Every year, thousands of outdoor enthusiasts hit the road hauling a travel trailer or camper. Since you can detach these recreational vehicles from your vehicle, they give you the ultimate flexibility between rugged exploration and cozy home comforts.
But whether you’re driving down the road or on a trail, your vehicle is sure to kick up debris that can damage your trailer. Read these tips for how to protect the front of your trailer from debris.
1. Add a Protective Plate
One of the best ways to protect your trailer is to add a protective diamond plate to the exterior. The diamond plate will protect the trailer from salt, sand, rocks, and roadside debris.
It’s easy to install one, and the raised embossed design looks better than plain metal flashing. When choosing a diamond plate, consider if you want it to be colorful, like red or black, to add flair while protecting your trailer. If not, the classic silver sheen will look great.
2. Use Mud Flaps
The next tip to protect the front of your trailer from debris is to install mud flaps on your vehicle. Mud flaps, also known as mud guards, are flaps made from heavy-duty material, and you attach them behind your tires.
Like your fenders protect your vehicle from debris the wheels kick up, mud flaps prevent the back end of your tires from throwing debris at your trailer. While most mudflaps are black, you can also get them in different colors or with designs. Traditional mudflaps can cause aerodynamic drag, but you can avoid this by choosing ones with slits in the flaps.
3. Drive Safely
While you can’t avoid every piece of debris on the road, driving with awareness can keep your vehicle and trailer safer. Driving down well-maintained roads will limit the debris you encounter. Avoid tailgating other vehicles. While debris from another vehicle is more likely to harm your vehicle’s front end rather than your trailers, you don’t want this to happen anyway.
Finally, drive at or under the speed limit. This gives you enough time to react safely to road obstructions and conditions.