Lazy Daze Owners' Group

Flat tow without rock guard?

December 05, 2018, 12:50:37 pm

Does anyone here tow without mud flaps or a rock guard to protect the towed vehicle?  If so what has your experience been?

Re: Flat tow without rock guard?

Reply #2 – December 05, 2018, 02:04:31 pm

We tow a Jeep Wrangler without rock guard or mud flaps.  We have noticed very few dings over numerous years.

Re: Flat tow without rock guard?

Reply #4 – December 05, 2018, 04:02:52 pm

Our Jeep has been pulled over 90,000 miles without flaps or a guard. The leading edge of the hood does have a lot of tiny chips but that's about it.
The windshield have never been chipped or broken.
Low sitting vehicles have more problems with damage than higher sitting 4X4s. Debris that hits the bumper and hood of a Subaru or CRV can pass under a high clearance vehicle.
If chipping of the hood's leading edge is an issue, there are clear tapes that can be applied to protect sensitive areas.

If you use mad flaps, install them as close to the rear duals as possible, with as much ground clearance as needed to prevent the flaps from ever touching the ground.
The full width flaps many times are located too far rearward of the duals and can touch the ground, when the rear wheels roll through a deep dip. If the flap touches the ground, it will kick up dust, sand and gravel, all of which will be thrown at the toad.

When buying a vehicle to be used for a toad, I suggest getting something used, that has a lot of good miles left, and not worry about it chips and dings.

Larry

Re: Flat tow without rock guard?

Reply #6 – December 05, 2018, 11:41:11 pm

My 2011 Honda CRV came to me with 30K on it.  I've driven it another 35K with an additional 30K towd miles not on the odometer.  Front end parts with the exception of the hood are plastic and maybe more forgiving.  There are very few tiny nicks in them and 2 pits the size of a tick on the hood.    The windshield has been replaced twice - both times due to local gravel trucks when it wasn't hiding behind the rig.  

Haven't taken it on long gravel roads, haven't been to Alaska, nor the Pan American Highway thru Panama for that matter.
That's my experience, YMMV

Joel

Re: Flat tow without rock guard?

Reply #8 – December 09, 2018, 01:27:09 pm

   I have been pulling toad vehicles since the early 90’s with 4 different motorhomes during that time. There has been a lot of trial/error with tow bars, base plates, electrical, and gravel protection also. I am currently at the point that I am completely satisfied with my current towing configuration. I realize that what works for me may not be what others need, but here is what I have done.
   In the past I have used Blue Ox (B/O) tow bars on the motorhome and B/O base plates on the toad.  The tow bar was very hard to disengage in a binding situation (I now understand that has been corrected), and I didn’t like the rubber boot on the arms. However I really like the B/O base plate with the removable connecting pins that keeps the rest of the base plate mostly hidden behind the toad grill. I now use the Roadmaster aluminum Sterling tow bar with B/0 adaptors Roadmaster provides (as an $ option) that attach the Sterling arms to the B/0 connecting pins. The safety cables for the Sterling have a molded steel ball at one end that fits into a grove in (provided) steel ‘L’ brackets that are supposed to attach to the toad bumper bracket. That wasn’t possible on my toad so I attached the brackets to the underside of the LD’s hitch receiver by the holes where the tow cables are normally attached. I used two 3/8” grade 8 bolts for this. To prevent the cables from slipping up out of the groves I attached a bolt & flat washer in the grove as a stopper. (see photo) The standard hooks on other end of the cables attach to the  B/0 base plate.
    I stow the Sterling tow bar to the right looping the right cable up around the LD ladder bracket and attaching the hook back to the cable. I then attach the left cable hook to the right cable which secures everything. (see photo)
   I use a seven pin truck style electrical socket on both the LD and the toad. Reason for this is that I have the SMI Stay-In-Play Duo auxiliary toad braking system in my toad that requires back up 12DC power from the LD engine. The Cherokee also requires an additional wiring harness to keep a computerized steering stabilizer active while the engine is off and it being toad. This too requires an external power supply from the LD.
   To address this power issue, I ran a 10ga. wire from the LD engine battery (30amp fused) to the pin designated for electric trailer brakes in the 7-pin socket on the LD bumper. Also a 10ga wire from the toad mounted 7-pin socket to the toad battery (30amp fused also).  I got a 6’ umbilical cable with a molded 7-pin plug from Tractor Supply and attached another 7-pin plug at the other end. The cable has 10ga wires designated for the trailer brake power and ground. Smaller gauge wires are there for the brake/tail lights. While parked at a interstate rest stop for a short brake, someone stole our umbilical cable. Fortunately I found a Tractor Supply for a replacement. It just took a little while to attach the second 7-pin plug on the other end of the cable. I now secure the cable to the LD hitch with quick links (tightened with thread lock) to a galvanized solid eye bolt on the hitch plate. (see photo)
   Now to address toad rock & gravel protection. Years ago I used a grass skirt across the rear motorhome bumper but this didn’t really help. Mud flaps also gave little protection. I then tried a solid Rock Guard at the rear bumper but actually made the toad scratches worse.  Early last year we got a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk for a toad, and I really wanted to avoid what scratches our CRV toads (2) had received in the past. I decided to get a Roadmaster Tow Defender fabric tow bar cover. It unrolls and lays on top or the tow bar attaching at the top of the B/0 connector. This makes it very easy to roll back up and store at the rear of the LD. After 7000+ towing miles later, NO scratches on the front of the Cherokee above the hitch level. It is very easy to roll up and stow on the motorhome hitch area. Because the 1” square tubing hit the LD rear bumper on a tight turn, I shortened the tube ends 4” which solved that problem. As you can see in the photo, I mounted a separate (non wired) 7-pin socket to the top of the Tow Defender hitch mount to stow the toad end of the umbilical cable when not in use. (see photo)  The coiled break-away cable lays on top of the Tow Defender when in use and is easily stowed when not in use.
   Since the Jeep is heavier that the stated LD hitch mount I have replaced all the LD’s grade 5 bolts with grade 8 bolts, washers & nuts. This includes the six bolts attaching the ‘C’ channel rear frame extensions to the main Ford frame. All bolts have lock washers, red thread lock and tightened with an air impact wrench. After this last two summer’s trips, one to the Rockies and the other to Newfoundland, all hitch components are still very secure.  The Cherokee has posed no problems towing under all conditions of travel.