A caravan stone guard is a mesh screen fitted across your caravan's drawbar that catches the stones and gravel thrown up by your tow vehicle's rear wheels before they hit the front of the van. If you tow on gravel, dirt or freshly resealed roads, a stone guard is one of the cheapest ways to protect your caravan, camper trailer or boat from chips, cracks and smashed fittings.
This guide explains how stone guards work, the different types, what to look for when choosing one for a caravan, camper, boat or jet ski, and how to fit and look after it.
Why Your Caravan or Boat Needs Stone Protection
Your tow vehicle's rear tyres flick stones backwards at speed, and the first thing in their path is the front of whatever you're towing. On a caravan or camper that means:
- chipped paint and dented checker plate on the front wall,
- cracked front windows, lights and hatches,
- damaged gas bottles, regulators and hoses on the drawbar,
- broken water inlets, taps and electrical plugs.
On a boat the bow and hull take the hits, which chips the gel coat or paint and can hurt resale value. A single trip on a corrugated outback road can do more damage than years of highway towing.
How a Stone Guard Works
A drawbar stone guard is a frame covered in heavy-duty mesh, mounted across the A-frame between the coupling and the front of the van. Stones hit the mesh and drop to the road instead of reaching the van. Mudflaps along the bottom edge knock low, fast stones back down, and the mesh lets air through, so the guard doesn't act like a sail behind your car.
Types of Stone Protection
| Type | Where it fits | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drawbar-mounted stone guard | Across the caravan or trailer drawbar | Protects the whole front of the van, gas bottles and fittings; stays with the van | Must clear the jockey wheel and tow vehicle on tight turns |
| Hitch-mounted guard | On the tow vehicle's hitch | Moves with the car and suits different trailers | Check it clears the trailer coupling and drawbar fittings |
| Front protection on the van | Checker plate, film or covers on the van's front wall | Protects the van body | Doesn't protect drawbar fittings, gas bottles or windows |
| Mudflaps on the tow vehicle | Behind the tow vehicle's rear wheels | Low cost, reduces spray | Only partial stone protection on their own |
For the best protection on gravel and dirt roads, most caravanners combine a drawbar stone guard with good mudflaps on the tow vehicle.
Choosing a Caravan Stone Guard
Here's what to check before you buy:
- Coverage: the guard should span the width of your drawbar and the front of the van. D-Flector caravan guards are 220cm wide and 50cm high; camper trailer guards are 180cm wide and 50cm high.
- Centre jockey wheel or toolbox: if your drawbar has a jockey wheel, toolbox or other fitting in the middle, choose a centre-cut guard that fits around it without modification.
- Frame material: high-strength steel is tough and lower cost; aluminium is lighter, which helps if you're watching your ball weight.
- Shape: angled guards have side wings that sweep back to wrap the drawbar; linear guards are one straight panel.
- Fitting: look for a drill-free design. Drilling into a drawbar can weaken it.
- Spare parts: mesh and mudflaps wear over time, so choose a guard where the mesh covers, mudflaps, U-bolts and reflectors can be replaced separately.
Not sure which one you need? Our stone guard finder asks three quick questions and highlights the right D-Flector guard for your caravan.
D-Flector Caravan and Camper Stone Guards
D-Flector stone guards are made in Australia for Australian roads. They use heavy-duty rip-stop mesh on a powder-coated frame with 8mm heavy-duty mudflaps and reflectors, and they bolt onto the drawbar with the supplied U-bolts, so there's no drilling.
- Caravan guards (220 x 50cm): available in standard or centre-cut, high-strength steel or aluminium, and angled or linear shapes, such as the standard steel angled DSG001 and the centre-cut steel angled DSG003. See the full caravan stone guard range.
- Camper trailer guards (180 x 50cm): the Camper Standard DSG005 and, for campers with a centre-mounted jockey wheel, the Camper Centre Cut DSG021.
Boat Trailer Stone Guards
A boat trailer stone guard protects the bow and hull of your boat from stones thrown by the tow vehicle. Boat guards are shaped to suit the boat and sized by boat length.
The D-Flector boat stone guard uses a marine-grade 316 stainless steel frame with heavy-duty mesh, zippered panels so you can still climb into the boat, and a patented adjustable design. It installs without drilling using the U-bolts, brackets and bungee cords supplied, is made in Australia and carries a 3-year warranty. Choose the size that matches your boat:
Use the boat-length slider on our stone guard page to find your size, and see all marine stone guards and covers.
Jet Ski Stone Guards
Stone chips on a jet ski's gel coat are easy to get and hard to repair invisibly. The D-Flector Jet Ski Stone Guard (J100) uses an angled, adjustable 316 stainless frame that fits most PWC trailers, mounts with supplied U-bolts and has removable covers for cleaning. Its structural parts carry a 3-year manufacturer's warranty. See the jet ski range.
Fitting a Stone Guard
- Position the frame on the drawbar behind the coupling, centred and clear of the gas bottles, jockey wheel and handbrake.
- Clamp it in place with the supplied U-bolts and brackets, tightening them evenly.
- Fit the mesh cover, mudflaps and reflectors.
- Hitch up and turn to full lock in both directions to check the guard clears the tow vehicle, then check the jockey wheel still winds up and down freely.
- Re-check your tow ball weight, since anything added to the drawbar adds to it. See our guide to tow balls and tow ball weight.
Most D-Flector guards can be fitted in your driveway in around 30 minutes.
Looking After Your Stone Guard
- Hose off mud and grit after dirt-road trips, especially before storing the van.
- Check the U-bolts are still tight before each trip, as corrugations can loosen them.
- Replace a worn or torn mesh cover rather than the whole guard. Mesh cover kits come with new reflectors, for example the standard angled cover kit.
- Replace split or cracked heavy-duty mudflaps before they tear off.
Browse all stone guard spare parts.
Stone Guard FAQs
Do I need a stone guard for my caravan?
If you tow on gravel, dirt or freshly resealed roads, a stone guard is strongly recommended. Stones thrown by your tow vehicle's tyres can chip the van's front wall, crack windows and damage gas bottles and fittings on the drawbar.
Will a stone guard fit with a centre jockey wheel?
Yes, if you choose a centre-cut stone guard. Centre-cut guards have an opening in the middle so they fit around a centre jockey wheel, toolbox or other drawbar fitting without modification.
Do I need to drill my drawbar to fit a stone guard?
Not with a D-Flector stone guard. They clamp onto the drawbar with supplied U-bolts and brackets, so no drilling is needed.
Does a stone guard affect ball weight?
Yes, slightly. Anything mounted on the drawbar adds to the weight on your tow ball, so re-check your ball weight after fitting a stone guard and make sure it stays within your vehicle and towbar limits.
What size boat stone guard do I need?
Boat stone guards are sized by boat length. D-Flector boat guards come in four sizes covering boats from 4.2m to 8.5m, so choose the range that includes your boat's length.
Ready to protect your rig? Find the right guard on our D-Flector stone guards page, or contact us with a photo of your drawbar and we'll help you choose.