MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: thrasherdave on September 15, 2011, 09:57:23 AM
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I just ordered a Goldstream Crown "camper" at the Penrith show to tow behind my 150 Prado. It's obviously not a hard-core offroad trailer but I will be outback touring with it. The front of the camper looks reasonably well padded but there is no stoneguard. Should I get one, either from the manufacturer or aftermarket? I don't have the skill to make one myself should it be needed. It looks as if the big back door won't open fully even without a stoneguard.
Any hints and tips welcome as I'm new at this game having been a tent camper for 40 years.
DaveO
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The stoneguard is also to protect the back of your vehicle from rocks that get flicked up and bounce of your camper. Sounds like a stone-stomper might be the go as it wont get in the way of your back door. http://www.stonestomper.com.au/ (http://www.stonestomper.com.au/)
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Gday Dave,
It all depends where you intend on towing. If you looking at heading off the sealed stuff it would be something I'd add, I have seen plenty of rear broken windows, so its not only your trailer your protecting it is also the tow vehicle. there are altenatives to a stone guard fitting to a draw bar.
EG A stone stomper, checkout Bushmans Expanda thread in the My Camper Trailer section. He has one fitted to that.
Cheers
Rich
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The stoneguard is also to protect the back of your vehicle from rocks that get flicked up and bounce of your camper. Sounds like a stone-stomper might be the go as it wont get in the way of your back door. http://www.stonestomper.com.au/ (http://www.stonestomper.com.au/)
for those with Stonestompers, are they a PITA when you wanna access back of car 1/2dozen times when you stop for lunch?
What about grandad flaps, would they be a better option?
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I haven't got stone-stompers but I think they unclip quite easily from the bar attached to the vehicle. 10 second disconnect according to the website.
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for those with Stonestompers, are they a PITA when you wanna access back of car 1/2dozen times when you stop for lunch?
What about grandad flaps, would they be a better option?
Yes Bruce very true, but if you have a Goldstream you would be sipping tea and scones at the table in the van, not the back of the car like us common folk ;D
Baz.
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Yes Bruce very true, but if you have a Goldstream you would be sipping tea and scones at the table in the van, not the back of the car like us common folk ;D
Baz.
(http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww173/prestonjjrtr/Smileys/Coffee.gif)
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Yes Bruce very true, but if you have a Goldstream you would be sipping tea and scones at the table in the van, not the back of the car like us common folk ;D
Baz.
Not if its a Crown or a Storm - they are windups (if that's the expresion): too much work to get inside on the road.
That's why I need to know about opening the back door of the Prado - to get at the fridge!
DaveO
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I would say a stoneguard is necc ... even for a "road warrior" it just helps to stop stone chips and damage to the tow and tug. It is a precious investment, so why not look after it?!
Cheers Chippy :D
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Go and price a new rear window glass.. You wanna stop stones smashing them at pretty much all costs.
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In short, yes, you need a stone guard. The Goldstream guard is pretty good, but can be enhanced. check out Goldie's thread (http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=8029.15), he added some factory mud flaps to the lower edge to make them fully effective.
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DaveO
I recently put a stoneguard on my camper, (see this thread http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=11200.0)
with good reason: I have a Hawk O/B (per my pic below) and a few months back (pre-stoneguard) I travelled out to a camp spot. The route had 25km of dirt road - took it very easy (60km/hr sort of thing) as I was mindfull of not having stone protection. a check in rear view mirror - noticed a very clear view of the camper through the back window. ??? Even going slow, a stone still flicked up and bounced of the camper into tha back window, shattering it >:(. My window replacement was $270 (canopy window), but I dare say a prado 150 rear window would be a fair bit more than that >:D
My suggestion:
Have a look at the frame I got made up for mine & note the measurements and get a metal fabrication place to make a frame for you.
Then it was easy to wrap some shadecloth around it (not too tight or stones just trampoline of it onto the car) and screw on some mudflaps.
