is a rock guard necessary?

[Sav'h Steve]

Originally Posted by Peter&Denise

Front window rock guards are usually mounted on a hinge just above the window. Mine uses a continuous extruded aluminum type of hinge, kind of like two "C's" that slide into eachother. Very commonly used for the back doors on truck caps, you could probably get most of what you need to fabricate a rock guard from any place that sells, installs and repairs truck caps and accessories. P.

I don't have either window rock guards or segment protectors.

I am interested if others have made their own using truck cap accessories, etc.

Of concern is the possibility of leaks from the attachment above the windows as Silvertwinkie suggests.

Steve

[aluminauts]

There were a few Airstreams at the Florida State Rally that had use Rhino Liner to coat the front segments of their trailers. One owner described it as 3 layers of the normal bed liner application to give some thickness (for stone protection) and ended on each side with a gentle curve from window to belly (for an aesthetic look).

The owner I talked to had done his in black ( silver might have been even cooler ) before a trip to Alaska. He was very pleased with the protection it provided and liked the look.

[Silvertwinkie]

Yea, those coatings do a great job, but in my opinion they don't look very good. Plus I'm in the camp of those not liking to put anything on the finish of the coach.

[Sav'h Steve]

Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie

Yea, those coatings do a great job, but in my opinion they don't look very good. Plus I'm in the camp of those not liking to put anything on the finish of the coach.

I agree with you!

But in the several years I have been on this forum, I have seen one S.C. man who made SS segments and only heard of a few who replaced the acrylic in older vintage rock guards over the windows. I was looking for someone who successfully made the 3 covers for later model curved window trailers from local parts.

Steve

[Janet H]

I wonder how much weight you add with Rhino liner....?

[fireflyinva]

Originally Posted by Sav'h Steve

I agree with you!

But in the several years I have been on this forum, I have seen one S.C. man who made SS segments and only heard of a few who replaced the acrylic in older vintage rock guards over the windows. I was looking for someone who successfully made the 3 covers for later model curved window trailers from local parts.

Steve

I wasn't considering recreating the old ones entirely. I figured that it would be pretty easy to make a front window cover out of aluminum. The tough part would be attaching it, since it would need a separate system from the existing window. The idea of using an awning bracket has possibilities, since it would operate off a separate hinge.

Bear in mind, this was all speculative thinking, for that distant someday when long trips take us into dirt road territory.

Mary

[flyfisher]

Originally Posted by alvinator

And here is what happens with the low rockguards on a 2005 28 classic, dents! See attached thumbnails.

I wrote Airstream about the problem and asked them to consider replacing my low rockguards with their new higher rockguards and here is their reply:

Thanks for the pictures and the note. Unfortunately, swapping out rock guards are not covered under your warranty. In researching your records, your trailer was delivered in August of 2004. The higher rockguards were introduced as a running line change in mid-2005. Your current rock guards did not fail.

I will give you the part numbers of the higher rock guards. They are: 685275-101 CS & 685275-102.

This can be obtained at any Airstream dealer. Thanks for your inquiry.

"Your current rock guards did not fail." I disagree and I have the dents to prove it.

Any suggestions?

I too have the Enkay's, and wouldn't ever want to be without them. I hear they may be giving a 10% discount if you tell them about all the nice things people on this forum say about them. I only wish you could buy them in an even wider size than they are now, because I still get some rocks, but nothing like it appears you got.

I saw a guy in MT last summer who had customized his Enkay's by cutting 2 additional strips of rubber about 18-24" long x 6" high, similar to the mudflap rubber that Enkay uses, and then he had these rubber strips screwed onto metal bars which he had welded to the top of the bars that the Enkay mudflaps attach to. He had a 4x4 truck (as I do) and claimed that some rocks came off his tires and went both above and below his truck bumper, but above the Enkay's -- possibly hitting his trailer about where it appears your rocks hit. If I get ambitious sometime, I may do this also.

For the moment, I have oversized front and rear mudflaps behind all of my truck tires in addition to the Enkays.

John

[Silvertwinkie]

John, Enkay also has a wider flap for the dually trucks, perhaps that might be something to consider......

[Gunnyusmc]

Camping World sells a kit for about $75. that goes all the way across my 2005 F250.
All you have to buy is a piece of angle. It bolts on just like the Enkay. Then you cut holes for safety chains and elec. cord.
Has worked well for my rig.

Don

[67caravel]

Alvinator,

Any luck installing the new rock guards (or "segment what-nots")?

Interested in what it takes - how difficult...

[Anon]

I have never had one on any of my Argosys but I have had them on Airstreams. I do plan on putting one on after I repaint it this fall.
Janet and Janet's Husband have kindly supplied me with the step-by-step directions for installing one on my Minuet.
I really do not want to bust out a window. That's for sure!

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by fireflyinva

I've been curious about the old window rock guards. What holds them on to the window frame? I just replaced our front window and puzzled over attachment as I worked on it. I was considering that we could possibly one day fabricate our own rock guard if we could figure out where it would attach.

Thanks!

Mary

Mary, it looks like your question wasn't fully answered, at least as far as vintage Airstreams go. Our factory guard on our similar-aged coach has an aluminum frame, two slide rails, one on each side, and a piano hinge across the top. It partially obscures the emblem that reads "AIRSTREAM" over the front window, I am told that is how it was done way back when. It is riveted on the trailer and the frame for the guard. The guard itself is a green-colored corrugated fiberglass sheet, available at any home-improvement store. The aluminum frame may be a little harder to come by, unless you are good at working with soft metals. Here is a photo of ours:

[DavidsonOverlander]

We don't have any kind of guard on our '64 Overlander, and I wouldn't want to add anything that would obscure the view through the trailer. As several people said earlier in this forum it's nice to be able to see those cars who are following too closely. It also makes it easier when backing into a site. I'd really miss that view if the window was covered. We've driven well over 20,000 miles in the past year (including Alaska) and have not had a problem.

[alvinator]

Xray asked about my rockguard dilemma. We decided that the $500+ for the new higher rockguards was too much so we opted for extra large mudflaps for our van.