Thanks for this very informative video. Re the damage on the sides of your AOR; why do you think this happened? Is your tow vehicle wider than your AOR and is this the cause? It seems pointless to install the stone stomper if some damage is going to occur I am considering buying a stone stomper but the damage to your AOR has given me second thoughts
Another benefit we have found is the huge reduction in dust billowing between the camper and car. Like all Ute's, dust is a hassle and while we have a vent on the e canopy and added seals to the tailgate, the Stone Stomper has reduced this problem significantly.
Hi Gary, Good point, I noticed that I had very little dust in the canopy also. To be honest I hadn't really connected it with the SS until your comment. This was the first long dusty trip with the Ranger (due to Covid) but I reckon you are absolutely correct. Thanks for that and thanks for watching. John
Our Stone stomper is great we have had ours for 3 years now and it gets a big tick and keeps the dust down low absolutely rapped the great mob at stone stomper to deal with no dramas what so Eva, we thought it was expensive at first but over the years it’s worth every cent.
Hi, Good question and one that initially I thought might be a problem as I have two dogs that need to get in and out of the canopy. All I do when I stop is undo the clips and it drops out of the way, so it hasn't been a problem. Takes a few seconds. Thanks for watching I appreciate it. John
Hi Chris, I also looked at the Rock Tamers and they appear to be a quality product but are basically big mudflaps. I feel the Stone Stomper gives a greater protection on our very stoney unsealed roads. I noticed my chains have been stripped and they hang below the SS but in the centre, this suggests a fair amount being thrown up across the full width of the tow vehicle although there is a mesh insert you can get for the RT you need to cut holes for your chains and leads.Not sure how much they sail at higher speeds which could allow stones under. Still advantage of the RT is they work for any trailer and are cheaper. SS are a custom fit. I decided on the SS and it works, haven't tried the RTs. Hope that helps you, let me know what you decide. Cheers John
Good vid John, I like your presentation style :) Have you run them in WET muddy roads? Wondering how they go if mud starts to collect under them and weighs down the mesh enough to stretch the bungy to the ground??
Hi, Thanks for your comment, I really appreciate it.Simple answer.. they don't like mud. If you check out a video of mine called "Two mates continue their wet trip to the Australian Outback' (its part 2 of the trip) you will see the SS in action in the mud....not good! Cheers John
Great Stuff glad I watched your review and its set up, , As I thought of buying one, But I think it would be a pain in the ass for our set up, and the Price has just made up my Mind up, Man thats Dear
Yes Craig a bit pricey but well made (in Aus) and I think I will get a few good years out of it. Sounds complicated to fit but it is actually quite simple and no more 4 or 5 minutes. I'd be interested to know what you are considering (if anything ) as an option. I hear the Rock Tamers are a good product alo and a fair bit cheaper.
Great product. Have on our 200 series landcruiser. We have a hybrid off road van. Quick and easy to use and ste up. Have a ark jocky wheel and it clears it easily. Tried a Mates rock tamers but couldn't get them to fit the cruiser hitch without inverting them. Highly recommend the stone stomper 👍
Hi Paul, Thanks for the comment. They are good ('sept in mud) I believe you can now get straps and clips that allow you to roll it up and leave it attached to the van. Thanks for watching. John
I sure wish we had something like this on this side of the world. I'm a Texan, living in the UK with my English bride, hauling an MDC forward fold, and about to take it to the Sahara and southern Africa. Nobody on this side of the equator seems to have any idea what a 1000k + of gravel track does to a truck and/or trailer. That means nothing like this is available here. There are zillions of videos showing off and setting up adventure camper trailers but very few videos of people actually using them. Please keep producing them! Cheers, y'all (in my best Anglo-Texan accent ;-)
G'day !!! Yes a simple by clever solution without adding much weight. They make these things to order so might be worth giving them a email to see if they would send you one. Not much weight in them as I said so probably ship for a reasonable cost. Moved from Texas to UK...aahhh the things we do for love!! Appreciate your support.
I've had the d shackle come off and the stone stomper touched the ground. The corner fell to the grou nd and was damaged. You're advice to snub the shackle is well advised.
