Mudflaps on D4 necessary or not to reduce stone damage?

I was lucky that my Father-in-Law was on his way out for Christmas from the UK when I bought my Disco 4 in Nov. 2009, so he popped a full set in his bag for me. They were fitted immediately and I can safely say they have done three major off road trips including the Anne Beadell, Sandy Blight, Gibb River Road & the Tanami and have stayed intact. The bad news is they don't work so well off road on gravel and stones from the front tyres clip the wheel arch at the rear and like Mowog, my camper trailer even with full width stone guard still copped a battering. Actually until I read Mowog's post I was seriously considering investing in some Rock Tamers as a solution. I have found a guy in the UK who makes custom flares for Disco 3/4... expensive though at $450 a set and they still require some special fitting...ie, not for the un-mechanically minded such as me! Not sure yet what the answer will be? I am now putting checker plate on the front facing area of the camper trailer which will at least stop the damage to paintwork.... if anyone else has ideas would be glad to hear. Being in WA, wherever we go off road here involves gravel and stones.

Plenty of ideas on how to stop stone damage on Camper trailers or Caravans.
The back window is also at high risk with stones deflecting back at it.

camper trailer stone guards

Rich raises a good point with regard to stone chips on the rear of your vehicle from rocks/stones rebounding off the front of your caravan/camper. when we traded our last vehicle we gave it a good wash, I was amazed at the chips and damage on the rear door. Even decent sized chips out of the glass. I would certainly look at something to tame the rebounding stones/rocks.
cheers
Steve

Hi , I am enjoying my Disco 4
I have recently installed a Deep cycle battery system to run an Engel refrigerator in the back when I go camping. Not an easy exercise.

I think they are needed. I have ripped and broken my LD ones several times in deep mud and honestly think they are a poor design. If on dirt roads and not deep mud they are fine and nessasry as the stone blasting is amazing. Bare metal to be expected on your D4 if you do not have them and drive on dirt roads. If your planning to get really dirty in the mud then take the LD ones off and put a large pair of $10-20 ones from your local auto supplier on for the trip and put the LD ones back on later if you do not like the look. another post has a good look at cutting flat ones to fit. I just used the removed LD ones as a template myself. Mine may not be pretty but possibly this fits as neither am I :D

I managed to fit the rear mud guards but the front do not line up with the existing screw holes. Anyone else have this problem?

I just got cheap Chinese knock offs and they fitted perfectly front and back. Maybe you are doing something wrong?


Are you fitting for the first time or replacing existing? Mine replaced the existing LR mudflaps so I don't know what had to be done to fit them in the first place.

Have a look at the StoneStomper web site guys.

Admiral,
I have a Stone Stomper on my camper trailer and it does not protect the car!
Even with mud flaps my plastic strips are stone blasted from front to back and the Kaymar bar has little paint on the sides and bottom behind the rear wheels. The outer corners of the trailer are also stone blasted where there is an inch or so outside the Stone Stomper. The wider tyres don't help either but it was the same when I travelled to Cape York on every gravel road and track known with 255 tyres.

Had a stone stomper on my D4 waste of money the front of my van is hammered. I took it off and sold it.