Anyone run a Keep Out The Trash AND a decorative grill?

[Wmoater]

I was doing a bit of investigating. This summer I will do my first true tour. Looking at 6 weeks on the road solely on the Spyder from PA to Canada, to the UP, across the Prairies, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, and back. I have done touring with my Toy Hauler where I travel out West, drop the gate and ride an area for 2-3 days living out of the Toy Hauler. Pick up and haul 5-8 hours away and repeat, but this trip will be solely on the Spyder.

With the Toy Hauler, I had the opportunity to clean the Spyder each night, so never really had any issues with grasshoppers etc in the grills. I have been out West many many times. I know what the bugs look like on the front of my truck and across the nose of my fifth wheel. I currently have the decorative grills from Spyder Accessories. (Pictures below.) But I’ll be honest, they are for show only. They don’t keep the bugs out and are a pain to keep clean out West.

I want to get a set of SpyderPops “Keep Out The Trash” (KOTT) grills for my RT for going out West. Can I or has anyone ever put KOTT grill on and overlayed the Spyder Accessories grill in front of the KOTT grills? I like the looks of the Spyder grill and would still like to use it when I get back East and not have to remove the KOTT grill. I’d like to simply slide in; either zip tie, screw, or move the Spyder Accessories clips in front of the KOTT grills so that I can remove to clean; &/or for bug infested areas, simply remove them so the KOTT grill is always installed? Anyone use both or installed both?

[Jesster72]

I just have the decorative ones "RT" design. I have read of others zip-tying coarse screening to them when they will be encountering dirty riding (grasshopper season, etc). I know its not the experience you are looking for, but wanted to share what I have read.

[baxter]

The RTL is a good example of a road vacuum. In summer, long trips fetch about everything from small gravel to grasshoppers and tree debris etc. One of the reasons why I traded to a F3L.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

First off, Spyderpops Kott grills are NOT synonymous with "keep out the bugs"!

I have them on my 2014 RTS. About 7 years ago I rode from S Dakota to eastern Iowa through clouds of grasshoppers. What happened is the Kott grills acted as a matrix of knives and even though they blocked thousands of hoppers, they also chopped up many, many, hoppers into small pieces that went on to get stuck in the radiators. After I got home I had to take the frunk off to do what I could to wash and vacuum the hopper bits from the radiators. It wasn't easy and I did not get them totally clean. You can't really pressure wash the radiators from behind.

I suggest you fab a barrier from window screen material that you can place in front of your decorative grills and can easily remove and clean. That will work much better at keeping your radiators clean. You don't need to be particularly concerned about blocking air flow. Just clean your screens often. It's amazing how well the radiators keep the engine cool even when the air flow is largely blocked.

[FrogmanDave]

I suggest you fab a barrier from window screen material that you can place in front of your decorative grills and can easily remove and clean. That will work much better at keeping your radiators clean. You don't need to be particularly concerned about blocking air flow. Just clean your screens often. It's amazing how well the radiators keep the engine cool even when the air flow is largely blocked.

This is exactly what I was going to suggest. Great minds!

[Wmoater]

I can do that. There’s enough space around the rubber plastic frame of the decorative grills. I can probably remove the grill with little nuts, wrap decorative grill and reinstall with same nut and add a washer. I just wonder if the decorative grill will still be splattered so bad, they're impossible to clean? I have the stainless carbon. I wonder if the kott grills could use the same plastic snaps as the decorative plastic clips? I can redrill if needed. I could remove the decorative one, insert the kotts, and do the same, insert kotts wrap with screen, and reinsert. I like the suggestion of screen over the front. I wouldn’t clean, just throw out and replace.

[Navydad]

I suggest you fab a barrier from window screen material that you can place in front of your decorative grills and can easily remove and clean. That will work much better at keeping your radiators clean. You don't need to be particularly concerned about blocking air flow. Just clean your screens often. It's amazing how well the radiators keep the engine cool even when the air flow is largely blocked.

Exactly what I did. Used fiberglass screen cut to size and used several small magnets to hold it in place on the grill. Easy to remove, clean, and replace and no one even noticed that it wasn't fancy or didn't cost $200. As a matter of fact no one noticed at all.

[FrogmanDave]

Used fiberglass screen cut to size and used several small magnets to hold it in place on the grill. Easy to remove, clean, and replace and no one even noticed that it wasn't fancy or didn't cost $200. As a matter of fact no one noticed at all.

The magnets are a brilliant idea! I think I will try that and just throw away the pieces after a long ride. Brilliant!

[Bangorbob]

I suggest you fab a barrier from window screen material that you can place in front of your decorative grills and can easily remove and clean. That will work much better at keeping your radiators clean. You don't need to be particularly concerned about blocking air flow. Just clean your screens often. It's amazing how well the radiators keep the engine cool even when the air flow is largely blocked.

Exactly what I did. Used fiberglass screen cut to size and used several small magnets to hold it in place on the grill. Easy to remove, clean, and replace and no one even noticed that it wasn't fancy or didn't cost $200. As a matter of fact no one noticed at all.

Could you show a picture and also the magnets you use?

[Navydad]

The magnets are a brilliant idea! I think I will try that and just throw away the pieces after a long ride. Brilliant!

It works well, but I can't take the credit for it as another Spyder rider passed this idea to me. I don't have any pics of the screen as I don't have any on hand, but it's just the black window screen that comes on a roll from any hardware or builder supply store. The magnets are about a quarter of an inch wide and pretty strong. Six on a side will hold very well. These came from my local ACE hardware store.

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[Peteoz]

Navydad, Idaho……great idea……thanks…….I’m off to the hardware store right now (although I probably don’t need to rush now as we are into our Autumn, and most of those sneaky little clogging buggers have gone back to bed )

Pete