Rear Dirt Skirt / Splash Guard

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4DogsRV

4DogsRV

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 18, 2013
Posts
47
Location
North Carolina
We were wanting to attach some kind of protection on the underside of the rig at the back to prevent debri etc. hitting our toad. I have done extensive research but can find no definitive answer as to wether we should put up a solid guard or go for the lighter, "hula skirt" option. Another question is, does anyone have a 34D with a guard and if so, where did you mount it.

Thanks guys.
 
I have seen theory proposed that a skirt, close to the ground, creates a low pressure area and turbulence behind it that makes problem worse, not better, especially on a gravel or dirt road. YMMV
 
We have a solid rubber mounted just below the rear bumper on our 2012 Tioga , we tow an open car trailer and it does not effect the driving and no adverse affects to car  on trailer
 
There is no predicting what "debris" you might encounter (if any), so no good answer to this question.  The lighter the material in the skirt, the less it can stop. And nothing will stop everything. A piece of metal or a tire tread at 60 mph is going to bull through anything you can hang off the back (short of armor plate, anyway), or slip underneath it. There are basically three types: (1) hula skirt (basically a hanging broom), (2) rubber flap (solid rubber with multiple splits), (3) solid (one or two piece solid rubber). 

There is also ample evidence that a skirt can actually cause things to kick up rather than preventing that. Especially if it is hung fairly low. Gravel or loose stone is prone to that, for example.

There are also other types of tow car shields that attach to the tow bar. Examples are the Roadmaster Guardian and Defender and Blue Ox Karguard.
https://jet.com/product/detail/9f6030da604e40bbac586f0c72a01be7
http://www.hitchsource.com/blue-ox-kargard-protective-shield-p-30324.html

I'm not trying to talk you out of getting one - just trying to set your expectations at a reasonable level.
 
We use a product called protectatow, look it up on the internet. Works well for us and easy to install. It is basically a heavy mesh that fits between the toad and the motorhome. Does seem to protect against rocks and debris. Dust will still gets by.

Bill
 
Just an aside on heavy dust, after many miles of dirt road, toad was dust covered, but the worst was I had forgotten to turn the AC unit to the "inside air" position. When I turned the AC on, an unbelievable amount of dust came out. I'm talking "can't see to drive" dust inside the car. Lesson learned.

I think protector mesh type is best idea.
 
Another vote for the Protect-A-Tow. We've used ours for a number of years now, on two different toads. It not only protects the toad, but also protects the tow bar, cables, and wires connecting the coach to the toad. Hooking it up only takes a minute.
 
We have experimented with both the broom skirting, solid flap and nothing but the flaps at the rear tires/wheels and have found no real difference.  That said, the main thing is not to have them too close to the ground, I have seem more damage done by having the flap contact the ground when traveling over road undulations.  Seems about 4" above ground on a tag coach and a little more on a non-tag is what I have found to be about the perfect height.

Also, one thing to consider, depending on the particular toad, is the possibility of the toad throwing debris forward not necessarily the coach throwing debris back onto the toad.  I have found with more and more aggressive tires and lifts on our Jeeps that the tires will actually throw debris forward either above our Tow Defender or between the bumper and the fenders which is more prevalent on stubby bumpers or mid-width bumpers.

I have created a removable flap that installs to fill the gap between the front fenders and the bumper on our Jeep which keeps the rocks from flying forward and chipping the paint on the rear of the coach and/or bouncing back onto the front of the Jeep.

Mike.
 
Gary RV Roamer said:
There is no predicting what "debris" you might encounter (if any), so no good answer to this question.  The lighter the material in the skirt, the less it can stop. And nothing will stop everything. A piece of metal or a tire tread at 60 mph is going to bull through anything you can hang off the back (short of armor plate, anyway), or slip underneath it. There are basically three types: (1) hula skirt (basically a hanging broom), (2) rubber flap (solid rubber with multiple splits), (3) solid (one or two piece solid rubber). 

There is also ample evidence that a skirt can actually cause things to kick up rather than preventing that. Especially if it is hung fairly low. Gravel or loose stone is prone to that, for example.

There are also other types of tow car shields that attach to the tow bar. Examples are the Roadmaster Guardian and Defender and Blue Ox Karguard.
https://jet.com/product/detail/9f6030da604e40bbac586f0c72a01be7
http://www.hitchsource.com/blue-ox-kargard-protective-shield-p-30324.html

I'm not trying to talk you out of getting one - just trying to set your expectations at a reasonable level.
Click to expand...

Thank you Gary, great info that I will certainly look into.
 
Well thank you all for the valuable input. We had a good look at that Protect-a-tow and are thinking that may be the way to solve the issue - quick to install, lightweight and quite efficient. We will do some more research and keep you all posted.

Thanks again!
 
We've been using the same Protect-A-Tow since 2008 on two different toads so far, and over 40,000 towing miles. I do have a couple of corners where the hem is starting to tear a little, so I'll be stitching those up with a large upholstery needle and some 150 lb test braided fish line left over from another project.
 
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