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Susan and I tow our Jeep Wrangler behind our Class A motorhome when we travel and we have always wondered if we need a Tow card shield to keep it safe from road debris.
We have seen many tow cars with pitted paint but we see very few tow vehicles with protection from road debris. The last thing you want to find out when you get to your campground is that your car is damaged.
So we did some research and spoke with some fellow RVers to find some great options to protect your tow vehicle.
You can purchase products to reduce your chances of damage to your RV tow car. Things like tow car shields and tow guard rock deflectors will help significantly. You just need to make sure you know which ones to purchase and how to use them.
What Is an RV Tow Car?
To put it as simply as possible, an RV tow car is a car that you tow with your RV. It is not a special vehicle or anything like that. It is whatever car that is being pulled by your RV at that time. Normally, it will be your regular car that you want to bring with you to a campground with you.
What Is a Tow Car Shield?
A tow car shield is a protective shield that is placed on a vehicle to ensure that it does not take any damage in transit. Typically this shield will cover the entire front facing portion of the vehicle to ensure that any debris popping up from the wheels of the RV does no significant damage to the vehicle.
What Is a Tow Guard Rock Deflector?
A tow guard rock deflector is an accessory that you can equip to help protect your RV tow car and your RV from debris doing damage to either vehicle. When you are driving there is a significant risk that rocks can be kicked up from the wheels of your RV and do damage to your car. This can be avoided when you purchase a tow guard rock deflector.
However, you will want to make sure that you purchase one that protects both your car and your RV. Many people purchase a plastic version that you mount on the front of your car. However, they will bounce back and to damage to the rear of your RV.
If you can avoid this, that would be ideal. Fortunately, there are versions of Tow guard protectors that both vehicles.
These deflectors will mount on your tow bar and stop the rocks before they get anywhere close to your vehicle. As a result, you do not need to worry about anything bouncing back and damaging your RV either.
How Do I Protect the Windshield on my Tow Car?
When you are getting all set up for your next RV trip you will want to make sure that you do everything you can to protect your RV tow car if you are bringing one. Having your car with you can be extremely beneficial as it will allow you to travel around the area without needing to pack up all your things and root up your entire campsite to go somewhere.
It also will let you travel to places that might not have parking for motorhomes. As a result, many people opt to bring their car with them on trips. However, you will need to do a few things to ensure that your RV tow car is protected while you are driving.
Firstly, you can purchase a rock guard. A rock guard is something you can attach to the frame of your RV and it will hang close to the ground. Additionally, it covers the entire width of the RV. This device will prevent any rocks from doing damage to the front of your vehicle.
Furthermore, you can get toad protection. This is a cover, typically in the form of a screen, that when mounted will protect your vehicle from rocks. This is different from a rock guard because they can be installed and uninstalled with ease. However, you need to be careful because some are only designed to attach to the same brand as your tow bar.
Additionally, there are a few different types, the screen type, shield type, and cover type. The screen lays flat and is installed under the tow bar. The shield type is positioned vertically close to the front of the RV tow car, and it is fasted to the tow bar. Finally, the cover type is hooked to the car at several points by fasteners.
What Are the Best Tow Guards?
Here we will look at a few of the best tow guards available to you. However, if none of these options suits you, there are plenty of other options available. Just because we only listed three here does not mean there are only three good options.
There are plenty of good options available, you just need to do your research and make sure you are buying a high quality product. So, here are three of the best tow guards available to you.
1. Roadmaster 4000 Guardian Rock Shield
The Roadmaster 4000 Guardian Rock Shield is a product that will help protect your RV tow car from any damage that can happen while you are driving. However, you should note that it is not compatible with EZ5, MS, or MX baseplates. As a result, you will need to purchase a different product if you have any of those baseplates.
The product is weighs 17 pounds and has dimensions of 47 x 37 x 7 inches. It has received positive reviews from consumers.
2. Roadmaster 4750 Tow Defender
The Roadmaster 4750 Tow Defender is compatible with all Roadmaster motorhome mounted tow bars. You can also use it with Blue Ox tow bars with Blue Ox baseplates, as well as Demco tow bars with Demco baseplates.
It has an all weather, heavy duty screen that will deflect rocks, gravel, and any other road debris. When fully extended it provides 20 square feet of protection. It also has a vinyl coated mesh that lets air through, keeping it low and over the road.
Finally, the product is lightweight and compact. It weighs just 14.5 pounds, and it rolls up to four inches in diameter when you put it in storage.
Protect Your RV Tow Car from Road Debris with the Best Tow Guards
After reading, we hope you have all the information to protect your RV tow car from road debris. We know there is a lot of information to absorb, but it should all be helpful in ensuring that your car is protected on your next trip.
The last thing you want to happen is for your vehicle to be damaged before you even get to the campground. By protecting your RV tow car before you leave you will not need to worry about that.
When towing a car, there is a big chance that your RV will kick up rocks and other debris into your car. When this happens you can get a lot of scratches on the hood of your car, and that is if you are lucky.
If you are unlucky you will get to the campground and find that your windshield is cracked. Not only will that ruin your whole trip, but it will cost you a lot of money to fix. Fortunately, this can be avoided by installing the right protection.
RVing is a great experience for families to have together. However, it will not be a great experience if you are stuck at the campsite because your car is no longer functional. Fortunately, as long as you take the steps to protect your RV tow vehicle, you will have a fantastic trip with your family.
Where do you plan on taking your family on your next trip? Have you ever had issues with your RV tow car before? Will you be purchasing a tow guard to protect your car? Let us know in the comments!
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Mike Scarpignato – Bio
Mike Scarpignato created RVBlogger.com over five years ago in 2018 to share all we have learned about RV camping.
Mike is an avid outdoorsman with decades of experience tent camping and traveling in his 2008 Gulf Stream Conquest Class C RV and 2021 Thor Challenger Class A motorhome.
We attend RV Shows and visit RV dealerships all across the country to tour and review drivable motorhomes and towable trailers to provide the best evaluations of these RVs in our blog articles and YouTube videos.
We are 3/4-time RVers who created RVBlogger.com to provide helpful information about all kinds of RVs and related products, gear, camping memberships, tips, hacks and advice.
