Towing Protection for the boat

[Tanner03]

Some of you might remember my post about rock chips in my gelcoat last year. The problem is coming from a poor chip seal job on the road in front of my house. Since this is not going away anytime soon I need to find something to help protect the boat. I found these but they seem a little spendy....

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...&parentType=index&indexId=cat20171&hasJS=true

I have normal mud flaps but they just are not enough to stop the stones.

Any ideas? Or other suggestions of what has worked for you?

Thanks!
Tanner

 

[Sundancer]

That seems like an awful lot of money for a large chunk of rubber and a steel bracket? Why not just run down and buy an old inner tub and construct some that hang from the bumpers with some weights at the bottom? Maybe just extend your current mudflap?

Around here the aluminum jet boat crowd use their boats year round and usually have a bra that covers the nose of their boat to keep rock chips from putting pits on the waterside of the bow. I'm sure it's probably more than $200 or so. You could always drive slower? :huh:

 

[Stray Cat]

Tanner - I see you live in Iowa....you might want to try an industrial belting distributor like Apache Hose and Belting in Cedar Rapids. They stock rubber belts is various thickness and widths. They will cut what ever length you want. If you are handy, you could make your own brackets to hang from your bumper similar to the one like Cabella's. Heck you could customize it by putting a chrome S/R logo on it or the posing chrome trucker ladies :wink:

 

[STIHLBOLTS]

Once cheap solution would be to buy a small disposable tarp, say a 4x6 piece. Cut it half way up in the middle. Duct tape the cut edges so they don't fray. Install some grommets at the corners of the cuts and get some bungee cords. Wrap it around the front of the boat forming a "V". It's a solution that won't look the prettiest and the tarp may last a season of boating, but it is a practical one. There was a larger version of this that wrapped around the entire front of the boat I saw on the web a couple of years back but I could not find it today.

Using a Nolan's boat as a example this is kind of what it might look like installed.

 

[Tanner03]

Thanks for all the ideas!

I thought i would ad a pic of my rig...

The problem is the tires load up with the chip seal and throw it all the way to boat ramp so speed isnt really problem.

I actully was thinking of talking with Apache I work just down the road from them.

The dealer wants $250 to fix the current damage and that includes fixing the chips and replacing the decal on one side. I want to try and fix it myself but me and decals just dont get along it never seems to come out right.

Stihlbotls I know what your talking about on the shield that they use to sell for trailers it was sold by somebody from Canada and I cant find it either. That would be the best option if still available.

 

[STIHLBOLTS]

You remember what it looked like, it would not be that hard to make one. You might even be able to make it out of pvc tubing and netting. :grin:

The Canadian company was asking a lot for the product. I don't think they did well at the price point and shipping costs. :smt009

I remembered after I posted this I had their web site on my desk top.

www.trailer-rockguard.com

Looks like they are still in business. :thumbsup:

 

[Tanner03]

yep thats it...