“Rock Flaps” for F250/350 Superduty owners

[Patriot]

In an effort to reduce any nicks or dings to the front of our Ollie we had 10 mil XPEL paint protection installed on the front corners, dog house etc. I also recently custom ordered a set of these “rock flaps” for our F250 Tremor TV from a fabrication shop called livelymachine.com. I just was not overly impressed by the other brand of rock tamers or rock stoppers that mount to the hitch for a number of reasons. These rock flaps mount up underneath the bumper directly into the receiver left and right side square openings on our F250 Tremor.  A really nice fit and finish and very well made with aluminum powder coated tubing and all stainless hardware. Once mounted they are not going anywhere. 

If you are interested in pricing and shipping costs or have technical questions about rock stoppers please contact livelymachine.com.

Cheers and Happy Towing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rideandfly]

David,

Very nice and sturdy Rock Flaps!

Great work!

[Patriot]

6 minutes ago, rideandfly said:

David,

Very nice and sturdy Rock Flaps!

Great work!

Thanks Bill, appreciate it.

Along with the XPEL 10 mil paint protection on the front of our Oliver, I  have done all I can at this point to protect it. 
Onward! 

[IL_Travelers]

Nice flaps, Patriot!  It is always good to see what accessories others are using.  This was a major concern for us, too, before we took delivery of our Oliver.  After we placed our order it took some time to find what was right for us to protect our investment.

We ordered and installed this "Rockstar Full Width Tow Flap" prior to delivery of R-Villa on May 17 this year.  Now, after towing with it for 4,500 miles, we are thoroughly satisfied and would purchase this flap again.  The fact that it affords protection across the full width of the truck is a big plus for us.

The ease with which it can be mounted and dismounted cannot be overstated.  The most difficult part of the job is getting down on my 71 year-old knees!  Seriously, it takes about 30 seconds to remove the flap by removing the two lynchpins (on either side of the receiver) and lifting the flap slightly up and rearward off the mounting brackets. The flap will fit in the bed of my truck with one end low and one end high; we now have an ARE truck cap installed which is not shown in the photo.  (The flap is about one inch too long to lay flat in the bed!)  If we are camping with the trailer parked for awhile, I can easily remove this flap to save fuel mileage while we are exploring.

When we are ready to hit the road with the Ollie, it is a snap to put it back on.

Available at:  www.agricover.com 

[Townesw]

@IL_Travelersdo you have more pictures of your loaded and hitched truck that show how far that Rockstar full width flap is from the ground? I like that style flap because I also have a Duramax and I like the way the Rockstar handles the exhaust. 

[Patriot]

Update on my rock stoppers. I had livelymachine send a set of SS plates and SS mounting hardware to preclude any upsailing from the flaps at highway speed. Very pleased with how clean the front of our Ollie looked after our trip. These are providing the protection I had hoped for.
 

 

 

[John E Davies]

43 minutes ago, Patriot said:

Update on my rock stoppers. I had livelymachine send a set of SS plates to preclude any upsailing from the flaps at highway speed. 

I would be a little cautious, they actually should sail back at an angle. The Rock Tamers I have (hanging on my wall gathering dust for four years) are a very similar design, the Australian instructions say they should be rotated to give a static angle of say 20 to 30 degrees at the top of the flaps, so that they will sail at a 45 degree angle at highway speeds. That way stones will be deflected down to the ground instead of bouncing straight back onto your truck bumper and bodywork….. The USA instructions are completely silent about this, and most Rock Tamers I have seen here are installed dead vertical. It is just something to be aware of and to keep an eye on, it may not be an issue with yours. But if you see gravel lying on top of your bumper, and tail light or tailgate paint chips, that is why….

https://www.clearviewaccessories.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/RT_MANUAL.pdf

Plus if you are towing on gravel, or fresh chipseal, and you pass over a deep dip, they may hit the surface and throw up a ginormous rooster tail of gravel right onto your Ollie. That unfortunate characteristic is unavoidable with this design, it is what it is. You need to go with a completely different design like a Stone Stomper to avoid that. Which BTW is also effective against  Wood Bison  manure from the highway (Yukon Territory).

Notice how much cleaner (relatively speaking) the A frame of the Ollie is, in relation to the truck, flaps and the cloth mesh, which very effectively keeps all the “chaos” at ground level, as well as off the rear hatch and glass. In pouring rain at 60 mph the back glass stays practically dry… 😳

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

 

 

[SeaDawg]

Looks like the Yukon gave your Aussie Stone Stampers the test...

 

[rideandfly]

David,

14 hours ago, Patriot said:

Update on my rock stoppers. I had livelymachine send a set of SS plates and SS mounting hardware to preclude any upsailing from the flaps at highway speed. Very pleased with how clean the front of our Ollie looked after our trip. These are providing the protection I had hoped for.
 

 

 

David,

The SS plates and hardware are a fine finishing touch on the rock flaps, great job!

 

[Patriot]

30 minutes ago, rideandfly said:

David,

David,

The SS plates and hardware are a fine finishing touch on the rock flaps, great job!

 

Hey Bill,

Thank you and I appreciate it! The shake down last week went great, no issues and a clean Ollie when we got home.

David

note-

 Not recommended if your TV is an SUV. 😉😂 

[John E Davies]

On 9/2/2021 at 7:44 PM, Patriot said:

 

I am very impressed to see those toggle clamps being used in this application, they are very excellent! Do you know if they are stainless? I used a pair of a slightly different style, with a hook on one end, to secure the hard lid on an aluminum utility trailer. You can adjust the screw as parts wear, to keep everything tight and noise free. I used to have problems opening the trailer lid after driving on dusty roads, the clamps would clog up. I had to dump water from a water bottle on them to flush the grit from the joints. Are yours effective at keeping the flap support bars free from motion? Does Lively Machine sell replacement clamps or extra rubber feet? It might be smart to order extras for your spares kit, they do wear and can fail.

https://www.thetoggleclampstore.com/toggle-clamp-accessories.html

Thanks,

John Davies

Spokane WA

[IL_Travelers]

Townesw:  We are in central Wisconsin camping right now and just saw your text.  Let me know if this photo is what you are looking for.  We are all set up, unhooked, and will be here for a week.  I can send you more pics when we are ready to depart.  

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[Townesw]

@IL_Travelers thanks for the picture. I can see what I need to see in that picture.