Front End Protection

[skinnymike]

This was first posted in the Prospective Owners forum in error. It will be more helpful to existing owners in this forum>

On our first long trip with our new M21, we spent 2 days on roads recently graveled because of snow and ice. The gravel beat up the front of the trailer pretty bad, lots of pits and chips, made me sick seeing that damage on the new rig. So, how to solve the problem? Actually, 2 problems: repairing the damage and keeping it from happening again. Answer: applied 2 coats of Herculiner brush-on truck bed liner to the lower front on both sides of the battery storage area. The pits and chips are gone, and we're ready for the gravel road into Chaco Canyon and the gravel stretches on our Alaska trip this summer. Looks kinda cool, too.

FYI, I'm also adding longer wider mudflaps to the tow vehicle.

 

[SouthernNights]

Very good idea Mike.
How about a picture??? Would love to see it.

 

[skinnymike]

Here's a couple pictures of the M21 with Herculiner brush-on truck bed liner on lower portion of front end. Herculiner also comes in gray and red. There are probably other protective coatings that would work as well, didn't research all the alternatives.

 

[Zeman]

Nice job! How do you like your power jack? What size did you get?

 

[Bob&Patty]

Mike, looks good...like it came that way. Look at the 3-M rubberized spray-on (rattle can) undercoating. You have to spray it over paint and is paintable. It does dry but really stops rock chips on paint. Works great on frames.

 

[skinnymike]

I got the Atwood deluxe with 2500 pound capacity and it works fine, saves a lot of hand cranking. I have a weight distribution hitch and Atwood recommends the 3500 pound model for WDHs. Trouble is, they don't tell you that in the ads; found out when I read the owner's manual. Both my trailer and pickup are fairly light so the 2500 should be alright. If and when it burns out I'll replace it with the 3500.

 

[sbrowell]

How is the Herculiner holding up? What have the lowest temperatures have you experienced?