In my opinion, these are a must to protect vehicle & camper when travelling on dirt roads at cruising speeds (anything above 60km/hr)
:cheers:
Nutto
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... or a cheaper option.
I've just added this type of guard for my jayco ... got the idea from GU Rich. Cost around $100 including bits n pieces.
Necessary? Yes ... if you want to save the back of the Prado from rock indents and perhaps a broken rear window.
Cheers
C
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Get the Goldstream stoneguard and add some flaps like I did.
(http://blkmav.com/goldstream/mudflap.jpg)
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Where did you get those mudflaps from D4D?
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I have tried virtually every type of stone guard available and there is only one IMHO that works for both the camper AND the vehicle;
The large rear mudflaps on the vehicle create as many problems as they solve (raise diff temps, raise tyre temps, flick rocks up if flap too low, let rocks thru if flap too high etc...)
The camper mounted deflectors can be good for protecting the camper (depends on the design) but they all seem to be good at deflecting rocks back at the vehicle, so while the camper is protected the vehicle is not.
The StonerStomper is the only one I have found that protects both the camper and the vehicle. My camper has a good rock deflector plus mudflaps underneath, but I still required a stonestomper to look after the vehicle. It has the added bonus of keeping the drawbar free of any rocks too.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--_agxsowoac/TT7RMRpFenI/AAAAAAAACoM/E4OxsBnOZVM/s640/P1220042.JPG)
Access to the rear of the vehicle is easily maintained, either just lean into the elastic straps or unclip them, only takes a second to do so.
I have no affliation with Stonestomper, just a very happy customer ;D
Cheers
Captain
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for those with Stonestompers, are they a PITA when you wanna access back of car 1/2dozen times when you stop for lunch?
nup no problem at all just undone 1 or 2 of the bungee cords, or if ya bit lazy just step on it, it'll stretch to the ground.
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Another vote here for the Stone Stomper - they are EXCELLENT!!
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I have tried virtually every type of stone guard available and there is only one IMHO that works for both the camper AND the vehicle;
The large rear mudflaps on the vehicle create as many problems as they solve (raise diff temps, raise tyre temps, flick rocks up if flap too low, let rocks thru if flap too high etc...)
The camper mounted deflectors can be good for protecting the camper (depends on the design) but they all seem to be good at deflecting rocks back at the vehicle, so while the camper is protected the vehicle is not.
The StonerStomper is the only one I have found that protects both the camper and the vehicle. My camper has a good rock deflector plus mudflaps underneath, but I still required a stonestomper to look after the vehicle. It has the added bonus of keeping the drawbar free of any rocks too.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--_agxsowoac/TT7RMRpFenI/AAAAAAAACoM/E4OxsBnOZVM/s640/P1220042.JPG)
Access to the rear of the vehicle is easily maintained, either just lean into the elastic straps or unclip them, only takes a second to do so.
I have no affliation with Stonestomper, just a very happy customer ;D
Cheers
Captain
Captain,
How did you find the Stone Stomper when you collected all that mud on the GCR trip this year. Did it sag much from the weight of the mud sticking to it?
Cheers
Rich
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Hi Rich,
No problem at all, the pic below was about as bad as it got. While it does look like the far side is being drawn down a bit, the vehicle wasn't quite square so makes it look worse than what it was (but not bad anyway!).
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-G7nj5fT8nvM/Titbymv_xSI/AAAAAAAADGI/eNuYqS2q8sA/s640/P7120180.JPG)
Cheers
Captain
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Cheers for that Captain, I have often wondered how they would fare in those conditions.
Cheers
Rich
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Hi
I am in the process of fitting a Stone Stomper to my Jayco Swan. Fitted the stone flap & bracket to my hitch a minute ago, will fit the trampoline section to the van on the weekend.
i figured any dirt or gravel road, roadworks etc can cause some damage so I look at it as protecting our investment. :cheers:
Regards
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Where did you get those mudflaps from D4D?
