Rear window protection (when towing)

Hi Warwick and Vicki,

I have a RockTamer for the wheels but I still protect the rear window with some foam taped over it. Rocks can still bounce off the caravan above the BT stone guard. These stones are not usually deflected by your own wheels but maybe from an on coming vehicle that has thrown rocks up and may hit the front top of your van and bounce into rear window. You can never be overprotected.. It gives me peace of mind.

Cheers Peter

We have had our BT since 2005 and last year (2010) for the first time we smashed the rear window on the Oodnadatta Track between Maree and William Creek travelling at less than 50km/h with tyre pressures down around 25psi.

As we have a Lexus LX470 we could not fit the rock tamer that ARB sell because of where our electrical connection is and our exhaust location.

If you can fit the rock tamers I would do so but...you do need to do something to protect your rear window - like a clear perspex sheet or even cardboard taped to the rear window when on gravel/dirt tracks.

At the same time that we blew the rear window the 7pin BT trailer connector tore away. We replaced it with a 12pin locking connector in Alice Springs. That's where we replaced the rear window as well.

Happy travelling guys we are off to Broome again this week for the winter.

I suggest you chuck out that angled stone guard that lets stones bounce back and break the rear window as well as chip the rear of your tow vehicle.

Get a Stonestomper trampoline style stone guard instead. You will be very pleased with it.

StoneStomper website - phone Christian on 0417 866 205

just a very happy customer who has seen a number of broken back windows on other rigs.

Ken

Hi Warwick and Vicki

We have home made large mud flaps (must have air flow between), and have a simple shadecloth stone guard on the van which still cops a bashing on stony roads. When we had the Patrol we had thick clear plastic on the rear windows for the worst roads and suffered no damage. Our stone guard had to loose the slant as there was not turning room with the spare tyre carrier on the rear of the Patrol, so it is quite upright.

Picture of a few variations here:Stone Deflector Pictures These are in the majority home designed and made, but most now have commercial equivalents available.

Motherhen

Hi Warwick and Vicki.
The Bushtracker screen is not enough. We also broke a rear window and the rear of our 80 series was covered in stone chips. We replaced the 80 series with a 100 series in 2005 at that time I fitted a piece of chequeplate aluminium to the top of the A frame which completely covered it and angled it down below the gas bottles (about 200mm at about 30degrees) to deflect stones down. Since then we have not had one stone chip on the rear of the vehicle. It is the stones hitting anything mounted forward of the Bushtracker screen and then bouncing forward to hit the car that is the problem. (The biggest offender is the bar that supports the handbrake). The plate over the A frame also makes it safer to stand on when you turn on the gas or open the front window protector etc. I also glued thin rubber to the section that I folded down under the gas bottles to reduce the noise of the stones hitting the aluminum.
Hope this helps

Many thanks for all your prompt and helpful replies. Obviously a good protection system is necessary for the rear of the tow vehicle. At the Sydney Caravan show yesterday, we purchased a "Rock tamer" system to deal with this whose stand just happened to be located conviently right next to our caravan which we can't wait to pick up next week. Warwick and Vicki.

Hi Warwick & Vicki

Chris & I were at the Sydney Caravan Show today and had a look at your van, well we think it was your van, like all BT;s it looks great. We hope to catch up with you on the road sometime perhaps you can make it to Quorn for the Muster this year.

Happy and safe travels

Pam & Chris Stanley (focs18)