Rock Guards?

[TomW]

I have finished fiberglassing my roof seams and wetting out the exterior of my project (GenBenroy).

I have priced out the alum. treadplate for a rock guard and my heart skipped a beat. $8.75/sq foot for 1/8" alum tread plate.

I have seen projects without rock guards and some with alum guards. Any advice, suggestions? Front wall would be two pieces of 1/8 luan thick with epoxy coating if I do not use the alum tread plate.

How well will the epoxy coating hold up to the road wear, etc? Should I lay a piece of fiberglass under the epoxy to add strength?

Thanks.

[madjack]

...are you going off road...if not, then under most conditions the epoxy over a 1/4" of ply will do just fine...you can certainly add some fiberglass if you really feel you need to...another alternative is to make or have made a nose bra...
madjack

[doug hodder]

Like Jack sez....you are going to be fine as far as structural things...but for dings and chips in the paint or on aluminum skin, you're going to get them. My 49 Kit looked like someone took a ball peen hammer to the front of it when I got it, because it was a "hunter special".

I get a padded bra for the fronts of mine, in a Tonneau cover type material, UV resistant. Snaps on and off so you can clean behind. They take care of the small stuff on the road and the road grease from over lubed drivelines on the big rigs. I am mostly on asphalt however. Any serious off road use or high speed gravel roads and you might want to have something more substantial like the plate you mentioned. Others experience may vary....just what works for me. Doug

[TomW]

I am not planning on going "off-road". Mostly normal highway and state parks access.

The trailer is a 5 x 10 with a 4" drop axle with 15" low profile tires. Long tongue, 48", coupler to front wall.

I will try and post pictures before painting.

[Ken A Hood]

What about something like this? Not sure the thickness, but it says it's brushed aluminum with a diamond pattern.

http://www.tjtrailers.com/store/product11253.html

[BrwBier]

My trailer is close to my van, 1/2 the width plus 2", and I did not notice dings in the body but my home built aluminum fenders have many dings in them from a 2500 mile trip mostly interstate. I was surprised by the amount of small Pitts in the aluminum and now wonder if I really want expensive fiberglass fenders.
Brwbier

[Wimperdink]

my home built aluminum fenders have many dings in them from a 2500 mile trip mostly interstate. I was surprised by the amount of small Pitts in the aluminum and now wonder if I really want expensive fiberglass fenders.
Brwbier

You can spray some rubberized undercoating under your fenders and save yourself some dings. I robbed the idea from someone else on this board and cant remember who mentioned it to give them credit. Sorry whomever.

[BrwBier]

I did spray the underside with rubberized undercoating. The dings are from the front not from the tires throwing stones. It's more like sand blasted but with bigger sand pebbles.
Brwbier

[doug hodder]

Glass fenders will get star cracks in them from rocks being thrown off the tires on the trailer. Chips on the front, star cracks on the surface from being hit from underneath, but it does take a fairly good sized stone to do it. I've repaired lots of large truck hoods with that ailment. Doug

[Wimperdink]

I did spray the underside with rubberized undercoating. The dings are from the front not from the tires throwing stones. It's more like sand blasted but with bigger sand pebbles.
Brwbier

Oops sorry. Ok how about a leather fender bra. Done properly could look really good. (also not my idea, seen the pics before, and again sorry I dont know who to give credit to)

[sjensensr]

I just bought some .063? diamond and skinned it over the wood. It's plenty thick for a rock guard and was $3.75 a square at both places I called.