Large Q/D mudflaps for trailer gravel protection

[John E Davies]

Has anybody designed some LARGE rear mudflaps to use on gravel forest roads to prevent stone damage to a camping trailer? I have the OEM Series 80 flaps and tried some 5 inch extensions, but they keep getting ripped off.

I am thinking about some rubber truck type flaps mounted to steel channel that bolts to the bottom of the frame, a little forward of the rear bumper. I would remove them for any crawling to prevent pinching between tires and rocks.

I can't quite figure out how to make a secure mounting system that could quickly be removed without tools....

Yeah, I know it would look really dorky, but that doesn't matter too much to me. Anybody?

Here's what I tried already: .... http://www.spokanister.net/vehicles_mudflap.htm

Thanks.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[elephantsCBR]

What about those flaps that clip on to the receiver hitch, and go behind the bumper. I see that alot on pickups around here. Basically just 2 rubber pads bolted to a bar, which clamps around the 2" receiver.

Thanks Cody Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD

 

[John E Davies]

What about those flaps that clip on to the receiver hitch, and go behind the bumper.

Cody:

Great idea. I found one that looks very adaptable - adjustable for both height and width. What do you guys think of this one - and how well would it work on a lifted 80 on gravel? BTW the center parts are now powder coated black, not chrome.

http://mrtruck.net/mudflap.htm

It looks very well engineered and hell for stout, and the arms could easily be slid out of the center mount using an Allen wrench. I don't want a one piece assembly for storage reasons - I have to be able to stash the flaps separately in the truck or the trailer.

My only hesitation is that slop in the ball mount will cause the flaps to flop around some. But I guess an anti-rattle accessory for the mount would fix that. .... http://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Accessories/Roadmaster/RM-061.html

Comments?

BTW: my utility trailer is already pretty sandblasted, but it's all aluminum and doesn't look too bad - I am considering these for when I finally buy an offroad teardrop. Maybe next year.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[greentruck]

Looks like a nice set-up. I doubt you'll hear anything unless your hitch is so sloppy loose you probably want to check into it because of that alone. Easy on, easy off appears to be taken care of, so hitting the trail after dropping the trailer will work as you wanted.

I'm still debating whether to worry about this or not with our M101 CDN. Planning a long trip to Canada hitting the long back roads, so have been thinking about this myself.

 

[John E Davies]

I'm still debating whether to worry about this or not with our M101 CDN. Planning a long trip to Canada hitting the long back roads, so have been thinking about this myself.

I think it's a matter of how much cash and sweat equity you have invested in your trailer, what it's made of (steel rusts!), and how bad your tires kick up stones.

My aluminum trailer is pretty hammered in front, but the alloy is just rough and frosty looking, not rusty. It really doesn't look bad at all. I constantly hear "ting, tonk, clunk" sounds as I drive on gravel, and usually find stones lying in hidden nooks and crannies after a trip off pavement.

I honestly don't see how guys can pay north of $15K for a really nice trailer and not protect it from getting blasted on the way to the trails.....

I think the flaps I linked to above would be fantastic for a trip up the Dempster Highway.....

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[inkpot]

I ran printing presses for USA Today for nearly 30 years. My wife's cousin in Colorado had the same problem. I gave him several of the vulcanized rubber printing blankets that had been damaged or worn out. He mounted them across the front lower part of his trailer and it worked great. Find a press operator and trade him beer for blankets, or whatever......... John

 

[John E Davies]

I gave him several of the vulcanized rubber printing blankets that had been damaged or worn out. He mounted them across the front lower part of his trailer and it worked great.

I bet those are pretty darn heavy. Any idea what they weigh? I have a rubber horse stall pad that I sliced in half lengthwise to use in front of two work benches. I can barely lift one half. I wouldn't want it on my trailer......

If I wanted to armor the trailer itself, I would most likely use a premium spray-on bedliner.

The Aussie trailers often have a sail type deflector mounted on the tongue, or a horizontal blind - ugly but effective, as long as it is designed properly and doesn't just bounce the stones into the rear sheet metal and glass of your truck. Also, they can damage your sheet metal or rear lights in a jack-knife and also limit the angle. My current trailer can be jack knifed about 110 degrees and I would hate to lose that ability.

Here is a huge collection of solutions: .... http://www.campertrailers.org/stone_guards.htm

I actually like this one, a lot: ....

http://www.stonestomper.com.au/

I wonder why nobody in the USA sells these things? Maybe it's a business opportunity for somebody......

I'm still leaning toward stopping the stones from ever getting back there, rather than just armoring the target area.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[greentruck]

The tongue mount deflectors usually install on trailers with extended tongues, which often have coolers, storage boxes or LPG tanks mounted on them. If done right as part of designing such a tongue mod, that would likely limit the problems when jackknifing. I'm actually considering such a mod on our M101 CDN.

 

[inkpot]

I bet those are pretty darn heavy. Any idea what they weigh? I have a rubber horse stall pad that I sliced in half lengthwise to use in front of two work benches. I can barely lift one half. I wouldn't want it on my trailer......

If I wanted to armor the trailer itself, I would most likely use a premium spray-on bedliner.

The Aussie trailers often have a sail type deflector mounted on the tongue, or a horizontal blind - ugly but effective, as long as it is designed properly and doesn't just bounce the stones into the rear sheet metal and glass of your truck. Also, they can damage your sheet metal or rear lights in a jack-knife and also limit the angle. My current trailer can be jack knifed about 110 degrees and I would hate to lose that ability.

Here is a huge collection of solutions: .... http://www.campertrailers.org/stone_guards.htm

I actually like this one, a lot: ....

http://www.stonestomper.com.au/

I wonder why nobody in the USA sells these things? Maybe it's a business opportunity for somebody......

I'm still leaning toward stopping the stones from ever getting back there, rather than just armoring the target area.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

Nope, pretty light. A 45" x 35" with aluminum mounting bars on both ends is less than 5 pounds. Cuts nice with razor blade or shears.

 

[John E Davies]

Found this pic of a trailer posted at Expedition Portal. I like the combination of the forward angled tongue box (armored, I assume) plus the side deflectors.

Comments? do you think stones get past the gaps?

Does anyone know the manufacturer, so I could look for more pics?

Thanks.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[greentruck]

John,
No pic or link?

 

[outfitter taco]

I have that Rock Tamer set up, and I put it on in the Fall when I'm towing the dog trailer. I hunt in a place that is ALL gravel roads, and for a month and a half the truck does not see pavement. The dog trailer does still receive shrapnel from the gravel roads, but it is vastly improved over not having something. A big positive to a Rock Tamer/Dirt skirt setup is it prevents rocks from hitting your trailer with such a velocity that they bounce back and break your rear window of the truck. I've had that happen, and it sucks! Caveat: With the Rock Tamer and a trailer I don't do anything more heroic than "goat trails" and I cant speak for what kind of a hindurance they would be off road. Also, the speed on the gravel roads where I hunt is a crawl to 100 km/h

 

[John E Davies]

John,
No pic or link?

Sorry, maybe you have to be logged in at Expedition Portal to see it. I can see the pic in this thread with no problems.

I did find another pic, at the Kimerley Kamper website. Same exact trailer:

It looks pretty darn front heavy IMHO. Especially with the propane bottles right at the very front. I wonder what the weight bias is?

John Davies
Spokane WA USA