LarryJM wrote:
shades9323 wrote:
Nobody locally can custom make one.
I find that extremely hard to believe since those rock guards are fairly simple items and should be easy to repair/refurbish.
Larry
Rock guards are not "simple" or "easy" to "make".
Highly doubtful that any RV shop or even autobody shop will touch that with a 10 ft pole..
The extrusions are complex and pulling it apart certainly could totally destroy that extrusion even if one is careful depending on the design. Some extrusions are WELDED completely together and some may have a joint that is riveted.
Depending on where the hole is, the OP has several options.
One option to look at is to see if they can use some fiberglass boat cloth and resin to cover the back side of the hole.
Once you have at least three layers on the backside you then can use some "Tiger Hair" fiberglass body filler to build up the now closed hole. Tiger Hair is a thickened version of resin plus coarse chopped fiberglass strands.
Go easy on the buildup and make sure you do not over fill, it gets rock hard and grinding down the excess is the only way to fix the over fill.
Grind/sand down the Tiger Hair until it is flush with the top surface.
Once you have the filler flush with the surface you use body filler (thickened resin without any fiberglass)to fill in any coarse holes in the tiger hair.
Sand down the body filler until flush with old surface.
Now you can tape off around the repair and give it a splash of primer paint.
Sand the primer lightly then top coat with paint that matches the rest of the rock guard.
If you can't find a paint to match then lightly sand the entire rock guard then prime the entire surface.. Sand lightly then top coat with the paint color of your choice.
Repair should not take more than a day.
Alternate would be to drill out the rivets (if they were used to hold the frame together), CAREFULLY spread the frame just enough to pull the rock guard out of the aluminum channel..
Once you have the replacement panel in you will have to bolt or rivet the channel back together.
If welded, you WILL have to CUT the channel in order to get the old panel out and put the new panel in.
With the welded one YOU will have to come up with a way to splice the channel back together..
Once rock guard has been removed from the frame you can use that as a template.
You can buy what is known as FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced Panel) material at your local Home Depot or Lowes. This stuff is typically used in public restrooms or anywhere water spray may be used to wash down the walls. Finished side has a pebble surface and wall side is flat.
Sold in 4x8 ft sheets and costs about $30 a sheet.
Put your old rock guard on the FRP and then draw around it.
You can use jig saw with fine blade or a thin cutoff wheel on a grinder to cut it.
HOWEVER, USE A GOOD QUALITY DUST MASK! Cutting makes a lot of dust and you do not want to inhale this dust since it will contain fiberglass particles!
Once cut fit it into the frame to verify the dimensions are correct.
ONE BIG POSSIBLE ISSUE is that these FRP panels MAY BE THICKER OR THINNER THANT THE FRAME CHANNELS!
You may need to lightly grind the edges of the FRP to fit into the channel if too thick.
If too thin, you could use bead paneling adhesive or silicon placed into the channel to ensure the fit is good.
I would highly recommend if attempting to DIY with FRP to PAINT the FRP when done. It is not designed for direct outdoor UV exposure and UV will damage the surface over time without a good coat of paint.
Yep.. "simple" he says :R
