Exterior care
Shield the front from rock chips and road tar
The front of the trailer eats everything the truck tires throw back: gravel, tar, bug strikes, all at highway speed. A little protection up front saves the most exposed (and most expensive to fix) panels on the whole rig.
Guard the lower front
- Rock guards and good mud flaps The factory front rock guard plus a set of mud flaps on the truck knock down most of what gets flung at the front wrap. Make sure the truck flaps hang low enough to actually catch the spray, otherwise they are just decoration.
- Film the high-impact areas A clear paint-protection film on the lower front panels and the storage-compartment doors takes the chips so the aluminum does not. It peels off cleanly years later without harming the skin underneath.
On the road
- Back off in gravel and behind trucks Most chips happen following too close behind a semi or rolling fast over fresh gravel. A few extra car lengths and a slower pace through loose stuff is the cheapest paint protection there is.
Helps to have on board
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