DIY stone protection ideas

Sawtellrob · Newbie

DIY stone protection ideas

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Welcome to the gang Rob, enjoy here and out in the playground.

I haven't got but have seen many home made set ups on the tug, like, large rubber mudflap like protection from rocks attached to the tow bar via metal strips. Also I have seen the truck wheel brush like set up instead of rubber. They must work as I have seen many.

I hope that makes sense confuse

Obviously there are commercial set ups similar available but like everything come at a cost.

Keep Safe on the roads and out there.

Possum3 · Guru

Welcome to GN's Rob.
The Jayco sandwich panel construction is surprisingly robust against gravel damage - unless you plan on off-road or serious gravel road touring I believe most stone stompers, etc just add weight for little to no advantages. One thing that is always a good idea when traversing gravel roads is to protect the back window/s on the tug. Incredible how stones bounce back onto the rear window.

Whenarewethere · Guru

I don't tow but have seen this on the back of a car to protect its window. You could get your own polycarbonate. I have seen a handful of cars out there with plastic over the missing rear window.

Brodie Allen · Guru

Had marvellous success over 100's of thousands of k's with a simple mudflap rubber clip-on
extension to close to the ground.

Some of the the ugly contraptions that you see are a horrific overkill and ugly into the bargain.

The Troll (so they say)

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

PLEASE do not use a full width mud flap. These devices cause great air turbulence close to the ground and that erodes the surface of the road and showers all passing traffic with pebbles.
In my view they should be banned.
They probably increase fuel consumption too, but that is not the problem they cause for other road users.
Cheers,
Peter

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

G'day Rob,
x2 on all of the above!

In addition to Peter's comment about the full width rubber - there is a known hazard to the owner of the car and this came from a friend who had one. A copper at Birdsville told him that the rear differential overheads, causing bearing damage.
I've had various versions of home made stone guards - my last (Mk 4) was a cheaper version of the Stone Stomper it needs further modification to suite my D-Max. Cost was about $35.

Best of luck in your experiments.

yobarr · Guru

Warren-Pat_01 wrote:
G'day Rob,
x2 on all of the above!

In addition to Peter's comment about the full width rubber - there is a known hazard to the owner of the car and this came from a friend who had one. A copper at Birdsville told him that the rear differential overheads, causing bearing damage.
I've had various versions of home made stone guards - my last (Mk 4) was a cheaper version of the Stone Stomper it needs further modification to suite my D-Max. Cost was about $35.
Best of luck in your experiments.

Hi Warren....you beat me to it in warning how full width mudflaps do cause over-heating issues with the rear diff.This,along with the issues raised by Peter,should help the OP in his search.Things like stone stompers are,in my opinion,fitted by people with too much money.....who cares if the van gets a few paint chips and dents? You can't make omelettes without breaking eggs.Cheers

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

I took this pic on a bitumen road in Norway.
The "sweeping effect of this mud flap is clearly apparent. The speed was quite moderate and the effect increases dramatically as you go faster.

Cheers,

Peter

yobarr · Guru

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
I took this pic on a bitumen road in Norway.
The "sweeping effect of this mud flap is clearly apparent. The speed was quite moderate and the effect increases dramatically as you go faster.
Cheers,
Peter

Hi Peter...is the small vehicle,to the right of the truck,taking cover from the impending shower of stones,or simply 'undertaking',as I have had happen to me on a long climb in a 62 ton B-Double with only 400hp? Cheers

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

The small vehicle was parked, probably unaware of the shower to come.
Cheers,
Peter

villatranquilla · Guru

we have slung a large piece of shade mesh under the drawbar b/w the ute and van using occy straps. Had to make a few adjustments after a few k's as it tends to stretch in one direction but other than that it worked a treat and was cheap and easy to put on and off

Wanda · Guru

Checkout the "StoneSomper" trampoline type of protector, made here in Adelaide.They protect the back window of your tow vehicle and the A frame of whatever you are towing.
Retail from memory around $650 and are measured up to each indiviual application, with your van probably in excess of $50-100k a very cheap way to protect things.
Look around in your travels and you will see many many people using this.
regards
Ian
PS: I have no association with the company, have had one on my last 2 vans, would'nt leave home without it.....on!

Whenarewethere · Guru

villatranquilla wrote:
we have slung a large piece of shade mesh under the drawbar b/w the ute and van using occy straps. Had to make a few adjustments after a few k's as it tends to stretch in one direction but other than that it worked a treat and was cheap and easy to put on and off

...... & critically light weight!

KJB · Guru

May be the vans are "not fit for purpose..."

Izabarack · Guru

Have tried a few methods but the trampoline style like the brand name Stone Stomper gets my nod as the best. A DIY version is very cheap to make and just as effective as the commercial product. I would give it to Stone Stomper as a better lasting product over my shade cloth version. The commercial versions do use more robust materials and they are well made, in my opinion.

