Community Forums

Gwenjusty33 · 03-22-2019, 01:48 PM

We are new to RVing and looking for recommendations for towing protection for our Honda CRV. Weve been researching online, and are considering a front end and windshield shield by RVandoffroad.com that costs $430.00. Are there other products you have used that do their job, are easy to install, and hold up well?

Hugmongous · 03-22-2019, 01:57 PM

I have towed a Jeep Grand Cherokee and now an F-150.. I have never gotten any damage to the toad. If you are trying to keep it clean,.. I'm not sure the effort is worth it. $450 + the effort of taking it on and off would buy a lot of car washes - and my toad just doesn't seem to get dirty by towing it, unless it is like misty rain and road dirt gets kicked up. I did buy a front cover for my Jeep.. and then after looking at the pain to install it.. I just left it in the box -- oh, if anyone on here wants a cover to fit 2005 JGC - I still have it and you can have it for shipping. Just my 2 cents.

Jim_HiTek · 03-22-2019, 02:02 PM

IF your RV has nothing across the back rear of the vehicle, and you're only depending on the mud flaps that come as standard equipment behind the duals, then you might consider just getting those clear stick on 3M headlight lens covers for your CRV. And nothing else.

I've been keeping a close eye on those various products to prevent rock chips on the toad for 14 years and I've come to the conclusion that none of them are necessary if there's no RV wide mud flap or broom back under the RV. I've towed now for 12,000 miles and don't have a single chip on my toad. Folks that have removed their wide mud flaps find less rock damage to the toad then those that have them. Based on my reading.

Seems they're just more to advertise the RV brand than protect the toad.

dennis45 · 03-22-2019, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gwenjusty33

We are new to RVing and looking for recommendations for towing protection for our Honda CRV. Weve been researching online, and are considering a front end and windshield shield by RVandoffroad.com that costs $430.00. Are there other products you have used that do their job, are easy to install, and hold up well?

You don't say what RV you have but assuming it is a class A motorhome that you're towing your CRV with, I will tell you from many thousand miles of experience, the best protection for your CRV is to remove the rear full width flap and have a good set of flaps directly behind the rear duals only.
I have gone through every so called toad protection device that did a pretty decent job but, by removing the rear flap, I no longer use any of these devices and, have zero damage to my CRV. Not to mention it stays cleaner.

JCM · 03-23-2019, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dennis45

You don't say what RV you have but assuming it is a class A motorhome that you're towing your CRV with, I will tell you from many thousand miles of experience, the best protection for your CRV is to remove the rear full width flap and have a good set of flaps directly behind the rear duals only.
I have gone through every so called toad protection device that did a pretty decent job but, by removing the rear flap, I no longer use any of these devices and, have zero damage to my CRV. Not to mention it stays cleaner.

I have been using the Blu-ox tow shield for over 10 years on 2 different toads with good luck.

TripleEEE · 03-23-2019, 02:46 PM

Protect-a-Tow

I use the above product. It works very well for us. No chips since we started using it.

creativepart · 03-23-2019, 02:48 PM

We’ve only towed our Lincoln toad for 15,000 miles without any protections at all but we’ve received zero chips or divots to show for it.

Before we started towing we did worry and search and worry some more. Others said Chill and we did to no I’ll effect.

I’m sure had we bought the various protection devices we obsessed about before towing we’d tell you how well it has worked. But we didn’t and surprisingly that worked just as well.

Tpguess · 03-24-2019, 09:44 AM

We bought a 2019 Jeep Cherokee Overland in August of last year. I had never towed before and San Diego Trailer Supply recommended a Road Master Tow Defender. We installed it (I was paranoid as hell about nicks on a brand new vehicle). We towed it in a 3,000 mile circle from San Diego up through Utah to West Yellowstone Mt., Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Ft. Bridger WY, Zion and then over to Sedona AZ and back thru Yuma to San Diego. Even some gravel roads. Not one single nick. and it Self stores and is very easy to put on without dirtying your hands. Could not recommend any higher.

See at: https://www.amazon.com/Roadmaster-47...90394698&psc=1

MSHappyCampers · 03-24-2019, 11:52 AM

Hi ! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

We pull a 2013 Honda CRV. I highly recommend the Protect-a-Tow mesh shield between the motorhome and toad. We have been using this for 6 years without a single paint chip ! Have fun and keep her between the ditches!

Protect-a-Tow

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

Trickdog · 03-27-2019, 05:02 PM

I am reading all these posts about towing without any kind of guard and its baffling!?!? I have a rock guard mud flap behind my 38 foot class A and in 6000 miles I have accumulated a butt load of chips on the hood and windshield. Thinking of getting one of those wispy broom type mud flaps or a protect a tow. Any suggestions?

Dfreiberger · 03-27-2019, 08:01 PM

I have not used a cover but wish I did, and plan too. The problem I have is not rock chips or nicks to the four Jeeps I towed. What I am seeing is paint chips in the back of the motorhome which I think is caused from ricocheting back from the Jeep the the MH, and my MH has a mudflap underneath. Hummm?

Jim_HiTek · 03-27-2019, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trickdog

I am reading all these posts about towing without any kind of guard and its baffling!?!? I have a rock guard mud flap behind my 38 foot class A and in 6000 miles I have accumulated a butt load of chips on the hood and windshield. Thinking of getting one of those wispy broom type mud flaps or a protect a tow. Any suggestions?

The broom types also fling rocks up onto the toad, it's just that they are smaller then the full side to side mud flap.

I've never used anything other than the small mud flaps behind the duals. Reason is that I followed Class A's whenever I noticed one on the freeway, highway, or gravel covered roadway for the year or two before I ever bought one. That was enough to convince me, along with the reading I was doing on the main RV'ing forums, that they did more harm then good. The different types of pelting I received following those various rigs was very noticeable, and it was always the gentlest behind the standard mud flap. Many other posters have verified that assessment over the years.

I managed a large RV park in Fairbanks, Alaska and since I was interested in the subject, I'd ask them how their toad did on the trip up. And again, the toads that seemed to escape damage the best were behind RVs with just the standard mud flaps. The worst damage were those toads behind a full width solid mud flap. And then next worst was those behind RVs with broom types.

Yes, those rock guards do work for the most part. But it seems to me that the money spent on them could better be spent on fuel to travel. If the full width mud flaps are removed.

JMO.

Crasher · 03-28-2019, 10:53 AM

With the full width rubber flap on our Bus, It cost me $850 to repaint the front of a custom enclosed trailer. The chips were as high as six feet above the ground. While getting the trailer repainted, I removed the big rubber advertising stone thrower. Not one chip in the next 5,000 miles. As a extra margin of protection when towing my White Diamond Avalanche, I use the Protect-A-Tow. It's easy to put on and cheap.