Body Block Shield (Summit Products)

[GMandJM]

Have been considering getting this Body Block shield installed on our Phaeton.

Does anyone have this one or a similar product? If so, have you had any issues with it or noticed any additional heat buildup from running the generator while driving?

Body Block Shield

Would prefer a shield without the cutouts for the headlights, but the Summit rep said that isn't legal and it would cause glare when driving at night.

(Apologies to anyone who already read this question on TRVN. I don't usually post the same thing on both boards.)

As always, imparting your knowledge is greatly appreciated.

[dons2346]

I have the original shield on my Country Coach, been there since August 2001. It has not crazed or turned milky. The only problem is that I have had to replace the rubber grommets.

Much better than the plastic film

[Tntman]

O.K this is my opinion so take it for what it is worth. Lovlabs, you said that the shield would look like plastic couch covers. What exactly is that film on your Phaeton? I had that junk removed and then repainted. They wanted 1200 dollars to add that stuff back on.
When you get a rock chip in your film and mold grows behind it, remember your response to this thread. There is also the was edge peeling that will start in the near future. Anyway, good luck.

[GMandJM]

Thanks for the update and for making that call to ask "the source".

The Summit web site says that they weigh 50 to 75 lbs. (That's an actual cut and paste from the Summit site in Bruce Brown's post above.) The Summit rep I talked to in person said that since our Phaeton would require a large shield, it would weigh in around 70 to 75 pounds. I'll see if I can find the business card to see exactly who I talked with.

I have no idea why there's such a difference of information.

Thanks again. I do appreciate you relating your experience.

[RayChez]

Summit products were Acrylic, but they might have changed in later years. Mine is a three piece allowing for the generator slide to move in and out without disconnecting anything. Mine was custom made in 2002. There are no. vents for the generator in front, so I can not figure why the generator would get hot. I live in the high desert of California and I have never had a heating problem. Make the weight what ever you want, but mine each piece is around five pounds average. Stay away from those cheap plastic stick on's, you will be with a hair dryer in few years pealing it off. Several have posted in this forum that they are piece of trash.

ok! I just called Summit Products and spoke with Kelly. He told me that the shields are made of the best lexon with Acrylic and UV protectants on both sides. When I mentioned that somebody had posted that it weighed 70 ibs, he cracked up laughing. He said No way. So if you want to believe rver's that have never owned one, then I am wasting my time giving my experience with the product.

[RayChez]

Summit products were Acrylic, but they might have changed in later years. Mine is a three piece allowing for the generator slide to move in and out without disconnecting anything. Mine was custom made in 2002. There are no. vents for the generator in front, so I can not figure why the generator would get hot. I live in the high desert of California and I have never had a heating problem. Make the weight what ever you want, but mine each piece is around five pounds average. Stay away from those cheap plastic stick on's, you will be with a hair dryer in few years pealing it off. Several have posted in this forum that they are piece of trash.

[GMandJM]

Hey, Bruce...you beat me to it. I double-checked the Summit Products site and they do use Lexan and Tuffak. When I talked to their rep, they estimated that a shield (hinged version) sized for our Phaeton would be 70 to 75 pounds.

Thanks, LuvLabs, for claiming your plastic seat covers analogy. I wasn't going to out you on that since there are folks who disagree with you and might take offense to your "clever" comments.

You are right about the Diamond Shield though. It's been fine for just bugs (and pretty forgiving if it doesn't get an immediate cleaning after a long day on the road).

This shield is more for rocks and road debris we'll encounter on our Alaska trip. My brother drives up every year, so he knows first-hand how bad the AlCan can be. We've all heard the horror stories.

I'm pretty much sold on the shield, but at this point I'm sort of waiting to see if anyone has info on what difference (if any) the shield makes when running a generator, which we often do when we're going down the road in Florida. Specifically, if there are any venting, air intake or heat buildup issues.

Thanks again for relevant insights.

[luvlabs]

So, you got the same comments that you got when you posted this on TRVN (you can thank me for the plastic seat covers analogy), are you still going to get one?

The latest version of Diamond Shield is pretty good stuff and it does a good job of keeping the front end clean. Treat it with 303 once a month and clean at the end of a day's driving and it will suprise you. And you won't have holes, be able to slide your generator out, and you won't look like you are in the luddite generation.

[Bruce_Brown]

RayChez wrote:
The Summit product is Acrylic.

As far as being heavy? About 4 lbs. I think a diesel pusher can handle it.

:h Really??? Not according to them - on either part;

For the construction of it...

The Body Block armor is made of .275" thick polycarbonate sheet custom extruded to Summit Products' exacting specifications. A common trade name of the polycarbonate sheets that we use is Lexan™ and Tuffak™. The Lexan™ and Tuffak™ sheets are backed by the manufacturer's unmatched 10-year guarantee against UV fading.

And, on the weight issue, according to FAQs on the web site...

How much does it weigh?

The typical shield weighs 50 to 70 lbs.

2bzy2c wrote:
I never understood the reasoning behind those shields. Yes, they protect the front of the coach from bugs and rocks. I get that -

BUT you have to drill at least a dozen or more holes into the front of the coach to mount the shield. That just doesn't make sense to me. Besides, I don't think they look all that great anyway.

I'd agree with that. I always thought they looked cool too, but I've also head cleaning behind them was a pain. It does look like this one has a very nice system for removal for cleaning, but even if it's hinged it still weighs 50-70 lbs. I don't want to be holding up 50-70 lbs while cleaning behind it.

[2bzy2c]

I never understood the reasoning behind those shields. Yes, they protect the front of the coach from bugs and rocks. I get that -

BUT you have to drill at least a dozen or more holes into the front of the coach to mount the shield. That just doesn't make sense to me. Besides, I don't think they look all that great anyway.

[RayChez]

I have had one on my coach since new, and I love it compairing to the 3m product. Mine is acrylic and looks like new after twelve years. The one that was put on country coaches was lexon an would dull up. The Summit product is Acrylic. They are a little expensive, but like the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

As far as being heavy? About 4 lbs. I think a diesel pusher can handle it.

[GMandJM]

Thanks for the replies so far.

I was told the material that one is made of (Lexan) will yellow with age since the cut sides (top and sides) might not have UV protectant on them. Am hoping to find someone who actually has something similar to see how it has aged.

And I'm not surprised they died out. They're fairly heavy and someone compared the look of them to putting plastic covers on a sofa.

[DSDP_Don]

They were the "hot" setup many years ago on I believe Country Coach. When you saw one in a campground you knew it was an expensive coach. They soon died out and I didn't even know they made them anymore. They look nice, but like anything else, they'll take some work to keep them clean.

[Executive45]

My neighbor had one on his coach and he said it was just OK. I always thought they looked cool but they're heavy and the ones I looked at would only mount on the generator cap so you could open it. I didn't feel there was enough "stuff" there to hold it in place securely....Dennis