Cowcatchers

[gkidsdlite]

I installed a brush guard/cowcatcher on my pickup to protect it when animals ran in front of me and it has saved me expensive repairs several times! So my question is do they make them for motorhomes to protect the front of them? Sure would save a lot of money in repairs!

[jwmII]

Class A motorhomes in particular are so poorly supported and reinforced on the front end that you would need a carload of steel to build a decent structure far enough back to find support for anything that could even pretend to perform like a cow catcher. The best approach is to double drive defensively and definitely don't follow to closely. In addition to all that it would probably be necessary to install additional springs or airbags to hold all that junk up. And then what would all that do to the GVWR?

[Groover]

I have wondered if the bull guards I see on 18 wheelers are actually meant to deflect a bull at interstate speeds. I mostly notice them on cattle trucks that are likely to encounter animals at very low speeds. Taking a hit from a 1,000lb animal at 60mph without damage would probably require that the guard be able to bend back a couple of feet and then rebound.

There are so many different RV's out there that making something fit very many even on the same chassis would be challenging so you are probably looking a custom fit. I recently installed a front hitch on my Palazzo with a Freightliner chassis to haul scooters but don't think that I have seen another DP that could use the same design. When you start looking the number of variations in RV's is incredible. I actually did design the front hitch with triple sockets with the thought that I might put some Super Bumpers in it when not hauling the scooters. I have not done that yet. That thought was inspired by backing into a bear-proof trash can on my first outing. As much as it cost to hit a trash can I don't even want to think about repairing the damage from something substantial.

I bet that the Smart Car would do less damage than most of the animals in rgatijnet1's list. It is probably softer.

[Executive45]

The biggest thing I've hit was a love bug....now if you invent/design something that'll keep THOSE buggers off the front of your coach, you'll most likely get on Shark Tank....:B...Dennis

[Bucky1320]

hershey wrote:
Since a MH is built differently than a truck, there is no place to adequately brace the upper portion of the rack. So on impact of an animal, the entire force and leverage is directed directly to the frame. It will probably bend and cause a lot more damage than the fiberglass cap. I have no facts to back up that statement other than common sense.

hey now! Don't be bringing common sense in at this point in the game! What are ya thinking?:)

[hershey]

Since a MH is built differently than a truck, there is no place to adequately brace the upper portion of the rack. So on impact of an animal, the entire force and leverage is directed directly to the frame. It will probably bend and cause a lot more damage than the fiberglass cap. I have no facts to back up that statement other than common sense.

[rgatijnet1]

Bucky1320 wrote:

rgatijnet1 wrote:
Making it strong enough should not be a problem if you have plenty of steel. Just cut slots through the fiberglass and attach to the main frame members. You see these guards on many trucks out West, including pick-ups, panel delivery trucks, box trucks, and semi's.
The problem is with a DP's that has a front mounted diesel generator and the added weight hanging out in front of the front axle on any type of RV. Maybe just a basic steel bumper out front may be better than nothing.

Well, if cutting a permanant hole in the fiberglass isn't off limits, that helps. But as far as making it strong: Try hitting a 600 lb anything at 50 mph, and see what holds up. That is a bunch of force.

600 pounds is a lightweight animal. Here is a sample of animals that we have seen running loose out West and in some parts of the East. I have come close but never hit one. Naturally deer are smaller but it is not unusual to see them leaping across the roads, at windshield height. A steel bumper may help but depending on the size of the animal, you could still have a very bad day if you hit one, which people do every year.
Elk...up to 1100 pounds
Moose....up to 1500 pounds
Buffalo.....up to 2200 pounds
Cattle....average 2000 pounds
Mule......1100 pounds
Horse......average 1200 pounds
Mule deer....200-450 pounds
Prong Horns.....150+ pounds and can run over 50 mph
White tail deer.....up to 400 pounds
Smart car.....1600 pounds

Informative link: Animal vehicle accidents

[Bucky1320]

Some of these responses are cracking me up!

