3M Film vs. Painters Tape vs. Car Bra for rock chips
 

Just got a new car and the girlfriend wants to go portland this weekend so I'm looking for the best solution to minimize rock chips. Which way would work best? Painters tape is the most cost effective but last time I used it, it left a lot of sticky residue which was a pain of wash off.

3m clear bra

Just don't tailgate like an asshole and stay far and wide from semis. That helps more than clear bra IMO, rocks can go through the bra.

Another easy alternative would be to go grab a small length of vinyl wrap (depending on the car) a 3' by 6' length of wrap should wrap a lot of the front bumper.

Has the same problem as painters tape, you will have to remove the residue, but the bonus is its way easier to apply then spending hours taping lines on the car.

I drive the roundtrip to Oregon and back 6 times in the past year -- it is not that bad at all, if I'm honest (nothing like BC where half the trucks hauling gravel don't have their load properly secured)

to err on the side of caution is always best though, good luck

EDIT:

Just realized it's october AKA rental cars are cheap.
You can get a fullsize (ford Fusion) from Friday morning till Monday morning for $140 taxes in + $45 ($15/day) for going to Oregon. That's cheaper than a clear bra ($400?)

you can try using 3M paint defender spray; it's pretty much a spray on clear bra

Plastidip it

There's also weekend specials where you can get the car basically for like $60 from Friday , returning Monday and there's no fees for going to the states either :whistle:

Which company?

If you plan on keeping the car for quite awhile and rock chips bother you then you're better off just getting a clear bra and not having to worry about it. It'll be a pain in the ass taping it every time you go on a road trip somewhere...guess it comes down to if you have the funds to blow like 500 bucks getting it done.

My price was for budget rent a car on 416 west georgia -- factor in $15/day extra for going to Oregon.

if you want to compare all rental car companies in Vancouver, here:
Car rentals
(hopefully the link works)

The only company that I know, off the top of my head, that DGAF about out of area is Avis, but they're also generally the most expensive. Spend some time just phoning the Vancouver locations to find out how much they charge for out of area. Also avoid renting from YVR because they tack on a 17.5% airport concession fee

Enterprise, online booking is usually cheapest. Don't select YVR location either. 100km limit/day. The price is for a compact car though, PM me if you've got more questions

Enterprise usually has weekend specials. I rent from them all the time when I'm out of town.

$30/72hrs, max 300km or $60/72hrs, unlimited kms

Last weekend I rented from them and the total came up to $62.xx (rental + liability insurance + taxes). Plus they'll drop you off if you are within a reasonable distance.

hood bra fcked up my paint, i would go the plasti dip route if i was too do it again

Clear plastidip? Why not. Someone try it and come back

I have a friend who did the clear dip on there front bumper for the winter and it worked ok. No damage to the bumper, but that could also be from not having ricks hit it.

Dip will not do much for rocks tho, its not thick or rubbery enough to absorb the impact. I have seen dipped cars that have been hit by rocks and when you peel the dip off it lifts the chip of paint off with it.

3M film works well as that's part of its purpose. It disperses the impact over a greater surface area causing little to no damage.
I'm not a fan of any of these and just prefer cautious driving to having something put on the paint that will eventually need to be removed.

If you use a car bra, you just have to remember not to leave the bra on when it rains. On my old car, I put on a light coat of wax on the hood before I put the bra on. I only put the bra on for highway driving though.
I would take the bra off whenever I got home as well.

PM nabs. While back he posted some pics of a cross country trip where he covered up his car..