Maintenance & Restoration

CarlD · 10-24-2018, 07:31 AM

Jon,

My taco has a similar material covering about 8 inches of the lower portion of the body sides. It is a bit ripply but easily to clean. If you don't look closely you don't notice it. It is exactly what I am looking for. Maybe a call to the dealer or a body shop is in order.

Carl

David B. · 10-24-2018, 11:40 PM

Our Lil Snoozy had gone unscathed for almost 4 years, but this summer Alaska happened. We traveled three hundred miles down a smooth gravel road at 50 mph to make to our next destination. The tow vehicle has mudflaps that extend to 1” from the road. The gravel ate 1” off the bottom edge of both flaps, and broke out the rear glass of our pick-up cap. Color matched Line-X will next be applied below the belly band on the front. I met some Casita owners along the journey that had duct taped yoga mats to the front of their trailers below the belly band....... wish I’d had thought of that.

Dave & Paula

Borrego Dave · 10-25-2018, 12:19 AM

Dave, wonder if a piece of 1/8th" x 2" flat bar on the bottom edge of your mud flaps would have made a difference for saving them.

trapper · 10-27-2018, 10:43 AM

Yes, I had the front of my 17ft. Bigfoot sprayed in white Line-x from the slope below the front window to the rounded corners and including the battery & LP cover. They removed the cover and sprayed behind it, so all the front area is covered, in case of cover removal down the road. Matched the fibreglass white beautifully, with a shiny bright pebbly finish. Boon-dock on! Cheers, trapper

Dbybe · 10-27-2018, 12:12 PM

Mud flaps on the tow vehicle, (Subaru Outback) and clear bra over the lower half of the front of our Happier Camper. This has held up well for 99% pavement and just a little dirt roads. Probably not as durable as a bed liner but at a glance not really noticeable.

Casita Ed · 10-27-2018, 04:29 PM

We just had our Casita detailed and had crystal clear paint protective film installed on the two front corners. Our Casita is 8 years old and we had not had much chipping of the gel coat until this season. On one trip, we were forced to drive on a 20 mile stretch of fresh chip seal without the top coat, so it was essentially like a gravel road. The gravel is quite small with sharp edges.
We did drive slow, but despite that it really peppered the two front corners.

Our detail shop did a beautiful job smoothing out the tiny chips, then expertly applied the clear paint film over it. It looks as if there is no film at all. This is the same film protection that is normally installed on the front of car and trucks. It cost us $250 and was worth every penny.

k corbin · 10-27-2018, 10:30 PM

If you can get hold of a gel coat repair kit for your trailer as it is a relatively new product then do so. Ask for the color formula from the company as well as the specific brand of gel coat they put onto it. Then if you ever need a repair you have that information. That information won't any stop rock chips but it sure makes fixing them easier.

It would be great to accumulate in the forum files a list of the color and make of gel coat that belongs to all the newer travel trailers.

theresa p · 10-28-2018, 06:32 PM

I am a huge fan of Grizzly Grip. I applied it almost 8 years ago because we had a number of small gravel chips and did not wish to increase the tongue/hitch weight by adding any sort of box instead. This product went on very easily and has lasted extremely well for more than 100,000 kms of travel over some incredibly terrible roads!

As to ease of bug removal, the texture does require slightly more effort to remove any residue. But it has been a minor issue for us.