|
03-16-2015, 10:27 PM
|
#1
|
Senior Member
Name: Dave W
Trailer: Trillium 4500 - 1976, 1978, 1979, 1300 - 1977, and a 1973
Alberta
Posts: 6,926
|
Trillium Rock Guard Dimensions
There are a number of Trilliums that have lost their front rock guards. The cover over the front window that protects it from breakage, and driving rain, (literally). There are also people like me who would like a rock guard on the back window of the trailer. This would prevent the rear window from getting dirty, and help keep dust out of the trailer, I think.
To help in the construction of new rock guards, I present the following pictures of both a 1978 Trillium 4500 rock guard and a 1972 Trillium 1300 rock guard.
I suspect that before this is over, I will have drawn up both versions in AutoCAD.
First the 4500. The middle panel typically has the Trillium logo on it. Notice how all the aluminum is custom extrusions, and the corners are crimped. This design would be hard to copy.
|
|
|
03-16-2015, 10:30 PM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Name: Dave W
Trailer: Trillium 4500 - 1976, 1978, 1979, 1300 - 1977, and a 1973
Alberta
Posts: 6,926
|
More of the 4500 Rock Guard
Ten pictures per post.
|
|
|
03-16-2015, 10:38 PM
|
#3
|
Senior Member
Name: Dave W
Trailer: Trillium 4500 - 1976, 1978, 1979, 1300 - 1977, and a 1973
Alberta
Posts: 6,926
|
1972 Trillium 1300 Rock Guard
While this design is in some ways more primitive, it is also built, in some ways, better. The support arms, and the latch system are, in my opinion, a better design on the older rock guards.
This rock guard uses much more standard materials, with less custom extrusions. It is all C channels, 90 deg angles and I beams. This would be the design to copy. Not many would notice the difference at a glance.
|
|
|
03-16-2015, 10:40 PM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Name: Dave W
Trailer: Trillium 4500 - 1976, 1978, 1979, 1300 - 1977, and a 1973
Alberta
Posts: 6,926
|
More of the 1300 Rock Guard
More Pictures.
|
|
|
03-17-2015, 06:27 AM
|
#5
|
Senior Member
Name: Glenn
Trailer: Trillium 1300
Georgia
Posts: 451
|
Thanks, David. That really sheds some light on how they were built.
Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV
|
|
|
03-17-2015, 08:50 AM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Name: Larry
Trailer: Trillium
Arizona
Posts: 440
|
Trillium 1300 Rock Guard Measurements
Hi Glen,
As usual David has great answers to Trillium questions.
Here are some measurements I took this morning off
my 1978 Trillium 1300 that might be useful?
Good Luck, Larry H
|
|
|
03-17-2015, 10:17 AM
|
#7
|
Senior Member
Name: Dave W
Trailer: Trillium 4500 - 1976, 1978, 1979, 1300 - 1977, and a 1973
Alberta
Posts: 6,926
|
Thanks Larry. Your rock guard looks brand new!
It got kinda cold last night. I hope to have the CAD drawings this weekend.
I also would like to figure out the hinge better. The bottom aluminum of the rock guard looks to be the same as the top. The whole thing seems to hinge on the screws that they put in the ends of the moving piece.
|
|
|
03-17-2015, 02:51 PM
|
#8
|
Senior Member
Name: Claire
Trailer: 1978 Trillium 4500
British Columbia
Posts: 323
|
As you can see our rock guard was changed at some time. Though it looks like metal it is plastic. We were thinking of replacing it with metal sheeting or thin Diamond plate. What are you thoughts on that. We were wondering about metal and aluminum together.
|
|
|
03-17-2015, 02:55 PM
|
#9
|
Senior Member
Name: Claire
Trailer: 1978 Trillium 4500
British Columbia
Posts: 323
|
This is a set up we saw in Tofino last summer. Unfortunately it was being stored and we were not able to talk to the owner as he was up the coast in a Kayak. Not sure what he does to protect it when traveling as it seemed permanent.
|
|
|
03-17-2015, 03:33 PM
|
#10
|
Senior Member
Name: Larry
Trailer: Trillium
Arizona
Posts: 440
|
Claire and David
Hi,
Aluminum diamond plate is available so you could get
away from dissimilar metals. Not as much light would enter
the trailer with an all metal awning.
