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10-31-2018, 08:17 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Santa Rosa Beach, FL
Posts: 362
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Blue Ox Karguard II success with Newmars?
On our recent 3200 mile trip, I encountered numerous rock picks in the toad windshield and paint. I had not had this in past trips, and this trip was through New Mexico and the West Texas Permian basin.
The Blue Ox Karguard II gets good reviews, but I thought I would check with this experienced group of travelers for your opinions before I make a decision on if and what to get.
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Newmar Owners Club
Tom, Dana, and Rolex
23 Newmar ESSEX 4569 with 21 Wrangler 4XE
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10-31-2018, 08:38 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Spartan Chassis
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Northwest Washington State or Western Montana, depending on the season.
Posts: 3,473
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I have had no experience specifically with the Blue Ox Kargard II, but have used the very similar Roadmaster Tow Defender for the past three years with good success. No rock dings, paint chips or broken headlights. I like the concept of keeping debris down low so that it can pass safely under the towed vehicle.
TJ
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Jim (W7DHC), Diane & Mini Schnauzers, Lizzy & Ellie
2018 Mountain Aire 4047
2014 Honda CR-V 2020 Lincoln Nautilus "toad" w/AF1
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10-31-2018, 09:15 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Northern Oklahoma
Posts: 5,062
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I've used the Kargard II on my 2017 Wrangler for 6,100 miles with no paint or glass chips.
It's a little awkward rolling up when disconnecting from the coach but not bad. Also it took a little bit of working to make sure it reached from from the coach to the Wrangler. I wonder myself how long that fabric will last and how often it has to be replaced.
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2015 Dutch Star 4018
2017 Jeep Wrangler Sahara
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10-31-2018, 09:19 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Posts: 353
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Bchtravlr, I own a 2016 DSDP 4369 and had a similar experience last summer with rock damage to my toad. I purchased a Kargard II thinking that would solve the problem. It worked fine, but ... the rear facing engine exhaust melted and deformed the Kargard II fabric. There wasn’t enough vertical separation between the exhaust and the Kargard II based on the way it’s mounted. I took the unit off and it is currently rolled up and in the corner of my garage. There may be a solution to the exhaust heat problem out there, but I don’t know what it is.
For my cross country trip this summer based on an earlier IRV2 thread, I opted to remove hanging Newmar rock guard on the rear of the coach and didn’t have any toad damage or road debris problems the entire 7,000 mile trip.
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Tom & Linda
2016 Dutch Star 4369
2016 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited
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10-31-2018, 09:35 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Fargo, North Dakota
Posts: 458
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I strongly concur with the practice of removing the “mud flap” hanging at the rear of the coach. After some painful experiences with rocks and my toad, My mud flap is permanently hanging in my garage. I assert that removing this flap (free advertisement) will do more to protect your toad than the Kargard- at no cost.
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RB - North Dakota
2016 VTDP 3709 dragging a 2018 Jeep Wrangler JK Sahara
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10-31-2018, 10:16 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,733
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The NEWMAR rock guard is permanent wall art for me. Towed our F150 to Alaska and back. No chips or pits. No extra protective devices. Standard mud flaps work just fine.
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2018 Dutch Star 4369
Everything was working fine, until it wasn't.
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10-31-2018, 10:23 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,813
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We’ve used the Kargard II since December 2015. The first trip out it experienced the exhaust heat related somewhat minor deformation. Not anymore since then. It works good as far as I can tell. After talking with a few satisfied users, we also just started using this cover as added protection for the front of the Jeep.
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10-31-2018, 10:38 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: AB
Posts: 7,587
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I used both the roll up and the solid shield mounted on the tow bar when we had our Dutchstar. After removing the rear flap I quit using them and in over three years and 25K miles had Zero rock chips and still have the OEM windshield in our 2013 CRV.
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2019 Unity LTV CB, pushed by a 2013 Honda CRV, BlueOx Baseplate, Aventa Bar & Patriot Brake
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11-01-2018, 03:36 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 1,412
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Took the rear flap off the day we picked it up. Almost two years full time and not a single chip on the toad. Wish I could say that about the coach windshield.
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Paul, Christy and Leap
2017 Dutch Star 4018, 2021 Jeep Wrangler
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11-01-2018, 04:22 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Clearwater, Fl
Posts: 230
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On our 12,000 mile trip to Alaska, we used the solid guard. Removed the Newmar rock guard and bought a $10 yoga mat and covered the windshield of the Jeep. No damage.
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Winter in Florida, traveling the country and beyond with my beautiful wife of 36 years.
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11-01-2018, 10:09 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Kingston, TN
Posts: 193
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We've used the Kargard II protector with our 2016 DS for 21000 miles. We have been very pleased with how it has protected the front of our Jeep Wrangler. Like others have stated, it takes a minute or two to roll the screen up after use, but to me its well worth the effort.
Allen
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Allen & Angel
2019 Dutch Star 4369, 2016 Dutch Star 4018 (Sold)
2021 Jeep Rubicon Unlimited Xtreme Recon, Blue Ox, Air Force One
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11-01-2018, 10:43 AM
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 2,079
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ptw
Took the rear flap off the day we picked it up. Almost two years full time and not a single chip on the toad. Wish I could say that about the coach windshield.
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Road scrapper removed from my NA from the beginning. So far the Wrangler has 10,000 miles behind the NA and 8,000 mines on its own. Only one small windshield nick. Don't know if it happened behind the NA or on its own.
Ironic, I think folks are going through all these extra steps to protect the TOAD from the road scrapper under the coach throwing up rocks on the TOAD.
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