Blue Ox BX8870 KarGard Protective Shield , Black

This guard met my expectations. I would definitely buy it again. It took my about 90 minutes to install it for my 2020 Jeep Rubicon. I recommend you take measurements before beginning to assemble the support brackets starting with the clearance you want at the bottom and the distance from that to the two horizontal brackets mounted on the guard. I did not see this in the instructions and so initially I tried to use visual sightings. That caused a lot of trial and error. Once I measured the clearance I wanted at the bottom of the guard, assembling the support brackets was a snap and I did not have to do a lot of adjusting afterwards.

We bought this KarGard shield after 6 years without one, leaving the front end of our tow car badly pitted. We just lived with it, until repairs after a deer collision restored the front end of our tow car to like-new condition. What to do now? We found KarGard the most economical way to protect our tow car. We didn't find the instructions that difficult to follow so assembly was straightforward. We modified it slightly to have it lock in a V shape rather than flat to reduce wind resistance. It pops off our Blue Ox BX7445 tow bar easily and folds in half for storage. We have no regrets from buying it and recommend it to others.

Tire gator could have taken out the front of our jeep tow behind but the shield although destroyed saved our front end albiet a few small scratches.

I recently purchased and installed the Blue Ox tow shield. I was surprised that the instructions were written so poorly. You would expect a packaging list first and then detailed instruction for each of Blue Ox's tow bars but what you get is reading through all the instructions to figure out just what applies to you. Come on Blue Ox, I know you can do better. The shield is easy to use (on & off) and does the job of protecting the toad.

Initially I really liked this product but after 15 months both shields are cracked and broken. I called Blue Ox MFG and they offered to sell me replacement shields for $150.00 each. A complete replacement is 358.00 on Amazon. With a 15 month life span I need to find an alternative.

Directions could be more clear. A step-by-step type assembly direction may help some buyers. My wife and I assembled the shield and mounted it by the blow-up diagram in about an hour at a relaxed pace. The most important point is you must have your towed vehicle fully attached and assemble the shield with brackets and bolts loose until assembly is completely assembled on the tow bar. Make sure the bottom edge is clear of any cords or cables or the tow bar. Once clearance is good, tighten all fasteners. the only wiggle will be at the end of the vertical tubes at the bottom mounts, this seems to be designed for a purpose. Good product.

After seeing what other RVers did to protect their towed vehicles from gravel when we went camping this summer, we opted for this solution (Kargard) that we will be using next summer in addition to a thick rubber rock guard that we already had mounted on the back of our motorhome. We also had a paint-protective film (PPF) applied to the front of our vehicle but it did take a beating this summer without the use of the Kargard. We are hopeful next summer that the Kargard will provide the extra protection that we are looking for. Also, at the same time we ordered the Kargard, we also ordered a protective fabric for our windshield.

Doing research and now owning this KarGard I don't think it gets the credit it deserves. I tow a '16 F150 and after my first trip dingy towing my new truck I already had pitting on my bumper so I knew I needed to get something. I have a diesel pusher class A and didn't like the idea of a mesh rock cover so close to the tail pipe. Since I have a Blue Ox base plate and tow bars this was the natural choice. Mounting it up the first time wasn't hard just took a while since it basically is a custom install meaning you set everything how it will work for you and your vehicle. Some base plates have a wider stance with the bars, some shields need to be C-notched so they sit lower to the ground, there are some bolts to change out but after the first install I can now set it up in a minute or so. Now the benefits...I didn't find any rocks in my grill or sitting on my hood after an all day interstate drive. Both the back of the RV and my truck seem to arrive cleaner. My assumption is the shield disrupts the air flow just enough to reduce dust. If I grab the shield and shake it, it will move around a bit in the pins but that doesn't seem to be an issue. The shield isn't quite as wide as my truck so the corners of the bumper are still vulnerable to rocks. I haven't drove with it through heavy rain yet but I'm sure it will help from getting splashed from the motorhome. It's the last thing I hook up before I leave and the first thing I remove when I get there. Folds up in one of my compartments with the pins. I don't seem to find many RVs using these things around here but I am a believer and my truck is worth the price of this. One more note, it mentions that the edges may come in contact with the motorhome ladder during a sharp turn but I haven't found this to be an issue with my setup. I am running an extended hitch drop/riser mount to compensate for the height of my truck though which probably helps.