Country Coach Owners Forum

Country Coach Restoration, Repair & Parts Forums => Country Coach Archive => Topic started by: Glen Gieg on September 07, 2004, 07:23:30 pm

Title: Toad guards
Post by: Glen Gieg on September 07, 2004, 07:23:30 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 11465 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/11465)
Do any of you folks use a "toad guard" to protect the towed vehicle from rocks? I have an '04 Magna that has a very low full mudguard on it, so am wondering if that thing would give enough protection.
I did purchase a Roadmaster guard when I got my Falcon All-Terrain tow bar, but it is a hassle (kind of) taking it off and on the car.
Of course, I do not want to knick up my Jeep. What thinketh you out there?
Title: Re: Toad guards
Post by: Faa_engineer on September 07, 2004, 08:24:10 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 11468 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/11468)
10,000+ toad miles on my suburban behind my '95 Intrigue and nay a knick. No shield.
Mike

'95 Intrigue 10061

Quote from: Glen Gieg
Do any of you folks use a "toad guard" to protect the towed

vehicle

Quote
from rocks? I have an '04 Magna that has a very low full mudguard > on it, so am wondering if that thing would give enough

protection.

Quote
I did purchase a Roadmaster guard when I got my Falcon All-Terrain > tow bar, but it is a hassle (kind of) taking it off and on the

car.

Quote
Of course, I do not want to knick up my Jeep. What thinketh you

out
Title: Re: Toad guards
Post by: George Sanders on September 07, 2004, 10:44:20 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 11469 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/11469)
Glen, I used one of those vinyl front end covers for a while. You know, the ones that cover the whole front end, hood and winshield.
Huge, filthy pain in the rear.

I have towed my current Grand Cherokee about 40K miles and really don't see any stone impact from that towing. I used to have a coach with an 8V92 that slobbered oil all over the car. I see more dulling of the finish from that experience.

I do not and would not bother with a car protector.

George Sanders
'04 Allure 31038
Mountain Brook, AL

Quote from: Glen Gieg
Do any of you folks use a "toad guard" to protect the towed vehicle > from rocks? I have an '04 Magna that has a very low full mudguard > on it, so am wondering if that thing would give enough protection.
I did purchase a Roadmaster guard when I got my Falcon All-Terrain > tow bar, but it is a hassle (kind of) taking it off and on the

car.

Quote
Of course, I do not want to knick up my Jeep. What thinketh you

out
Title: Re: Toad guards
Post by: Glen Gieg on September 07, 2004, 11:55:26 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 11470 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/11470)
---

Thanks for the info, guys. I think I'll leave it home! Headin' out Sept. 15 for Southern Utah, Albuquerque, Dallas, then the CC rally in New Orleans.

Glen Gieg
Portland

In Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com (Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com), "George Sanders" wrote:

Quote
Glen, I used one of those vinyl front end covers for a while. You > know, the ones that cover the whole front end, hood and

winshield.

Quote
Huge, filthy pain in the rear.

I have towed my current Grand Cherokee about 40K miles and really > don't see any stone impact from that towing. I used to have a

coach

Quote
with an 8V92 that slobbered oil all over the car. I see more

dulling

Quote
of the finish from that experience.

I do not and would not bother with a car protector.

George Sanders
'04 Allure 31038
Mountain Brook, AL

Quote from: Glen Gieg"[/quote
Quote
>]
> Do any of you folks use a "toad guard" to protect the towed

vehicle

Quote
from rocks? I have an '04 Magna that has a very low full

mudguard

Quote
on it, so am wondering if that thing would give enough

protection.

Quote
I did purchase a Roadmaster guard when I got my Falcon All-

Terrain
Title: Re: Toad guards - $10,000 damage
Post by: Bob Kumza on September 09, 2004, 03:39:29 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 11504 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/11504)
Last year while camping at ABC RV Park in Branson, I met a guy with the same toad as mine. I commented on it and he invited me back to take a closer look at his toad. His new Acura MDX had over $10,000 damage from traveling over a short distance on road that had been recently tarred and chipped. The headlights, fog lights, windshield and rear view mirrors were all shattered, the radiator had a hole in it and the entire front of the car looked like someone had blasted it with a shotgun. Total damages exceeded $10,000.

He explained that when he got to the newly chipped section of road, he slowed way down to about 35 or 40 mph. He figured his full length mudflap across the rear of his coach and the smaller mudflaps behind each rear wheel would stop most of the damage. WRONG!

So I asked this coach owner which toad guard he had planned to purchase. He told me that he recently met a caravan returning from Alaska. He "interviewed" each of the coach owners to see which toad guard performed the best. People that used the large lexan and plastic shields had some unusual damage - rocks would bounce off the plastic/lexan and then hit the back of the coach and chip the paint off the coach rear. The lexan/plastic shields also did not prevent windshield damage as several owners had broken windshields. He said that it seemed like users of the Blue Ox Underskirt had the least amount of damage. You can see what the underskirt looks like here:
http://www.aemfg.com/Accessories/rvunderskirt.html (http://www.aemfg.com/Accessories/rvunderskirt.html)
We installed the underskirt and the optional mounting bar that goes on the car one year ago. We find it easy to hook-up to the car and simple to put away. We just roll it up and store it under our rear bumper with a few bungie cords. It also keeps the dust off the car.

If you travel exclusively on interstate highways, a toad guard may not be needed, but if you venture off the interstates, it may be a worthwhile investment.

Regards,

Bob Kumza

Intrigue #11581

Quote from: Glen Gieg
Do any of you folks use a "toad guard" to protect the towed

vehicle

Quote
from rocks? I have an '04 Magna that has a very low full mudguard > on it, so am wondering if that thing would give enough

protection.

Quote
I did purchase a Roadmaster guard when I got my Falcon All-Terrain > tow bar, but it is a hassle (kind of) taking it off and on the

car.

Quote
Of course, I do not want to knick up my Jeep. What thinketh you

out