Stone Guard

[weeds]

hey

my dad put a deposit on a CUB camper about a month ago and i am sorting out the accessories that are being fitted (good thing as it will be probably be handed down to me!!!! fully optioned thanks, well not quite).

i'm not to sure about the stone guard, at first i thought it would be a good idea as it would protect the front of the trailer along with the gas cylinders, battery box etc. i than remember on my simpson trip a trailer with stone guard fitted behind a nissian kicked up a stone and smashed his back window, have also seen guys with protector on the back doors when towing trailers on dirt tracks.

do stone guards kick up more stones than not having one?

is it worth fitting?

does any body have one fitted to there trailer and done a track similar to the bridsville?

[drivesafe]

Hi weeds, my brother-in-law owns a large windscreen business in north west NSW and many years ago, just after I bought a new trailer which had mud flaps on the rear end of the mud guards, he advised me to fit mud flaps on the front end of the mud guards as he was for ever replacing rear windows broken by stones coming of the trailer wheels and they were usually at least 3 times the cost of front windows.

If your fitting stone guards, it might pay you to make sure they protect against stones coming of the trailer wheels.

Cheers

[sclarke]

There is a mob in the 4wd mags that does back window guards made of perspex, very thin. 2mm i think... i had a set on the Troopy i had and they worked a treat.

Mike
obie@obiesoutback.com.au

Email below from him.....

***************************************
Thanks for the email Steve

The Savers for the Defenders are $195 plus $30 Courier Totals $225 all up.

Some Information:

The Rear Window Savers are made of transparent high impact Polycarbonate/Lexan sheeting, individually cut and shaped to suit the particular vehicle and model.

The Saver is held in place utilizing special purpose self adhesive hook and loop tapes imported by Obies Outback. Testing of the 3M tapes has shown outstanding durability in all Australian outback conditions.

The hook tape is positioned on the glass at the edge to match those already mounted on the Saver. (Typically one down each side and several smaller ones top and bottom)

An air gap between the Saver and the vehicle glass in maintained using bumpons (similar to but softer than those used on headlight protectors etc).
This air gap is essential in cases where larger objects are thrown up.

Although the Saver is almost unbreakable they are soft faced and can be scratched when subject to rear wiper operation.

NO REPORTS OF GLASS BREAKAGE HAVE BEEN RECEIVED WHEN A SAVER HAS BEEN IN USE.

I hope this may be of some help.

[weeds]

thanks for the feedback

i will be putting a full width mud flap across the back of the defender, piece of cake to put ones infront of the wheels of the trailer

[seqfisho]

Hi Weeds,

I think most properly designed stone guards for offroad trailers are designed to throw the stones down away from the car and also protect the trailer.

Its all to do with the angle and softness of the guard, thats why most are made from shadecloth or similar style material as it absorbs most of the momentum of the rocks and then deflects it in another direction rather than bouncing off the front of the trailer and directly back at the car.

[Bytemrk]

Seqfisho is right,

A well designed stone guard on a camper is angled down to deflect rocks back down... I have one on my camper - works well... BUT it only takes 1 stone to hit the frame of the guard rather than the material and bingo - you are in trouble.

On a recent trip up the Oodnadatta track I found that up to 80km/h.. all good, over that and regularly stones bounce back onto the car.

A simple cheap solution when out bush is a peice of corflute ( I think that is how you spell it - that plastic stuff like corrigated cardboard they make signs out of) - gaffa taped to the back window rubbers.

- Looks crap but works wonderfully https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ and out there - who cares what it looks like!! - the $$$$ for a new back window + the pain in ar$e of a car full of dust... just not worth the risk.

Mark

[Disco300Tdi]

Originally posted by sclarke
There is a mob in the 4wd mags that does back window guards made of perspex, very thin. 2mm i think... i had a set on the Troopy i had and they worked a treat.

Mike
obie@obiesoutback.com.au

Email below from him.....

***************************************
Thanks for the email Steve

The Savers for the Defenders are $195 plus $30 Courier Totals $225 all up.
Some Information:

The Rear Window Savers are made of transparent high impact Polycarbonate/Lexan sheeting, individually cut and shaped to suit the particular vehicle and model.

The Saver is held in place utilizing special purpose self adhesive hook and loop tapes imported by Obies Outback. Testing of the 3M tapes has shown outstanding durability in all Australian outback conditions.

The hook tape is positioned on the glass at the edge to match those already mounted on the Saver. (Typically one down each side and several smaller ones top and bottom)

An air gap between the Saver and the vehicle glass in maintained using bumpons (similar to but softer than those used on headlight protectors etc).
This air gap is essential in cases where larger objects are thrown up.

Although the Saver is almost unbreakable they are soft faced and can be scratched when subject to rear wiper operation.

NO REPORTS OF GLASS BREAKAGE HAVE BEEN RECEIVED WHEN A SAVER HAS BEEN IN USE.

I hope this may be of some help.

It pays to have a mate in the perspex business https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

I measured and cut mine for the 84RR
in the same polycarb material but 4.5mm thick
fitted it with the same fasteners

If anyone else wants one made $80-100 for the screen
Can be cheaper if you supply a template

He will also organize freight

MB Plastics in Cheltenham, near Moorabbin Airport
03 95853166 Speak to Merv (owner)

[sclarke]

Your da man.....

[weeds]

thanks for that gav, will keep in mind, i think i will get cub to fit the stone guard, i guessing they have been in business long enough and should have the angles right. will see how it goes on the dirt before looking at a rear window protector

thanks again for the feedback, we ordered a month ago, now have to wait for the five month delivery

[Redback]

I have a stone guard on my camper and it didn't protect my rear window, i now have a rear protector on the car, made by the local perpex place, just gave him a template and he cut it, the anti shatter type $79, all good now.

Enough protection is still not enough 8O

Baz.

[seqfisho]

Originally posted by Redback
I have a stone guard on my camper and it didn't protect my rear window, i now have a rear protector on the car, made by the local perpex place, just gave him a template and he cut it, the anti shatter type $79, all good now.

Enough protection is still not enough 8O

Baz.

Hey Baz I noticed on your Simpson trip pics that you had stuff taped to the rear side windows, was this to protect them or just keep the sun/heat out or were you unfortunate enough to break one?

[crash]

I used some shadecloth on the back window of the disco while doing the Oodnadatta track and Mereenie loop. I doubt that this would stop any large stones and may have been more luck than the shadecloth that saved my back window. I was towing a Jayco Hawk outback which has a rubberised material on the front of the trailer to minimise stones bouncing back. Unfortunately the lpg tank and jerry can sits in front of it they were pelted with stones. The Lpg tank now has a nice big piece of rubber in front of it to stop stone damage to the tank. I have also seen people glue outdoor carpet to thier jerry cans to stop stone damage. Along the trip you could here stones hitting and rolling along the roof.
I will probably be making up a perspex protector for future use.