I pierced my cladding in the rear - end of a ladder caught it. I carefully taped off the punctures (they were long cuts) and applied black caulk I purchased at Home Depot. It's not perfect but not as noticeable as the holes were. I'll eventually buy a new rear bumper cladding piece. They are still available, as is the front through St. Charles Isuzu and that may be a better option for you (it's not as expnsive as you think - actually it's not too far off from the cost of a skid plate with shipping as shipping is free from St. Charles).

-- John