Make Your Ultraguard or Duraguard Stone Guard Removable. Save MPG’s!!

[@johnm9131]

I ended up hanging mine from the hitch just on the inside of the bumper with two threaded chain links quick on and off as well.

[@cynthiabrandt679]

Hey Tim, My name is Stuart. I love what you made there. Very good. I'm using my wife's KZbin channel. So are you still delivering campers or not? I think I had left you a message on one of your other posts and you never answered. Yeah I'm going to probably go work for a company called sky point. Probably within the next 30 days. I've got to get hernia surgery and cataract surgery before that happens. But I have a brand new 2024 Ram 3500 crew cab, long bed dually longhorn limited with the AISIN transmission and the 410 rear end. Also I have a beautiful Northern light truck camper in my truck bed so I only pull travel trailers. Good stuff though. You did a good job on that. It's an idea for me too. Great job!😢

[@TravelinTim]

@@cynthiabrandt679 yes I am still hauling every day

[@seriously195]

I am curious to see how much difference your MPG changes with on vs.off. I too have a full length mudflap behind my large wheel well mudflaps that I made myself from strut channel from Menards ($20) and a 1/2 inch thick horse stall mat from TSC ($40), and stainless hardware from Amazon ($25) so I could have one that is wider and taller. I also designed it for easy on/off but mine takes me about 2 min each since it bolts to short pieces of strut I have dropped from the bumper frame mounting bolts. This way it is bolted on both left and right sides (with stainless Nylock nuts) so there is zero wobble. When the large mudflap is off, I have 3" round reflectors I put on the bolts on the mounting down-struts. I personally have not found noticeable difference in MPG between on or off. I usually take it off when running empty unless I am short-trip back for another trailer. My 2014 Ram Cummins 4x4 Megacab with 6 speed auto trans is much more bothered by wind than anything I have done to try to improve MPG myself. With little wind, the truck will get 20 to 21.5 on the highway doing 65 to 70 (per the trip computer...so realistically 1 to 1.5 MPG LESS than that per computation at fill-up) with the full-width flap on or off. But, add any direct or quartering headwind of 10 to 15 MPH and it plummets to anywhere from 14.5 to 18 (again per the trip computer) - you know: going West across the upper plains of Iowa, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Wyoming, etc. And you know Montana...always a 15 to 20 MPH headwind and always uphill no matter what direction you travel LOL. Just wondering if you will really be able to tell in the Ford. And yes, I do know even very small differences add up when we are talking about thousands of gallons of fuel and tens of thousands of miles driven in a year.

[@tg9388]

Great tips 👌

[@TravelinTim]

Thanks

[@davidwalorski5755]

Great idea...what is your mpg...coming home...with rock gard off?

[@johnm9131]

Just averaged 22 mpgs with guard off and cruise set at 65 all that way from Iowa 👍🏻👍🏻

[@dude7838]

Awesome Tim. Wouldn't pass IT pre inspection but does the job just as good. I've already been inspected and cleared so this is definitely my next move

[@dude7838]

@@TravelinTim From my experience mounted behind the bumper.

[@jackiewilson6796]

Great idea! And glad to see you back!

[@stevejoramo8013]

Does the mudflap mounted behind the hitch interfere with the safety chains from the trailer?

[@TravelinTim]

No but I also have large links on my hitch because most of the hooks do not fit on the ford hitch.

[@billr5907]

Great content. Anything to save a few MPGs. Safe travels.

[@edtworek8094]

DAMN! Genius!

[@djd8058]

That is a dynamite idea! Thanks for sharing. I’m definitely going to steal that one.

[@cryptocrunchies2478]

I’m curious about the regular narrow mudflaps right behind the rear tires. Would I need to upgrade the little plastic factory ones to wider longer ones? (Besides the big “rock guard” one)?

[@TravelinTim]

You need full width flaps at the wheel also for most companies.

[@bryancatrina5787]

Very cool

[@terrywatson9128]

Super slick.