Proper mud flap install on Dually?

[Artemus Gordon]

I wanted to get an idea of how much clearence you have, between mud flap, and pavement, when towing? I admit my mud flaps drag, especially on my very steep driveway. When towing, under full load, I have about 2 maybe 2.5inch clearence from pavement. I have heard them drag from time to time, but I feel they are expendable. I never had rock ding, with this truck or my old truck. Was told by a fellow camper he thought they looked low. I told him it was by design. 25 plus years ago, in a different life I owned a trucking company. I was told they are expendable, and always treated them as such. So what are your thoughts, fellow Montana owners?

[davidaf]

Very expendable. Mine were ripped off during a challenging parking experience in a very small CG when i found one of those little round wooden tree trunk like object that they like to install all over the park. That was in 2006, i never bothered to replace them. Honestly i've never missed them and none of my 3 RVs since have looked the worse for wear. Granted I am in So Cal where we have some pretty darn clean roads. May have a different opinion/experience if the majority of my travel was in Alaska or the like. Side note, I believe there may be a law on the books requiring them but no fix-it ticket yet so maybe not.

[Artemus Gordon]

Ca has vague law. Most trucks ( pickups ) don't qualify for mandatory flaps. But I was told it's up to owner to reduce splash etc. from tires. Look at dates of this law?


V C Section 27600 Fenders and Mudguards

Fenders and Mudguards

27600. No person shall operate any motor vehicle having three or more wheels, any trailer, or semitrailer unless equipped with fenders, covers, or devices, including flaps or splash aprons, or unless the body of the vehicle or attachments thereto afford adequate protection to effectively minimize the spray or splash of water or mud to the rear of the vehicle and all such equipment or such body or attachments thereto shall be at least as wide as the tire tread. This section does not apply to those vehicles exempt from registration, trailers and semitrailers having an unladen weight of under 1,500 pounds, or any vehicles manufactured and first registered prior to January 1, 1971, having an unladen weight of under 1,500 pounds.

Amended Ch. 215, Stats. 1970. Effective November 23, 1970.

[Art-n-Marge]

When I towed commercially, our requirement was to have at least 4 inches from the bottom edge of the flap to the pavement for an SRW or DRW (In Texas, I recall they have a mudflap requirement for duallies but I don't know how long they must be). That seemed like a pretty good number since it seemed to keep debris and spray from my tires away from what I was towing. I wasn't too particular about making them any shorter since 4" worked and any lower just meant the flaps would be dragging on the ground during some driveways dips, or parking bumps. I purchased my mud flaps from Duraflaps, in Oregon. They were a decent price and I still use them.

[JandC]

I noted while reading the instruction manual on my Rock Tamers last night that it is suggested the distance be 3" to 4" to the ground when loaded. When I complete the install today I am thinking about making them about 3".

[1retired06]

With a dually, mud guards are critical not only for the towed rig, but for the extended rear bed fenders as well. Otherwise they get chipped up. Your guards look good to me and about the same height off the ground as mine. I augment them with my Rock-Tamers when pulling the boat or fiver.

[steelpony5555]

I always did like a low mud flap with some sort of weight on them. I know they are suppose to be expendable but at $100 and up that's a little bit of expensive expendable lol lol ..... I think when my trailer is on mine are probably bout 2-3 inches off the ground and they are the factory ones.

[Montana Sky]

Mine sit about 2.5" - 3" off the ground when the truck is loaded with the coach or horse trailers. I've only heard them drag a few times when entering a steep incline into a parking lots. I still have to be careful when backing up against curbs or the parking lot stops when unloaded as the flaps can catch those as well at times.

[mhs4771]

I bought the GM flaps when I got this TV. They work ok, but still pretty high above the road. So I've cut sections off an old Bed Mat and Pop Riveted sections on to the existing flaps, now have approx. 3 inches clearance when loaded.

[Art-n-Marge]

Hmmm, my 4" gap is still 4" with the fiver since I just use the air bags to gain back the sag. Even at 4", I try and be careful not to pinch the flap between the tire and the parking concrete bumper when backing into a parking space. I need to buy the weight kit from Duraflaps since the current flaps have a slight curl and I think they look better when the hang straight down. The biggest decision is the style to pick... oh, the choices.

[Tom S.]

When hooked up, mine don't drag, but they are VERY close to the pavement.

[Artemus Gordon]

Art. The hanging straight down issue was important to me. Mine came with a "frame" for lack of better description. It forces them to stay down and not sail. They are also have weight to them. I got them from " Go Industries". Plus they look nice IMHO!

[richfaa]

Note there is a adjustment for "sail" on the rock tamer video. Ours are 3 inches off the ground RV attached. Still get chips.

[clarkandsheila]

My truck is the single rear wheel model.

I made my own out of a rubber truck flap and a piece of 1" square ss tubing. Cut the rubber down to suit. When unloaded they are about 3" from the ground.

When towing they drag. Three years now and wear is not really noticeable. They really cut down on the dirty spray that the trailer gets on it. Not eliminated but cut down.

My truck has the tension points for a truck mounted camper. I just removed the extension bars and replaced them with
a piece of 1" square SS tubing to bolt the rubber to. If I were to redo it today I would make the flaps wider.

Otherwise it was worth the minimal effort.