I would not mount a solar panel on the front. It is just
asking for damage... it IS a rock guard. If I were to
'permanently' mount a solar panel I would fabricate
hardware to make the panel act as an awning for the rear
window so it would be out of the way for travel.
I would also make it removable so I could put the panel
on a longer wire to be able to have the trailer in the shade
with the panel in the direct sun.
David, when I got this Trillium about 6 years ago the
were a lot of glass fibers exposed on the front of the rock
guard. It was lightly sanded and then masked and sprayed
with several coats of clear polyurethane. However, the poly
has bubbled somewhat so I guess I should have found a
coating with UV inhibitors.
Regarding the hinge mechanism... Yes, it appears that the
screws do hold it in place but a lot of the stress is taken up
by the U-shaped part of the aluminum extrusion that makes
up the top part of the window frame. In all your Trilliums
has this ever failed? Maybe the hinge screw hole has enlarged?
Larry H
|
|
|
03-17-2015, 05:04 PM
|
#11
|
Senior Member
Name: Dave W
Trailer: Trillium 4500 - 1976, 1978, 1979, 1300 - 1977, and a 1973
Alberta
Posts: 6,926
|
Clair, The material that the rock guard panels are made of is called Filon:
FILON - Welcome to Filon Products
RV Filon Fiberglass siding - RV Parts Nation : RV Parts Nation
Smooth/Fibered Fiberglass - Siding
Crane Composites - Recreational Vehicles
http://www.factoryrvsurplus.com/prod...roduct_id=2122
I have looked high and low, the only place I see the imitation clapboard stuff is on old trailers. Nobody makes it any more.
In my minds design, I would love to put a solar cell in the rock guard, but it would have to flip, so the solar cell faced in, towards the window when traveling.
|
|
|
05-04-2015, 09:47 AM
|
#12
|
Senior Member
Name: Claire
Trailer: 1978 Trillium 4500
British Columbia
Posts: 323
|
Two questions in follow up
1. If we used the metal, as we are used to it being dark, our concern is reflection back into our mirrors when driving?
2. Would house siding be strong enough to withstand the air pressure when driving?
__________________
Island Bolers and Friends on Facebook
|
|
|
05-04-2015, 10:31 AM
|
#13
|
Senior Member
Name: David
Trailer: Former 13’Scamp, now Snoozy
Arizona
Posts: 2,316
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Island Claire
This is a set up we saw in Tofino last summer. Unfortunately it was being stored and we were not able to talk to the owner as he was up the coast in a Kayak. Not sure what he does to protect it when traveling as it seemed permanent.
|
This solar looks like what we have on our Lil Snoozy. They are used on sail boats where they are walked on. I have used both types (hard & semi-flexible) on the front of our trailers, and never had any problems....not even bugs hit them. We pulled with both a pick-up truck and a lifted Jeep Wrangler, so perhaps the shape of the tug blocked any flying objects.
Dave & Paula
|
|
|
05-04-2015, 10:47 AM
|
#14
|
Senior Member
Name: Dave W
Trailer: Trillium 4500 - 1976, 1978, 1979, 1300 - 1977, and a 1973
Alberta
Posts: 6,926
|
I don't see my rock guard in my side mirrors, but I drive a Savana travel van. I do however see it in my center mirror. I am sure that under rare circumstances it would reflect, but I would just adjust the mirror to not see it. The center mirror is a bit useless, unless I want to look at the rock guard on the trailer.
House siding is kinda flexible. Not sure how it would hold up.
|
|
|
06-15-2017, 04:04 PM
|
#15
|
Junior Member
Name: Brad
Trailer: Shasta
New Mexico
Posts: 3
|
David: I noted your reference to The Rock Guard you made and the material list that you used. However, I went thru the list to try and find a manufacturer of the "corrugated" (for lack of a better word) fiberglass panels and I was not able to find any reference to them. Could you please help me. I have a 1976 Shasta that my wife and I are restoring as best as we can and I am striking out on the front window Rock Guard. I hope this is the proper way to leave a request and I am going to try to add a photo of the Rock Guard we are trying to replace. Thanks, Brad bfldroid@gmail.com
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
» Upcoming Events |
No events scheduled in the next 465 days.
|
|