Towtector

[honkerslayer]

Does anybody have the class 4 towtector with the combo of brushes and rubber? I am looking to buy some kind of protection for the new boat and hadn’t seen the combo type. Hoping someone who is using a towtector can tell me how well they work. Thanks!

 

[Skeeter]

Put a flack jacket on your boat. I’ve tried several different types of mud flaps over the years. IMO the ones with brushes are completely worthless. At high speed the brushes blow back and up and do absolutely nothing to stop rocks. The best I’ve found are rock tamers. All rubber flaps and can be adjusted.

 

[Mgx2400]

I have just the brushed kind. I like it but for me it was getting the right kind of hitch to go on it that would have enough room between the receiver to place the mount on.

 

[Velva_zv21]

Bow buddy....

- - - Updated - - -

Bow buddy....

 

[Ruddy Duck]

I had rock tamers and still managed to put a rock through my boat windshield last year. I now have the towtector with the brushes and a flackjaket windshield cover. Whatever you buy, drive slow on gravel.

 

[honkerslayer]

I tried to buy a flak jacket but it didn’t work out. Gotta try a different route. Brush + rubber makes sense to me but I think they are new.

- - - Updated - - -

I did buy the flak jaket windshield protector

 

[Velva_zv21]

The thing is with rubber on a tow tector or mud flaps is the rocks hit the rubber and then bounce off that and back onto the road and into your boat. Id get the regular tow tector with brushes and bow buddy and windshield protector. And avoid gravel roads but if you do drive about no faster than 20 mph, also leaving a gravel parking lot at the ramp pull onto the highway and drive slow for a little while and let the rocks come out of the tires at a slower speed rather than getting up to 70 rite away

 

[SLE]

I've looked at the Tier 4 Towtector and think it's probably the best hitch mounted system out due to the fact that it combines brushes and a rubber backing. I think this helps alleviate complaints from those that have owned rubber flaps and brush flaps. I have had two sets of Rock Tamers and I still drive slow on the gravel with all of my trailers. The rocks indeed do bounce off and the faster you go, the further they bounce and with more trajectory. of course being solid rubber, the rocks don't get through but inadvertently do when they're bouncing all over. With the brush, lots complain that rocks have a tendency to get through however, the rocks that do get knocked down don't bounce nearly as bad as the rubber systems. the brushes take out the energy better than the rubber flaps.

With the Tier 4 system, you have brushes to slow and dissipate the energy and a rubber flap behind that to knock down any rocks that make it through the brush. I think it would help with the bounce effect also as the rocks would have to go through the brush, hit the flap, and bounce back through the brush a second time. I would think that would eat up most of the energy and keep rocks from bouncing all over. With that said, I haven't owned a set but I will be very tempted the next time I buy. for me, I have 5 trailers so buying a system that only protects the boat like the flack jacket is great for the boat but my other 4 trailers then suffer, I need a hitch mounted system that offers a little more versatility.

- - - Updated - - -

That or I need to hit the loto so I can pave the road out to my house!

 

[Rut2much]

"Boat hauling; gravel driving, summer tires" or "windshield wrecking rock problem solution solvers".

 

[Fitz]

Bow buddy....

- - - Updated - - -

Bow buddy....

Where did you get it? How much do they cost roughly?

 

[Velva_zv21]

In garrison at the boat dealership. Paid 6-8 hundred....I can't remember

 

[johnr]

My enclosed trailer looks like a pizza faced teenager after 2 yrs of ownership. Not sue if I should even bother now

 

[SLE]

I took my enclosed trailer to tiff trucks in Minot and had them spray the hitch and front v of the frame with line-x. Kinda did it as preventative maintenance. After a few trips out to Cooke sledding I could see it was taking a beating. With the line-x, after two trips, still looks like new. We also use a set of rock tamers on the pickup.

 

[Velva_zv21]

New flack jacket windshield protector on the new 21

 

[Ristorapper]

I took my enclosed trailer to tiff trucks in Minot and had them spray the hitch and front v of the frame with line-x. Kinda did it as preventative maintenance. After a few trips out to Cooke sledding I could see it was taking a beating. With the line-x, after two trips, still looks like new. We also use a set of rock tamers on the pickup.

How high up on the V nose did you go with line-X?

 

[SLE]

[MENTION=810]Ristorapper[/MENTION] - I only had to spray the main frame from the hitch to the end of the V. I suppose the frame and front v-door hinge is only 8-10" in height. The main body V on my trailer is diamond plate from the bottom up about 30" or so and that was fine. The trailer frame on the other hand was simply painted black and after a couple trips it was chipping and starting to rust. With that said, I wouldn't hesitate to spray the front of any enclosed trailer that didn't have diamond plate or something similar for protection. I would think 2-3 ft would be all that's really needed. I have maybe 3 dings in the tin above the diamond plate so probably not a lot of benefit going much higher. As mentioned, I do run a set of rock tamers also.

 

[gonefshn]

Last year I had a rock break my boat windshield. Cost of the new windshield was close to $3k and it took almost 2 months for it to be made and received by my dealer. Insurance paid, but the wait was the worst part. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[Velva_zv21]

Ya that's why I don't mind spending the money on a windshield protector... plus another thing they do besides protect from rocks is keep your window free of bugs... it's hard enough to see past 2 big graphs in your face and then have to look through the mine field of dead bugs on the windshield from towing the boat down the road.... you get to the lakes and you got a nice clean window

 

[Ristorapper]

@Ristorapper - I only had to spray the main frame from the hitch to the end of the V. I suppose the frame and front v-door hinge is only 8-10" in height. The main body V on my trailer is diamond plate from the bottom up about 30" or so and that was fine. The trailer frame on the other hand was simply painted black and after a couple trips it was chipping and starting to rust. With that said, I wouldn't hesitate to spray the front of any enclosed trailer that didn't have diamond plate or something similar for protection. I would think 2-3 ft would be all that's really needed. I have maybe 3 dings in the tin above the diamond plate so probably not a lot of benefit going much higher. As mentioned, I do run a set of rock tamers also.

So I'm good to go. thought you may have line-xed over the diamond plate. I have the same diamond plate up as high as you mention and an aluminum trailer so i'm good to go...thanks for the quick reply.

 

[revolutionz]

Truxedo makes a windshield protector thats quite reasonable in price and works well. I used one on my Alumacraft after a rock went through the windshield. I think it was like $130 for the windshield protector.