Rock/Gravel Chip Protection & Side Steps

I've searched and not found exactly the info I need. Just bought a '24 Crewmax and looking for the best way to keep the sides/rear fender from getting beat to death from my mile long gravel (sometimes mud) road commute. The truck has factory mudflaps and the step-down tubular steps but that isn't going to cut it. Rokblokz work well on my Jeep but I don't really like the look on a stock Tundra. Who has found the best mix of decent protection from spray without looking like it's outfitted like an 18 wheeler? PPF is okay but the sides still get covered in mud. Not a fan of steps/running boards but realize that's probably going to be the best bet. Considerations thus far are TRD Aluminum boards (favorite for finish/weight but do they provide enough spray/chip protection?), Go Rhino RB20 or RB30 (worried about rust issues).

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

rekgen?

 

My daily commute requires me to drive 10 kms on a gravel road. I have the RB20, wide version, and I just finished repairing 30-40 chips and scratches on the bed body panels, and about 10 chips on the door panels. In Canada we get the factory mud flaps and I can only guess the rocks are coming through the holes and hitting the body panels. Also, the the noise is insane on the gravel roads, constant high pitch pings coming from rocks hitting the underside of the RB20 and the mounting brackets. I sprayed the underside of the RB20 with a rubberized coating but it made little to no difference. I like the look of the RB20 and if I just drove on the pavement it would be a good value. In hindsight I should have bought the factory aluminum TRD running boards.

For reference, I used to own a lifted tacoma with rounded aluminum running boards and did not have the same issues with my new tundra.

 

I have RB20 slim boards, and had some some cheap aftermarket mud flaps. I had this...

Yep, rocks hitting RB20/brackets. What can you do?

RekGen is the way I went: https://rekgen.com/collections/2022-toyota-tundra/products/toyota-tundra-2022-trophy-sport-mud-flaps

Rekgens are lower (1.25") and wider than what I had before. Sound is much better now (but it still happens) and I assume it must protect our trailer(s) also. Big-rig look? Not too bad. Generally happy with the RB20 but the brackets are already showing rust. Choosing not to worry about it any more...

 

I went with a reasonably step made by APS, not fancy but very good value for the money. Fit and finish was perfect. They ping when a rock hits the bottom, which is fine, that means they are stopping the rock hitting the rocker panel. During spring I am going to have the bottom and black portion linx coated, that will fix the noise. They are made of extruded aluminum.

$229 APS Running Boards Style Compatible with Toyota Tundra 2022-2024 CrewMax (Nerf Bars Side Steps Side Bars)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BY2GSV95?th=1

 

Thank you so much for the replies! I was concerned about both rocks coming through the holes and rusting brackets on the RB’s. Unfortunately it sounds like both might be a problem for my use case.

Appreciate the votes for Rekgens. Sound like they’re probably going to be part of the solution.

If I’m going to be stuck with steps then I want them to be wide enough to be functional as a step. A concern I have about the TRD’s. Will have to look at the APS. Keep the ideas coming. Jeep Wranglers have had this same problem since 2007. Was a lot easier when vehicles designed for off pavement use could actually handle a gravel road without losing all their paint!!

 

Past design did help. everything was function as opposed to style, bring back the days of aluminum diamond plate, that cured much of the steps issues and rocker protection.

 

I expect any steel running board bracket will inevitably rust. The RB20 brackets rusted more than I would like in less than a year, so yeah I am a little disappointed. The new rekgen flaps have greatly improved the "rock-ping" problem (and hopefully the rust). I plan to fix-up the brackets in-place with rust-converter product I have and some Herculiner spray. I don't think the rocks really go through RB20 holes very much. The holes are great because they minimize and shed snow/ice/dirt buildup. The RB20 bed-liner finish is also great for snow/ice. The slim version is working fine for me but I could see where a little more width would be a good thing. Overall, I am pretty happy with RB20 slim but for the price they should have put a better a finish on the brackets.

As for function vs style: my SR5 is all about function. The truck is a tool that enables parts of my lifestyle. At the end of the day, some paint-chips/scratches are part of the deal. I am not losing sleep over rusty brackets either (until I see rust where they attach on the underbody).

Good luck. Here is a rekgen/RB20 pic...

 

I was getting chips on mine and they really show on black. I installed a set of the TRD aluminum boards I purchased from a member of this forum. I already had factory mud flaps. No new chips since I installed them.