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2x-Plain-Black-Truck-Mud-Flaps-Mudflaps-24x18-B-0375-/390307751685
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Go and price a new rear window glass.. You wanna stop stones smashing them at pretty much all costs.
I needed the stone stomper on my whipper snipper.....$680 for a rear windscreen on the cruiser :-[ - but then rang the insurance co and claimed my free glass replacement ;D - so I suppose in the end I did have a form of stone stomper 8)
Tim
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I needed the stone stomper on my whipper snipper.....$680 for a rear windscreen on the cruiser :-[ - but then rang the insurance co and claimed my free glass replacement ;D - so I suppose in the end I did have a form of stone stomper 8)
Tim
That's pretty unfortunate, bet you're glad you had free glass replacement.
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http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2x-Plain-Black-Truck-Mud-Flaps-Mudflaps-24x18-B-0375-/390307751685
$90....(http://serve.mysmiley.net/confused/confused0052.gif)
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$90....(http://serve.mysmiley.net/confused/confused0052.gif)
but Lost, yours would have been built into the price (thrown on ;)) when you bought your lifestyle. Now where did you get that emoticon??? love it. :cheers:
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but Lost, yours would have been built into the price (thrown on ;)) when you bought your lifestyle. Now where did you get that emoticon??? love it. :cheers:
x2 that's a ripper. Mods we need to add that one to the forum ;D
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but Lost, yours would have been built into the price (thrown on ;)) when you bought your lifestyle. Now where did you get that emoticon??? love it. :cheers:
but D4D's werent, `and im shopping for some no name ones, thus the jaw dropper.. I was hoping for $25pr...
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That's actually a pretty good price. I looked around at a lot of truck shops before I bought them.
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but D4D's werent, `and im shopping for some no name ones, thus the jaw dropper.. I was hoping for $25pr...
I am too and I think D4D is right, ebay seems to be the [the best] going rate.
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As Big Jules I got some guards from Goldstream they are now a fair bit dirter ... more a brown colour.
With the goldstream there is a fair bit of plumbing underneath (tanks, gas lines ect ) Looking at the pictures of the stone stomper I'm not sure weather it would protect them as well
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My camper has a similair front setup as standard and I have added the Stonestomper for additional protection. Its amazing the sheer amount of "rock spray" that you can see in your mirrors coming from under the vehilce and camper.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FjqEfwPMnaU/TDhJDo_fbCI/AAAAAAAABME/XG4FgsOiRbM/s640/DSC_0812.JPG)
But even with both sets of protection, the underside of my camper looked like it had been hit with a sandblaster. The suspension swingarms have been stripped of their paint coating and its obvious everything underneath has been sprayed with gravel. But everything has metal stoneguards or some form of protection so no damage.
The point being is that even with all that protection, there is still a huge potential for damage and the components need to be up to it, as they will be hit if you travel on gravel roads. Any exposed plastic pipes will need protection and unlikely to survive if in the line of fire (without shielding).
Cheers
Captain
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That's actually a pretty good price. I looked around at a lot of truck shops before I bought them.
Yea, I've been looking for ages.. thus why I dont have any yet... :(
its that or if I can find some conveyor belt stuff.. used to deliver massive rolls of it in containers to Milpera years ago... that stuff would rock.. maybe even too stiff though.
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I made one for the old Triton out of conveyor belt off of a rock crusher, its at least 10mm thick and plenty flexable and because its reinforced it will handle anything you (or the tyres) can throw at it.
Now I just need to modify the mount on the support bar to suit the new MN Triton.
If you contact your local quarry (or if you know someone who works in a quarry/mine even better) they may sell you some old conveyor belt, we get it regularly at work for placing under track machines to avoid damage to the concrete at the workshop and road sufaces on site, these machines are 30+ tonne so it will put up with an absolute hiding.
Bubba :cheers: