just wondering... tire shreads

belfert wrote:
Two big reasons for manufacturers not reinforcing wheel wells is weight and cost. Enough steel to really be effective could weigh upwards of 50 lbs per wheel. That much fabricated steel could cost upwards of $150. Sure, some of you had something fabricated for less than $150, but is something from an HVAC shop going to be thick enough to prevent damage?

Is the manufacturer going to sell more RVs by putting $150 and 200 lbs into the interior, or by putting it into wheel well liners?

I have a bus conversion, and it does have wheel well liners made out of thick aluminum. I'm not convinced a tire failure couldn't still tear through the aluminum. I would rather have the same thickness in steel. I do have a Pressure Pro system.

Your weight estimates are close, price not so much, steel is still relatively inexpensive. I used 17 ga. 404, it will stop low caliber bullets. Now you've got me thinking, I may have to do some ballistic testing, lol.

The difficult part about retrofitting wheel wells is that they are usually formed in curves and that limits what you can get in there. I chose to remove the factory well and framed in a new opening. I am totally secure about that wheel well covering.

There was a thread on the Forum awhile back where an owner used something akin to truck mudflap. He ran that on the top of the wheel well. That should give some security as the rubber mudflap will take most of the beating and should help to remove those flailing steel belts, the major antagonists in a blow out situation.