The Body and Equipment Protection phase of our rig build is now complete.
We'll sometimes be travelling in areas where roadways aren't always paved. The vehicles body and lighting and several important components like the radiator, transmission cooler, brake lines and various low mounted hoses need to be protected. We travelled the Yukon's Dempster Highway a number of years ago in our first truck camper setup. Flying gravel and small rocks from passing tractor trailers and other vehicle traffic resulted in a cracked windshield, a drivers side mirror and no draft window glass both smashed and the camper door's glass cracked. That truck had a full stone & bush guard across the front ... given the peppered markings on the guard's mesh, had we not had it, I know we would have probably lost headlights and possibly a rad or tranny cooler. The Dempster is remote, service is available but you could be stranded for several days waiting for a tow truck to haul you to Eagle Plains or Inuvik for repair. Getting a critical part like a transmission cooler delivered could takes upwards of a couple of weeks. I prefer to be proactive, to protect important gear in advance and hopefully avert extended downtime later on.
So, in addition to Mother's wax products applied to exterior paint, trim and chrome, 303 protectant applied to the camper body and having the undercarriage Krown'd, here are a few of the body armour upgrades that will aid in protecting LOAF.
FRONT
AVS hood protector, Ranchand brush & stone grill guard, metal grill in bumper centre cut-out, wire fog lamp grill, stock headlamp protective lens covers, below bumper airdam.
... wire fog lamp grill
metal grill in bumper centre ...
Between truck cab roof and cabover floor, extending around 3 sides of the cabover.
SIDES
Door edge trim, Bushwacker fender guards, mud guards, crew cab running boards, stoneguard rocker sections front to rear, tie-downs covered with bike tire inner tubes.
Lower camper body from jack posts extending back to camper wings.
REAR
Mud Guards
The open Lance camper wings allowed road debris to, easily collect on and potentially damage critical wiring installed at the inside of the campers' rear bumper area. I fabricated a pair of ' mud guards ' out of stock 90 degree aluminium and a tractor trailer mud guard. The mud guards can be tethered to the truck body during travel or curled back (if needed) when loading or offloading the camper.
The open Lance camper wings allowed road debris to, easily collect on and potentially damage critical wiring installed at the inside of the campers' rear bumper area. I fabricated a pair of ' mud guards ' out of stock 90 degree aluminium and a tractor trailer mud guard. The mud guards can be tethered to the truck body during travel or curled back (if needed) when loading or offloading the camper.
Crusty ... fabricating and installing.
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