Iza

Mamil · Senior Member

To those who have made a DIY "stone stomper" with shade mesh, any pictures? Thanks.

-- Edited by Mamil on Thursday 10th of December 2020 08:47:47 PM

Old and Grey · Senior Member

Sawtellrob wrote:
We pick up our new 18 foot Jayco Journey Outback in April and I'd like to have some form of stone protection for it. I'm looking for DIY ideas which have worked for you as a start point for my research. What have you experienced folk got?
Thanks
Rob

Hi Rob,

Old and myself have a 2015 Jayco Journey Outback 17.55 , fully set up for off road travels. after 80,000km of gravel roads we wore ours out. We got a replacement Stone Stomper from our insurance CO because ours got a block of Trucking packing / stacking lumber, with Company name on it, wedged in it.

It took a week to have a replacement arrive on our door step on arrival home.The whole total unit. We still have 11 stone chips on the van, (Very minor).If it were not for the stomper, We would not have a van.

For $650 delivered to your door, Very easy to fit ,1-2 hours total. Ten Stars out of ten.

Old & Grey

elliemike · Guru

This is the first one I made.

About 2011.

I made my present one using TRUCK MESH which was better. Similar setup.

Easy on and Off.

Picture1 (2).jpg

Farmhat · Senior Member

I use a Stone Stomper, been all over with it. Can't say enough good about them.

It will save your van, and the tug's rear window.

If you could get hold of one to copy, it might make a good worthwhile DIY project.

Joe.

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

I made an error in my earlier post - the home made stone stomper was my Mk 3.
Mk 4 was a version of the Rock Tamers - four HD mudflaps from Supercheap, a section of 25x25 square tube, a square U bolt to go over the tow bar hitch & some misc pieces of steel to steady the whole thing. Cost was $35.

After travelling up & down the Birdsville Rd, the Oodnadatta Track & others, it wasn't all that expensive to remove a couple of flaps & replace them with new. They definitely prevented damage to the camper, van.

Brodie Allen · Guru

It's all too hard!!

As I posted earlier, a rubber extension onto the existing mudflaps
held there and easily removable by a couple of small nuts and bolts
thru the rubber.

I assume you have regulation mudflaps on - two good reasons to
have them on - illegal without and when the van's not on, you're
spraying water spray and crap on anyone behind.

Zealot & Troll

elliemike · Guru

I over the years have fitted larger mud flaps on the rear wheel arch of two previous 4x4 tugs. Sorta solved the stones to a certain amount, but created a noticeably larger dust cloud between the van and the back of the tug.

That increased dust cloud was entering the van. Watching a Stone Stomper Video they said the effect on dust, was to put most of it "under" the van along with any airborne stones.

Picking up on that info I then made my first stone guard "Trampoline" type, It really did make a huge difference in my van.

It suits our way of travelling on dirt roads.

Hetho · Senior Member

Hi Rob.

This worked for me. About $100 all up.

Mostly from Bunnings and my local trailer parts outlet.

Regards.

Hetho.

Sawtellrob · Newbie

Some great advice here, thank you all so much. Don't get the van til April so I will do some experimenting

Whenarewethere · Guru

Use Nyloc nuts.

If you need bits of aluminium, go to an aluminium engineering workshop located in industrial areas, they usually have offcuts. If they don't it's cheaper than big hardware stores.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Shade cloth horizontal under the draw bar helps .

Demon23 · Newbie

Hi Guru, would you please send more photos and details of your stone protector.

Cheers, Dean

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Dougwe wrote:

I haven't got but have seen many home made set ups on the tug, like, large rubber mudflap like protection from rocks attached to the tow bar via metal strips. Also I have seen the truck wheel brush like set up instead of rubber. They must work as I have seen many.

PLEASE do NOT be tempted to use a full width mud flap. These devices should be banned in my view because of the dirt and rocks they throw up for other vehicles going in the opposite direction. That dirt and rocks also erodes the road.

It s also possible that the reduced airflow under the vehicle could cause overheating.

Cheers,

Peter

travelyounger · Guru

Sawtellrob wrote:
We pick up our new 18 foot Jayco Journey Outback in April and I'd like to have some form of stone protection for it. I'm looking for DIY ideas which have worked for you as a start point for my research. What have you experienced folk got?
Thanks
Rob

Most off road vans have a metal frame on draw bar facing in a forward direction using a material similar to shade cloth.This stops the majority of rocks from gravel roads but if you stay under 50 km ph it is minimal .The most damage done to your van is mainly from the rocks flicked up from your tyres on highways doing 90 km ph or how ever fast you go or coming from the other direction in speeds up to double that so nothing will stop those .Saying that they do have a very tough exterior on the Jayco which I think from memory is a gel coat and reasonably easy to fix .If you have a rear window like previously mentioned it is a must to cover it as they quite pricey to replace especially outback I have seen many with cardboard and duct tape .

Cheers