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Old 07-10-2012, 07:51 AM   #21
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Hey DeeMax,

Thanks for the update. We just came back from a trip to Yogi's Jellystone Park in Luray, Virginia. I checked out several NEW RV models camped there including a Raptor and a Cyclone and none had anything but the vinyl cloth in the wheel wells. Looks like you did a great job! I was going to use some sort of sheet metal but thought basic sheet metal would be too thin and did not want the expense and trouble of cutting through 16g or thicker material. I ended up using 3/4 inch pressure treated plywood. Painted it on both sides with Rustoleum, then installed with stainless screws and caulked all seams. Undercoated it all as well. I'll post some pics. Either method will certainly provide more protection than the factory method (none). Still amazed that newer units still have no protection!
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Old 07-10-2012, 09:01 AM   #22
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Wouldn't aluminum diamond plate be better ? Wont rust , no need to paint easy to cut and drill and it would give as much structural support if not more then old sheet metal
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Old 07-10-2012, 09:36 AM   #23
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Wouldn't aluminum diamond plate be better ? Wont rust , no need to paint easy to cut and drill and it would give as much structural support if not more then old sheet metal
I went to the local race car fab shop because they have 10 foot sheets of colored aluminum for making race car bodies. If you can leave it with them for a couple days they will make you a set of perfect fitting inserts for the wheel wells.
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Old 07-10-2012, 10:39 AM   #24
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There are many options out there especially if money is not an issue, but it was for me and I think most of us want a low cost solution we can implement ourselves. I needed over 80 inches for the tri-axle wheel well and a 16 inch area just behind the rear axle. A sheet of aluminum thick enough to withstand a tire blow out could cost $300 or more and to have a shop fabricate it for you isn't that cheap either. I found that working with the 3/4 inch PT plywood was quick and easy. I was able to trim around the frame rails and fill all the cavities in the wheel area. Nothing is left unprotected. I looked at the triple axle fenders and they would work after some trimming, especially on the slide side, but again they were well over $200 and would require metal cutting. I think I spent around $80 for the plywood, paint, caulking, and 5 cans of rubberized undercoating.
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Old 07-10-2012, 10:49 AM   #25
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Looks like you need to consider raising the trailer a couple of inches to get more clearance or some other means of increasing the clearance (new springs, heavier Alko axles, etc). You did a very good, neat job on the lining, but am afraid it will be all for naught the first time you get on a rough road.
Yeah, I will consider some sort of "lift kit" or something in the future for more clearance. For now this will at least keep the occasional tire rub from exposing the floor innards to road debris, water, critters, etc.
As for protection from a blow out, y'all are correct that something more substantial is needed when rubber and cords start whipping around at 60 mph. But, for about 20 bucks and 90 minutes of time, this will do until I pursue a stronger solution (after this heat breaks!).
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Old 07-10-2012, 10:59 AM   #26
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Originally Posted by RONXS69 View Post
Hey DeeMax,

Thanks for the update. We just came back from a trip to Yogi's Jellystone Park in Luray, Virginia. I checked out several NEW RV models camped there including a Raptor and a Cyclone and none had anything but the vinyl cloth in the wheel wells. Looks like you did a great job! I was going to use some sort of sheet metal but thought basic sheet metal would be too thin and did not want the expense and trouble of cutting through 16g or thicker material. I ended up using 3/4 inch pressure treated plywood. Painted it on both sides with Rustoleum, then installed with stainless screws and caulked all seams. Undercoated it all as well. I'll post some pics. Either method will certainly provide more protection than the factory method (none). Still amazed that newer units still have no protection!
Thanks RON. The plywood is a good idea, certainly stronger than sheet metal. I wanted to use something pretty thin since tire clearance is already minimal. I'll probably go with ~1/4" aluminum pieces someday, and possibly lift the trailer a bit...someday.
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Old 07-10-2012, 11:01 AM   #27
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DeeMax, Check how your springs attach to the axles. If the axles are attached over the springs (inside the arch) just moving them to outside or under the arch will give you nearly 3 inches of lift. If they are already under the springs, 2 or 3 inch lift blocks and longer U bolts will do the trick.
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Old 07-10-2012, 11:05 AM   #28
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If you check the want adds or the GSA surplus website you can probably get an old smaller industrial freezer lined with aluminum panels that can be cut up to fit. A buddy of mine bought and entire 8 x 10 walkin freezer for $100 bucks at a surplus auction and took it apart for the aluminum sheets.
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Old 07-10-2012, 11:25 AM   #29
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I had significant damage to my 07 Salem a few years ago after a blowout. Not only damage to the exterior, but interior damage as well. My RV dealer ordered and replaced the plastic wheel well and fixed the interior damage for a reasonable price. In May I traded my Salem in for a Surveyor SV 301, and am impressed that the wheel well on the Surveyor is metal. That was one of the many features on the Surveyor that impressed me.
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Old 07-11-2012, 06:31 AM   #30
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DeeMax, Check how your springs attach to the axles. If the axles are attached over the springs (inside the arch) just moving them to outside or under the arch will give you nearly 3 inches of lift. If they are already under the springs, 2 or 3 inch lift blocks and longer U bolts will do the trick.
Yeah, axles are already under the springs, so I'll look into blocks and longer bolts. Thanks.
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