Rear Rock Guards...An Interesting Observance Today

[2gypsies1]

We had to travel in rain all day today so for lack of something to do I did a study on motorhomes traveling in the opposite direction with brush-type or solid rear rock guards and those with none.

The ones with both types of guards threw water high onto the towed vehicles. Those with no guards tossed water low at tire level of the towed vehicles.

This got me thinking that when we went to Alaska we actually saw folks removing their rock guards claiming they were throwing stones at the hoods and windshields of their towables.

We have no rock guard - just flaps behind each wheel. We didn't have any rock damage to our towed on the Alaskan trip. Interesting....

[RedG]

I had basically the same thing as the last pic above on a smaller scale on my Malibu a few weeks ago. My Newmar has the long chrome flap across the back and we got stuck on a road with about 40 miles of fresh tar/rock driving through Wyoming. Not much on the front bumper/hood, but the windshield has many small pits and the wiper area was full of small gravel from the road. Also some rocks with tar stuck to the roof in several places.

[Lipets]

Wow that pic says it all. Solid flaps don't do what I would have expected.

What about the brush types?

[2gypsies1]

RE: the above pictures....that's exactly what we saw in Alaska. We never had one pebble on our hood/windshield without the rock guard.

[rgatijnet1]

Not my rig but pictures shared by another owner. Problem solved when mud flaps removed.

[wallynm]

Plus on dusty or gravel roads they just churn dust up into the engine compartment on a DP. We use a Blue Ox shield that mounts on the town bar where mounts to the base plate. A PITA but it protects the FROG.

[zmotorsports]

wa8yxm wrote:
I do not yet have it re-installed by my "Rock Guard" is a Blue Ox RV underskirt (They have a new name for it now)

This is a fabric mesh that streatches between the motor home and the towed, it makes sure that which is BELOW the hitch, Stays BELOW the hitch.

This is what I am getting ready to fabricate for ours for when we flat tow the Jeep.

Mike.

[Bruce_Brown]

Coyote74 wrote:
Let a piece of metal, like a tail pipe or exhaust piece be laying on I-95 in MD traffic slowing and you can't advoid it, pop up believe me you'll wish you had it. I was pulling a small cargo trlr behind and did that. It flew up and went through the nose just above the hitch 2 pieces actually, 1 was stuck in the flaps of the rock gard which I hait to hook up through. because of all the wrist and cuts to my hands hooking up. I love it now.

I'd agree. A few years ago we were traveling at night on the NYS Thruway when I was unable to avoid a tire gator. I saw it just in time to think "this won't be good". I heard a bang, checked the mirrors and review camera. The RV was ok, the car was OK, the dirt skirt was pretty used up.

We stopped and I wired it up until we could get where I could remount it correctly.

It's taken the brunt of 2 other hits since then and all is well.

It also keeps the back of the MH a lot cleaner than when it's off too.

I always say I have a love/hate relationship with it, but at this point I'm not taking it off.

[Coyote74]

Let a piece of metal, like a tail pipe or exhaust piece be laying on I-95 in MD traffic slowing and you can't advoid it, pop up believe me you'll wish you had it. I was pulling a small cargo trlr behind and did that. It flew up and went through the nose just above the hitch 2 pieces actually, 1 was stuck in the flaps of the rock gard which I hait to hook up through. because of all the wrist and cuts to my hands hooking up. I love it now.

[Sully2]

I have rear mudflaps for the duel rear tires AND have a solid CC flap all the way across the back of my coach and in 13 years havent had jack squat tossed up and hit my Jeep.

Having them mounted at the right height makes all the difference in the world.

Those hula skirts....useless

[Gjac]

I have plastic 4 in wide strips along the back as a rock guard. I also noticed the same thing when I go over bumps it would kick up rocks. I cut about 2-4 ins off of the bottom of the strips to mitigate this problem. When I went to Alaska I made a shield out of old trampoline material that would go under the tow bar and stop the stones from coming up.

[wa8yxm]

I do not yet have it re-installed by my "Rock Guard" is a Blue Ox RV underskirt (They have a new name for it now)

This is a fabric mesh that streatches between the motor home and the towed, it makes sure that which is BELOW the hitch, Stays BELOW the hitch.

[Roadpilot]

We had a Newmar Essex that had a full span guard and it threw all kinds of stuff onto the toad. One day traveling down I-81 it fell off. Our toad was much happier after that. The only thing they are good for is advertising for the MH manufacturer.

[rvten]

Yep plain old truck type mud flaps work the best.

[Lar_s]

I just pulled mine but haven't come to a conclusion yet. I know with it I'm getting sand and crud up on the plastic below the windshield and we've been through two rain storms so far and no sand. Now the side radiator and dust is another situation... whew, what a quick mess that can make.

[bigB42]

we have the brush type,does;t keep dirt off but in 6yrs only a coupleof rock chips.ours has a steel bumper so its mounted fairly high.it works better than I expected ken