Mud flaps

[LSepulveda]

The motorhome I purchased did not have mud flaps. I plan to tow either a car, or a two motorcycle trailer, at different time of course. Should I have mud flaps installed? Do they work? Any particular brand? Is there a better option, like covering the towed vehicle or motorcycles?

Lou

[read & learn]

There are few types available.
The best for stopping rocks or blocks of wood is the solid type, of cause at more of a expense.
If you will be on dirt or gravel roads then also think also about a guard that attachs to your tow bar.

[AFChap]

Check the body/wheel wells just behind the rear wheels. Most have a short mud flap there -- you may see where yours were attached if it had them at one time. You can buy a truck mud flap at a truck stop and cut it down to the shorter lengths you need. You probably should have flaps there. Look at some other coaches and I imagine you will see flaps in that position.

If you do decide to install the solid flap all the way across the rear, beware... My coach has one, BUT, all I have read about them indicates they can cause more damage than they prevent, particularly if they are mounted to hang too close to the road surface. They need to be an absolute minimum 6-8 inches or more above the road surface when your coach is at ride height. From what I have read, the ones that cause the least damage are the "hula skirt" type (NOT "solid"). If mine is ever damaged or comes off for some reason, I will not replace it. And if I ever drive to Alaska, I will remove it before I leave the US. They are a great place for mfg advertising ...

We also have a solid guard that mounts on top of the tow bar. Ours is Blue Ox, but Roadmaster and others also make them. Probably the most effective type would be like the Blue Ox "underskirt". It is a stretch cloth that hooks onto the corners of the RV and onto the corners of the towed car under the towbar, completely covering the area between the two vehicles so nothing can come up between them. Again, several mfg's make them. The primary limitation is if your coach is diesel and has a rear exit exhaust pointed downward, that can melt the fabric. I know a few owners whose setup works ok with rear exhaust, but mine would not -- just depends on it's position in relation to where the fabric is. If the fabric could be mounted to go over the exhaust pipe rather than under, that would work.

[Doggy Daddy]

If you have mud flaps directly behind each rear wheel your fine. If you choose a hard solid or piece flap to go clear across the back of the Rv, you want it 5-6 inches off the ground so it does not hit the ground when going over pot holes and kick up stones. Another danger of the solid one piece flap is if your backing up and snag a sprinkler head, steak or other obstruction, you can bend, tear or disfigure the flap, especially if you have a band of chrome across it.
There is another option and that is the broom mud flap and it is easy to install yourself. Not as pretty as a solid, but accomplishes the purpose.
Just make sure the mud flap are not too long so that when you back up they get caught by the tire and torn/ripped off.
With or without mudflaps your motorcycle will get filthy and require washing. If you can cover the bike or shield the front of the bike trailer, it will stay a little cleaner.
There is a shield for keeping rocks from hitting your toad that lays flat between the back of the RV and the front of your toad. It looks like a nice alternative to placing a bra on the toad and protects the windshield too.

[bldrbob]

A mechanic once told me the problem with a full flap is that it sends any dust up into the radiator.Not sure how much of a problem this is but I drilled three four inch holes in the center.I then covered them with wirecloth to stop any gravel.No problem but then I didn't have any problems before.
BOB