Stone chips and more

[OldHillwalker]

Covid permitting I am planning on driving from Maine to Alaska next summer and returning in the early fall, I will be using the Alcan of course, but also The Dempster Highway, to Tuktoyaktuk and The Stewart Cassier South to BC to for a trip total of around fifteen thousand miles There will be many many miles of gravel road. I have been looking at the plastic protective coatings that are sold to minimize or possibly eliminate stone chips on windshields. They are not inexpensive, but I have my doubts. Especially when thinking about they would react to wipers and mud plus washer fluid. I would think that they would get abraded to a barely translucent film pretty rapidly.

Does anyone have any experience with these products?

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Clear Plastidip everything on the front of your vehicle. Let it take the beating and then peel it off when you get home.

 

[ExpoMike]

Clear Plastidip everything on the front of your vehicle. Let it take the beating and then peel it off when you get home.

I think he is talking about the windshield. I doubt Plastidip would be an appropriate use on it.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

I think he is talking about the windshield. I doubt Plastidip would be an appropriate use on it.

Totally missed the word "windshield"...haha.

To the OP: I wouldn't sweat it. Just do what you can to stay away from other vehicles and then let your insurance buy you a new windshield when you get home.

 

[Todd780]

Maybe cover the windshield with chicken wire, haha

 

[crazysccrmd]

I have driven all those roads multiple times and not had a rock thrown into the windshield and chip/crack it. That usually happened in the spring before the paved roads were cleared off from six months of gravel. Take all the stories about the wild and rough roads and dial them down about 10 notches, they really aren't bad. Until the weather gets bad a normal family sedan can make the trip without any problems.

 

[buellconvert]

I've made the drive to Alaska a few times myself from the lower 48 and like it's been said already, the road conditions aren't nearly as bad as some would like you to believe. I've never had a chipped or damaged windshield or any major paint chips for that matter and never had to change a tire on my trips.

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