protection

This is a one quarter inch mesh folded in half mounted on my camper rig with the uncut folded edge (smooth side) positioned on the top to where I won't get accidently cut.

Works great to keep bugs off the radiator core and to protect flying loose gravel in those road project resurfacing stretch areas from striking your radiator to where those careless drivers crossing paths with you that never slow down will throw all kinds of gravel in the air.

For the most part I use 1/4 inch hardware cloth behind the grill. But I put it on as soon as I buy a new truck or new to me. Whether I am going to Alaska or not. Lots of road debris on the Interstates, etc. on my current Chevy, I put a commercial, attach with Velcro, bug screen on the outside.

It works well and no over heating problems. Keeps the bugs out of my radiator and oil coolers. Several spring times I have found myself in places with cottonwood trees, putting off their fuzz. Looks like snow in the air and will clog a radiator fast. The way they stack coolers in the front makes it difficult to keep them clean without some type of protection.
I keep a small whisp broom under my driver's seat and will brush off the screen several times a day, such as when fueling, etc. a few trips back, we got into swarms of bees in northern BC and southern Yukon. I was very happy I had a screen on the front. It may have stopped a few rocks here and there as well.

On a couple of rigs I have installed one of the plastic, raised bug deflectors on the front or the hood. Mixed feelings on them. At highway speeds, the windshield washer fluid goes everywhere, due to the disrupted air flow, but after a trip or two, the rock cracks and chips in the plastic of the bug deflector, told me it was working on low flying debris. Don't use them anymore.
On Alaska trips,
In 2006, I chipped a windshield in Iowa, on the Interstate and about 2009, I broke a windshield, just out of Valdez, due to meeting a loaded gravel dump truck, that was running without a load cover. Nice paved road, but nothing would have protected me from that blast of gravel. Just had the glass replaced when I got home. Florida requires full glass coverage.

On our trip in 08, we had the Roadmaster Guardian on the front of our toad. While it kept pebbles and such from hitting the front of the toad, it did nothing for the pebbles hitting the side of the toad or on top of it. When we got home, I counted over 75 very small chips out of the paint on the hood, top, toneau cover and the driver's side.

We did take the advice of others when on gravel roads and with a vehicle coming towards us, we would slow way down and move as far right as we could. Mostly to no avail as those vehicles coming towards us, did not...especially the large trucks.

We actually saw toads that the people had wrapped in cardboard. Quite a sight.

Ron

I use a 1/8" mesh welded wire screen cut to fit in front of the A/C condenser. I had a cracked A/C condenser from a rock hit. The guy at the A/C shop said he was very busy when the nearby freeway was being resurfaced with a layer of asphalt. Driving in light traffic is low risk, it's the cars in front of you throwing rocks in the air that cause problems. Like getting on a freeway behind a large truck that is throwing off rocks from the tread that it picked up on surface streets. I've seen several times rocks bounce 6ft in the air from trucks.
Sort of related - I think every time I have had a nail puncture a tire it's the rear tire after the front one bounced the nail. Running over a nail laying on the road is not going to puncture a tire, but when it bounces up and gets under the next tire...

The only problem we had in 12,050 miles was a rock chip. I had no extra protection. I found that the folks up north have the same vehicles that we have in the lower forty eight and they don't want them destroyed any more than we do. They have developed a way of avoiding rock chip, it is called, "Slow Down and Move as far right as you can without throwing rocks from the shoulder".

Think about a guy with a semi, 2 to 5 hundred thousand, windshield as big as most RVs and custom paint jobs. They see you and if you watch they slow down and move to the right. I usually slow and move right when we separated by about a hundred yards.

For the most parts, they are great drivers up there.

The bug screen is a good idea though.

Two trips to Alaska (2005 and 2008) and never used either and never had a problem. Only stone issue we had on the two trips was a stone chip in the windshield of our TV which was still there when we sold it last spring. We did not drive roads like the Haul Road or the road into McCarthy which may have been more of a problem. We used tour services for those roads.

Most of the main roads have some type of surfacing like asphalt or other styles of pavement. Yes, there is stretches that have some pavement issues.
No, additional protection is needed.
I have installed some 1/4 inch hardware cloth behind my grill. This keeps small stones and insects from hitting the radiator.

If you are towing the vehicle I highly recommend Protect a Tow! Goes between the MH and vehicle. Works great!

Otherwise speed and moving over to edge is your friend when meeting someone.

I didn't have a problem with stones in the NWT or the Yukon but I did have a substantial problem with bugs (monster flies) clogging the rad in the NWT. I ended up stopping at a Ford dealer (I believe in Hay River) and I bought a stainless steel bug screen (made by Cloud Rider Link). It works well and it would also protect against rock hits. It doesn't restrict the airflow much, I use it in the southern US in 90+ temps while hauling without problems

Just lower the deductible on your comprehensive coverage and go for it ;-)