To flap or not to flap, that is the question...

[f14av8r]

I researched this to death before deciding what path to take. We installed both flaps behind the rear wheels and a full width flap at the rear of our 35' diesel coach. I attended a great lecture on mud flaps at a rally and was convinced this was the best way to protect the underside of the coach (engine area) and the tow vehicle. I've towed my 2004 Lexus RX330 for over 25000 miles with this combination of flaps and using a Roadmaster Tow Defender. I honestly can't attribute any damage on the RX330 to road debris while towing.

I highly recommend Duraflap Mud Flaps as they make a superior product to anything you will find mass-marketed. They do superb custom work if you want a special logo. This link takes you to their RV site -Motorhome Mud Flaps And RV Mudflaps. I notice they actually used my flap as one of the examples - "Anchor's Aweigh" with the Navy Wings and F-14 logos. Their custom flaps can get expensive but they are worth every penny.

There are some important things about the full-width flap. First, it needs to be heavy and stiff enough so it doesn't blow up while you are driving. Otherwise it won't do its job. Those hula skirt things and many of the lightweight flaps are a waste of money. Second, it must be properly mounted far enough above the road (while the coach is at ride height) so that it doesn't kick up rocks but still low enough to do the job. You also will want to make sure it isn't crushed when you drop the coach off the air bags. Depending on the site, I sometimes have to pull mine out of the way before I level to make sure that doesn't happen. Duraflap provides a hole in the corner of the backing plate that makes it easy to do this with their flap.

Hope that helps!

[Steve N Sal]

We have a solid flap accross the rear. I would have to say it protects pretty good. I surely expected to see some stone damage but for the most part I pick up more of that just driving the car around town.

[f14av8r]

Originally Posted by MuckSavage

Thanks for bringing this thread up as I also have typ. "mud flaps" behind the tires, but not the long flap at the rear of the coach. I tow a white Jeep Cherokee & at the end of a days driving, the Jeep's so dirty, Ya almost don't want to touch it. I usually ask c.g. staff where the nearest car wash is. I wonder if the rear mounted flap would stop this? Also, my wife just ordered a new Fiat 500 Abarth. After seeing that the 500's flat-towable, it scares me that the car will be ruined. If I tow it, I might borrow an enclosed trailer just to keep it clean.

I don't think there is any way to keep the tow vehicle from getting dirty. There is a lot of turbulent air behind the coach as you go down the road. That creates an environment where anything and everything behind the coach will get covered in dust and dirt. The back of my coach and the tow car are usually pretty dirty after any trip. This is also a real problem for people that use lifts for their motorcycles.

[Nowabeachbum]

Randy (see above) has done great research and I agree with it including recommending Duraflap. I know this because I have had to replace my OEM flap with an exact copy from Duraflap(They recommend off the street height of 4"). The only caveat about mud flaps is debris in the road. While traveling on interstates, I had 2 things mudflap related, happen. First, a semi hit a tire “alligator” and threw it in my lane which I ran over. It hit the mudflap and bent it but it diverted the “alligator” away from the toad. A month later a car in front of me dropped a truck radiator it was carrying right in the lane. I straddled it successfully until the mudflap caught it and it yanked off the mudflap. Then both went straight into the toad. It did $5000. worth of damage to the toad. Mudflaps seem to be pretty successful stopping rock chips, just not radiator “chips”!!
Gary

[MuckSavage]

Wow! 5K damage. I can consider my '96 Cherokee totalled if that happened.

[rvjimmy]

Originally Posted by Nowabeachbum

Randy (see above) has done great research and I agree with it including recommending Duraflap. I know this because I have had to replace my OEM flap with an exact copy from Duraflap(They recommend off the street height of 4"). The only caveat about mud flaps is debris in the road. While traveling on interstates, I had 2 things mudflap related, happen. First, a semi hit a tire “alligator” and threw it in my lane which I ran over. It hit the mudflap and bent it but it diverted the “alligator” away from the toad. A month later a car in front of me dropped a truck radiator it was carrying right in the lane. I straddled it successfully until the mudflap caught it and it yanked off the mudflap. Then both went straight into the toad. It did $5000. worth of damage to the toad. Mudflaps seem to be pretty successful stopping rock chips, just not radiator “chips”!!
Gary

Man that print is so small a old guy can hardly read it.

[MSHappyCampers]

I think I will order the Ultra Guard from CW to start with. I believe I can make a DIY version of the Protect-a-Tow without too much trouble. Does anyone have any suggestions as to the kind of fabric I should use? It seems to me it will need to be porus to allow water to drain through, yet dense enough to prevent even the smallest rock and maybe most of the dust from getting through. Your suggestions will be appreciated as always!