[shaneperch]

What really frosts me is,, at least around here. People tie purple ribbons on their tress meaning no hunting. That is fine but I hope it's their car or RV that hits the deer. I don't like killing anything, but for instance my RVs and buses are very old 70s vintage. I can't get replacement insurance on them and I can't afford to replace them. I am sorry but I'd much rather the animal gets all the damage than my vehicles. If I were wealthy I would feel different. I remember as a kid my Grandfather had a Olds with these things mounted on the sides of the car near the mirrors that were supposed to keep deer away. I don't know if they work if so that would be great.

[PastorCharlie]

I installed a couple of these Deer Warning Devises on the front of my RV and they have worked wonders. They are a lot more humane that the cattle guards in that they do not slaughter the animals with blunt force and leave their remains scattered all over the highways. They impact the animals while they are still off the highways.

On the most recent trip from coast to coast and back, I counted 35 dead deer, 2 dogs, and one possum laying along the side of the road. The Warning Devices apparently are so powerful that it scares the animals to death long before I even get to their location. I have thought about contacting Bell Lab and see if they can adjust them down a little to protect the dogs and possums from being killed.

[hipower]

These things do protect the front ends on large commercial vehicles in a moderate impact. The problem comes from a just slightly heavier impact where the frame rails are bent. Then the repairs, if possible, become seriously expensive. Hitting a 150 pound deer is one thing hitting a 1,000 pound steer is quite something else.

[Tom_Barb]

We see many coaches junked because of front end damage, these ROO bars might just save a life when a deer has their way with the front cap of your coach. They build guards for semi trucks, I'm sure you can find a shop to fabricate a guard for you. And it won't be any heavier than the cycle carriers that I see on the front of the coach. (they are aluminum.)

[rgatijnet1]

Busskipper wrote:
If you need one of these to drive your RV down the road -- Please,,,,,,,,,,, let me know where you are driving so I can plan on being somewhere else!

When I read this post it reminds me of a couple of guys running the Cub scout troop in Goblins .....Seriously, driving by sound, is really all that it's cracked up to be.

JMHO,

I have to assume that you are one of those that never leaves the interstate when you travel. If you noticed the two pictures that I posted you will see that the roads are curved and hilly and the speed limit was 55 MPH. If you think you are such a good driver that you can avoid ALL animals that may pop up in front of you than you have nothing to worry about if you see someone driving a rig with a bumper designed to protect the front of their coach.
IF you ever travel out West, you will see that most of the trucks do have bumpers to protect the front of their rigs from the many large animals that find there way on to the roads. The large animals that you may encounter out West may cause fatal accidents to those unfortunate enough to hit one.

[RoyB]

I wish I had kept my BRUSH GUARD from my 2004 Truck when I traded it in on the 2010.

It isn't a COW problem with me. It's the deer early in the morning and just after dark...

It is a very important item to have on your truck when going through south part of Arkansas and North East Alabama...

Roy Ken

[Ductape]

Busskipper wrote:
If you need one of these to drive your RV down the road -- Please,,,,,,,,,,, let me know where you are driving so I can plan on being somewhere else!

When I read this post it reminds me of a couple of guys running the Cub scout troop in Goblins .....Seriously, driving by sound, is really all that it's cracked up to be.

JMHO,

A typical childish forum retort. Nothing to contribute to the discussion other than belittling others. JMHO 😉

I would rather have a paint scrape on a steel bumper than a broken cap because someone backs into me in a parking lot.

[Bucky1320]

rgatijnet1 wrote:
Making it strong enough should not be a problem if you have plenty of steel. Just cut slots through the fiberglass and attach to the main frame members. You see these guards on many trucks out West, including pick-ups, panel delivery trucks, box trucks, and semi's.
The problem is with a DP's that has a front mounted diesel generator and the added weight hanging out in front of the front axle on any type of RV. Maybe just a basic steel bumper out front may be better than nothing.

Well, if cutting a permanant hole in the fiberglass isn't off limits, that helps. But as far as making it strong: Try hitting a 600 lb anything at 50 mph, and see what holds up. That is a bunch of force.