They seem expensive, but what is more expensive is damage to what's being towed and the tow vehicle. I have one that is used on my pod trailer, being plastic it sling shots rock back at the car. But the stonestomper stopped that. Beauty is you can send them to get repairs and modifications done to them. We now have a forward fold and will be getting another net section made up to suit and we can reuse the car/towbar mount and trailer mounts.
Yes I agree , a stone through the back window can be costly and inconvenient if your outback not to mention stone damage to vehicle and trailer. Good to know you can get them repaired and modified I wasn't aware of that.
Yes I suppose it does sound a bit whiney...but I still think they could through them in for the eight hundred odd dollars, they are kind of essential. But I do appreciate your comment and you are correct they are really good protection. Cheers John
I have a freelander 2 towing an Aussie built sunset camper and have travelled thousands of ks over all sorts of roads including the types of roads shown in your video . The camper is factory fitted with an ugly stone guard and I have no damage at all to either the car or camper except some fraying of the canvas that holds the deflection material and is not bad enough to be replaced yet . This I think is mainly due to the deflection material being double layered and very loose so that when the stones hit it the energy of the impact is absorbed and the stone just drops
Hi Darrin, no the bracket came with it and you thread the tow ball through it. Not sure if there are other options. I leave it attached and remove the tongue with the bar and flaps attached. I have a second tongue and ball I use for towing my box trailer.John
Thanks for the video. I am looking into protection for my trailer while driving in Canada. How do you think the Stone Somper would work with snow? My concern is that it would build up and the weight would pull the mesh down.
G'day Jason, I think you are right. I have found that the Stone Stomper doesn't like mud. It sticks to it, gets heavy and drags it down. So, although we don't have any snow or ice here, I think it would build up and also drag it down. It's really most suited for dry dusty and stoney roads so I wouldn't recommend it for you. Hope that's helpful and thanks for watching and commenting. Enjoy travelling. John
Thanks Mate. just in the process of ordering a new AOR and the stone stomper was an option. But this video has given me all the info I need. And by the way, there are people who think you are taking the p1$$ when you tell them you can smash a back window on the tow vehicle if you have no protection like this. Oh well. Let em find out the hard way. 😉cheers.
Thanks Noel. They just need to drive around the outback a bit where they can wonder why those people have plastic taped over their back window 😂Just remember the SS don’t like mud! Cheers John
Thank you for making the effort on this clip. I have the ARK 500 jockey wheel which is stored in a horizontal position along the drawbar whilst underway. Will the stone stomper material be impacted / exposed to wear from this jockey wheel? How goes the stone stomper material handle moisture / dampness ? Must it be stored dry? What durability do you think the material has over time when exposed to constant moving stones and mud etc? Does the attachment to the tow bow come with the kit from OEM? What is the ‘reinforcement extra’ you refer to? Cameron
Hi Cameron. I’m embarrassed I completely missed your email and I apologise for that. My response may no longer be of use to you but here goes anyway. When/if you order you need to add the centre reinforcement that is offered. This will solve the j wheel issue. Moisture not a problem. The synthetic material dried quickly and would be hard to damage even if left damp or wet. However in mud it collects it and the load can cause it to drag. So needs to be removed in really muddy conditions. I failed to do this and in dragging it stretched the elastic straps which I has to retighten and can be easily replaced. Other than that it stood up to some really difficult work so yes durability is good and in non muddy conditions where it is at its best I could see it lasting many years. Again sorry I missed your comment and I hope this ridiculously late response is of some help. John Oh and yes all tow bar fittings come with it.
G'day John we use a stomper on our Matrix very happy with results 15k of outback roads no damage , I would have thought the Raptor coating would have prevented the chipping, I think mesh stone guard protects our wing sections.
Hi Ian, 15k! great that makes the purchase price seem a bit better. Yes the Raptor coating has marked on the wings but not penetrated through to the metal. I'll be having a discussion with AOR on how this can be repaired. Can't imagine what the van would have looked like if I had gone without it!!!
@@cannyoutdoors It think it would possible to fabricate a steel framed mesh stone deflector the would fit close to front of camper and still allow a good turning circle.
