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ventport · 06-10-2013, 09:43 AM

Here is my attempt to save some money and make my own rock guards for the front windows of my 77 Argosy 24'. I used 1/2" electrical conduit and the pebbly grained fiberglass panels they sell at the home stores.

GAStreamin · 06-10-2013, 09:45 AM

This is a great idea! Let us know how it holds up while traveling.

TG Twinkie · 06-10-2013, 01:18 PM

I built a similar unit out of the same fiberglass material. It has held up fine for 3 years and close to 15K miles of traveling.

perryg114 · 06-10-2013, 01:26 PM

How does it come on and off ?

Do you have some photos showing how the FRP board is attached to the pipe?

Perry

GAStreamin · 06-10-2013, 02:54 PM

That is interesting! Conduit is cheap and not real heavy. I have used it to make drapery rods. Do you have a pattern for the shields? How does the fiberglass curve around? I am not familiar with that material. Can you make it other colors?

GAStreamin · 06-10-2013, 02:55 PM

I guess the pebbly fiberglass material just bends around, but did you heat the conduit to bend it?

newsgauger · 06-10-2013, 03:08 PM

Ventport, great idea and not that expensive either...Nice job, but show and tell us more.

GAStreamin, the metal conduit could be bent in a standard tube bender. Your local electrian should have on hand and the best thing is...No heating required!

Chris

maggieevans · 06-10-2013, 03:42 PM

Looks Great!

desertair27 · 06-10-2013, 03:47 PM

It does look really good! Great idea!

ventport · 06-10-2013, 04:19 PM

I used a conduit bender that I bought at Menards a few years ago to bend the conduit. Home Depot has them and they are under $20. I just held it up to the window and bent it by eye. I spaced it out with 1 1/2" foam insulation to see how it fit. The fiberglass is just pop riveted on with 1/8" pop rivets. The fiberglass panel is just wraped around the conduit frame. They are held on to the trailer with one bolt for each wrap window and 2 bolts for the center window. I got knobs for the bolts at my local hardware store. The nuts that they screw into were welded to the conduit frames. I used aluminum angle with a slot cut in it and riveted to the trailer that the panels hook into. The wing windows have 3 hooks, two top and one lower back and one knob and bolt lower front to attach to the trailer. The center guard has two pins that go into a hole in the wing guards at the top and two bolts with knobs on the bottom. Hope this and the pictures make sense. Brian

**Kevin245** · 06-10-2013, 05:15 PM

Impressive. Best Airstream related idea I've seen in a very long time.

Kevin

cwf · 06-10-2013, 05:45 PM

Sausage making ain't pretty, but I like your results!

Savage68 · 06-10-2013, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ventport

I used a conduit bender that I bought at Menards a few years ago to bend the conduit. Home Depot has them and they are under $20. I just held it up to the window and bent it by eye. I spaced it out with 1 1/2" foam insulation to see how it fit. The fiberglass is just pop riveted on with 1/8" pop rivets. The fiberglass panel is just wraped around the conduit frame. They are held on to the trailer with one bolt for each wrap window and 2 bolts for the center window. I got knobs for the bolts at my local hardware store. The nuts that they screw into were welded to the conduit frames. I used aluminum angle with a slot cut in it and riveted to the trailer that the panels hook into. The wing windows have 3 hooks, two top and one lower back and one knob and bolt lower front to attach to the trailer. The center guard has two pins that go into a hole in the wing guards at the top and two bolts with knobs on the bottom. Hope this and the pictures make sense. Brian

One aspect of this system that is most attractive is the limited number of mounting points required which also minimizes
the number of holes to be drilled in or near, the frame.

ventport · 06-11-2013, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savage68

One aspect of this system that is most attractive is the limited number of mounting points required which also minimizes
the number of holes to be drilled in or near, the frame.

I checked and there are only 18 rivet holes. 10 of which are in the center of the rub rail so they would be covered by the plastic center piece if the brackets were removed.

Last Open Road · 07-13-2013, 10:40 AM

3M makes a clear plastic self-adhesive material for covering expensive headlights. It's transparent, thick, flexible, and really does protect from all except very large pointy rocks/boulders. I believe (hope) you can buy it in sheets large enough to fully cover a trailer window.

Peel off the backing strip and you have a very strong adhesive backing that resists extreme cold (not sure about extreme heat - check manufacturers specs online). Some headlights get very hot, particularly if covered by this material.

I've been running this stuff on my vehicles' headlights for years with no fading, discolouration, shrinking, stretching, or peeling off.

NOTE: this is NOT the thinner stone guard plastic you can adhere to the front of your car. It's quite a bit thicker, and offers more protection.

Advantages:
- protects glass, metal without having to drill any holes in the trailer body.
- can draw cutlines on it with a pen. Cuts easily with ordinary scissors.
- can be peeled off (but likely not re-used).
- depending on your trailer layout, you'll still be able to see through the trailer
windows fore and aft while driving.

Disadvantages:
- adhesive is very strong. Take care installing it on the glass or metal surface, placing it exactly where you want it, 'cause you're not going to be able to move it once the adhesive touches the glass or metal. Product does come with instruction tips on how to install. Alternatively you could buy the stuff, and pay a window tinting business to cut it to shape and install it.
- like any good product that really works, it's expensive (but cheaper than replacing the glass).

I'll try to source this material through 3M to ascertain sizes available, and approximate costs. Anyone else out there have info on this product?

Remember to keep the shiny side up,
Will

DryFly · 07-14-2013, 09:44 AM

I've used the 3M product on large glass windows on a couple of our buildings in the past. It is a very tough product and protects glass from breakage very well. One problem with it though is that if the glass is scratched or pitted, that imperfection is magnified when the 3M film is put on. It can look pretty ugly.
Just about any glass shop can order it (and install it). It comes in several thicknesses depending on the level of protection needed.

luvoldstuff · 07-14-2013, 11:09 AM

Wouldn't smoked lexan also work? For Airstreams, Rivet it to the frame, protect the edges with door edge guard? Maybe?
Or even some aluminum sheets riveted to the frame, maybe painted black(automotive 2 part) to mimic the factory guards?

I did make some lower guards out of stainless sheets (no frame), with spacers,screws, finishing washers and plastic edging, I've been real happy with them (2 years)!

ventport · 07-16-2013, 04:35 PM

I think Smoked Lexan would work just fine, and look great. I used the pebbled fiberglass because I had a sheet left over from another project. Plus I am cheap!