and I don't think I have any photos.

Mike

Mike, Thanks for the info. Will see how/where to attatch bars.
Cheers Craig

The setup described by Mike, is commonly called a trapeze.

Been there, done that. Works well when you are on the black stuff, or while the dirt is dry.

As soon as you start driving on MUD, it will stick to the shade cloth trapeze, dragging it down to the road surface and will eventually get ripped off.

When a broken window has happened to you and like Ruth says, you a long way from an "O'Briens Glass" outlet and in the middle of nowhere, you tend to get a little paranoid. I was lucky in that my safety glass was crazed but still in one piece and I managed to hold it together with a beer carton cardboard taped both sides, until I got home. I think the tinting film may have also helped a little.

No one thing works best. I recommend a combination.

I have a good sized stone barrier attached to the drawbar of the Camper which IMO mainly provides protection to the Camper.

I have an acrylic "Rear Window Saver" which I attach to the rear glass areas when travelling off-road.

I have a full width rear mudflap which I also attach to the under rear of the vehicle to limit the ejection of rocks & stones.

If you hit mud, just take in the Trapeze and store it across the drawbar covered in plastic to make it easier to clean.

Mud will not bounce off the Trailer hard enough to damage the paint or glass.

Mike

Mike,

And the rocks and stones embedded in the mud???

When you are driving in mud, something like the Birdsville Track say, just north of Mungerannie following a bit of rain, the wheels are spinning at several times the normal rotational speed, thus increasing the velocity of the stones bouncing off anything, including the frame of the trailer's stone guard. (That's how my "accident" happened)
The "stone" imbedded in the widow, was the size of a garden pea.

On a "standard" dirt track where the wheel ruts are considerably lower than the "crown" of land between them, the clearance between the trapeze and the track is bugger all.

Now, if you are going to take the trapeze off, what's the point of having it on in the first place???

Like I said, been there, done that!

The way I rigged the trapeze the mud didn't stick to it - if it dried, the continuous movement vibrated it off.

Of course there is mud that is extremely gooey and sticky and may penetrate the shadecloth to build up on the upper surface - it didn't happen to me - but I'm not saying it can't happen.

The critical part of my design was the Occy straps at the sides to keep it under tension and high up - even through turns. The drawbar keeps the centre part high, so there was never any chance of it dragging on the ground and getting damaged.

I still have the Trapeze (though no vehicle or trailer mounting) if people really want a photo as a guide.

There are no perfect solutions - though this one worked perfectly in the 19,000km I used it for.

MIke,

You are correct in that there are no perfect solutions.

My trapeze also allowed turning, etc., without losing tension.
Rather than occy straps, my design had shock cord running down the side seams and attached to points on the vehicle and trailer.

Very smick looking and I thought, practical. I was so confident in it that I used stainless steel fittings allowing quick attachment and removal.
I still have it in the shed and that is where it will stay.

One last comment is that the mud on the Birdsville track (in fact just about everywhere in "corner country" is extremely gooey and sticky and this is where IMO the trapeze is definitely not suitable.