broken windows?
 

I ran into a guy this summer, somewhere, who was looking over my hi-lo and said he had a friend who had taken one to alaska but that the "logging trucks in Canada had busted out all his windows." I assume he meant rocks and gravel being tossed into the "low windows" while under way. Alaska and Canadian Rockies has always been a dream of mine, (been there when i was much younger and want to go back) and though it is not in my near future, I would like it to be in my future somewhere.

So- anybody had any experience with this type of thing and/or know of good solutions? Mesh screens? plywood? canvas?

Just a thought as the cold winds move in and I have time to wonder an worry about things during the dark months.

rick

I'm sure plywood would work, but how would you attach it? I don't see how mesh or canvas would provide any protection.

Still, I don't really see how the side or rear windows would be broken very often by rocks being thrown up on the highway. I'd think you'd have just as much chance of losing side and rear windows on your tow vehicle. The ones in most danger are your windshield and the front window of the trailer, which is covered by a rock shield.

- Jack

"Still, I don't really see how the side or rear windows would be broken very often by rocks being thrown up on the highway."

Well, I wondered that, too. I guess I was thinking , maybe, vehicles coming AT you and as you passed the rocks got tossed to the side, or while they passed you (?). In which case, I could see the windows being more vulnerable than a regular TT which are higher up on the side while under way.

I don't how you'd attach them, either. I assume one would have to build a "frame" that would be screwed around the windows and then the protection would get mounted on that in some way. A thin, kevlar "shutter" might work that could be folded (hinged) and stowed.

Mostly I guess I was interested if anyone had experienced busted side windows from debris. So far, it seems just "that guys friend" . :rolleyes:

rick

We drove the Alaska highway in 2009, 12,400 miles total. The highway is paved and was in better shape than I had expected. We had no flat tires, no broken windows or headlights. We did get some rock chips on the front of the HiLo but nothing more than I expected. Our next trip in 2014 I will have mudflaps on the truck. Most of our trip was on paved roads. You will find many repairs on the frost heaves but they are well marked, just slow down when you see one coming up. If someone passes you in a repair area that is gravel, when they get up beside you come off the throttle and slow so the passing vehicle moves away from you fast. Reduces the time that they are close enough to maybe throw a rock at you. Most repairs are only a few hundred feet long. We did hit a couple of repairs that were 5 or 6 miles. The repair areas are very dusty or muddy if raining. We did find that many RV parks had wash racks to get the rigs cleaned. If anyone with a 2010 HiLo that does not have the front window cover should try to protect the window with some type of protection.. If I had one I would make a fiberglass cover for it. You don't see many vehicles with the mesh screens or deflectors that were used in the past. There are many roads that are gravel where the traffic can move fast so the rock damage could be greater on those roads. The condition of many gravel roads is such that traffic is slow so rock damage is less a problem. The trip is wonderful and we just learned what we want to see on the next trip and the next trip. The above is the way we saw the trip. We did meet those that thought the road was horrible and they would never drive it again, but they were the minority. They expected the interstate and did not want to slow down. We had very little rain where others have said they saw very little sun. Weather can change your opinion of the trip, but we can't control that. Will answer any other questions you might have or talk on the phone or talk at the HiLo rally this next summer if you come to it. We plan to attend the 2014 rally in Colo and keep on going to Alaska. Hope this helps.

Jim

Thanks for that post. In thinking back- the guy may have been talking More about secondary (gravel) Canadian Hwys than he was the Alaskan Highway per se. Anyway- thanks for your insight .

12,000 miles is a good haul. I'm impressed. Actually, it highlights the reason i won't be going in the near future, that being the need for a newer and more dependable Tow vehicle. My 97 F150, though faithful and wrought with many fine memories of trips taken- poses many issues the greatest being GVWR (and age, now). Those 97s had a door sticker of GVWR of only 6000 lbs. A year or two later they were up to 6500. Still, with a full tank and me in it my 4x4 supercab had a weight of 5400 when I weighed it last spring. With 600 tongue weight- I'm already "there" before wife, dog, and gear. I live with it, and am conscious of it, but I don't want a long bumpy trip with it.

The next year or two I will be on the look-out for used trucks and will agonize over 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton vs gas vs diesel etc. I realize newer 1/2 ton trucks hang around7000- 7200 gvwr which would please me, greatly.

But, this is a "broken window" thread----so to that end, thanks for sharing your experiences with me. I guess if I find it an issue somewhere along the way I would consider fabricating a light weight "carbon -kevlar" shutter for side windows with a layup similar to light weight canoes- which I have some experience with.

Thanks
rick

I have a 2010 with the big front window and have had no problems "yet". The window is made from flexible Lexan and is not subject to shattering. Also, the front end cap sits further forward from older model years and almost against the gas bottles. It would be unlikely that stones kicked up from the rear of the tow vehicle could get to it. There is some exposure on the ends that are not shadowed by the TV. It could crack if struck the right way. There is nothing that is impervious to damage, I guess time will tell as to how others as well as me will fare with this window. Give a kid a hammer and he can do lots of damage.

I understand there are some models that do not have the front stone shield.

You are right, they are all of the 2010 and 2011 models that were made. As I said above, I haven't had any problems yet.