[bachler]

This is an interesting post;; What we found was;;; Number 1 The large flap across the back of the coach;; By removing It we increased Our fuel mileage by 1 mile per gallon .. You ask How can that Be ??? simple you are not draging a Perachute along. 2 The flaps (as stated in proir posts) MUST be high enough of the road Not to hit the rocks And bounce them, back up into the Tow Car.we Have towed 5 cars over the years 1000000 Miles Even up to Chicken Alaska, No rock chips. Only Flaps behind the Duels And behind the front tires. You need not agree; These are our findings. That parachute is only for looks, and it looks stupid..

[Papa_Jim]

Originally Posted by bachler

This is an interesting post;; What we found was;;; Number 1 The large flap across the back of the coach;; By removing It we increased Our fuel mileage by 1 mile per gallon .. You ask How can that Be ??? simple you are not draging a Perachute along. 2 The flaps (as stated in proir posts) MUST be high enough of the road Not to hit the rocks And bounce them, back up into the Tow Car.we Have towed 5 cars over the years 1000000 Miles Even up to Chicken Alaska, No rock chips. Only Flaps behind the Duels And behind the front tires. You need not agree; These are our findings. That parachute is only for looks, and it looks stupid..

I think you raise an interesting point. Based on our experience, I have been thinking of cutting another 2" from our mudflap, or removing it entirely to see how that works.

[Jack1234]

We do not have a flap & have not experienced an undue amount of rock damage to our tow vehicle. If we were going to try anything I think we would go with the fabric tow protector/guard from Roadmaster.

Has anyone got any first hand experience with this system....does it work.... does it roll-up and stow as advertised....is it a hassle to live with? It appears to be a good alternative to the big rubber parachute!

[Dutch Star Don]

Just keep in mind that more things you add that requires disassembly or removal in order to detach the toad, soon becomes a pain and adds that much more work. Such as the add on rock guards to the tow bars and the under slung blanket material. I like to keep it simple.

I put a bra on the front of my truck at the beginniong of a trip and leave it on until I return home. I have the mudflap and it works well. My toad and towbar are all set up for a quick disconnect so that it doesn't become a chore.

As I said in my first post, the OP's coach came with a full width mudflap with the Monaco logo in stainless steel. Personally, I think the DP's look good with the mudflap. Its one of the items that richens the look.

The Rock Solid is a nice little mud flap, but I'll think you'll find that its very lightweight and will not be AS effective. As mentioned in an earlier post, the mudflaps need to be a heavy duty rubber assembly with a metal framework, just like the OEM flap.

[f14av8r]

Originally Posted by bachler

This is an interesting post;; What we found was;;; Number 1 The large flap across the back of the coach;; By removing It we increased Our fuel mileage by 1 mile per gallon .. You ask How can that Be ??? simple you are not draging a Perachute along. 2 The flaps (as stated in proir posts) MUST be high enough of the road Not to hit the rocks And bounce them, back up into the Tow Car.we Have towed 5 cars over the years 1000000 Miles Even up to Chicken Alaska, No rock chips. Only Flaps behind the Duels And behind the front tires. You need not agree; These are our findings. That parachute is only for looks, and it looks stupid..

I agree the full-width mud flaps are mostly for looks - and I suspect most of us don't think they look stupid.

I seriously doubt that removing a rear flap would make a significant improvement in fuel mileage. The air at the rear of the coach is so disturbed that the flap can't create a significant contribution to parasitic drag. RVrs self reported fuel mileage figures are a lot like fish stories . . .

[f14av8r]

Originally Posted by Jack1234

We do not have a flap & have not experienced an undue amount of rock damage to our tow vehicle. If we were going to try anything I think we would go with the fabric tow protector/guard from Roadmaster.

Has anyone got any first hand experience with this system....does it work.... does it roll-up and stow as advertised....is it a hassle to live with? It appears to be a good alternative to the big rubber parachute!

I use the roadmaster Tow Defender and like it a lot. It is easy to deploy and stows nicely at the rear of the coach when not in use. It doesn't interfere with your tow bar. You can choose to use it or leave it stowed - something we sometimes do for very short trips.

Hope that helps.

[Finhawk]

If you have a Roadmaster Tow System, check out the Tow Defender. Over 20K of towing with no big flap, only the small ones that came with the rig, and no damage at all. I had more dings from just driving the Toads-----2 of them, a Subaru and then graduated to a Jeep