Have to drive my ****** Ram to Rochester, NY..

[markabby]

and thru all that damn salt they throw down! I'm thinking of buying one of those undercarriage spray attachments for a pressure washer when we get back to clean as much salt as i can from the bottom of that truck. Right now, it's so nice and new looking under there.

Normally, i would not make that drive in the winter, but, it's unavoidable this time, not to mention they're expected to get 5 inches of snow the day we are there....ugh...my poor ****** truck never felt snow or salt before.

 

[RamDiver]

and thru all that damn salt they throw down! I'm thinking of buying one of those undercarriage spray attachments for a pressure washer when we get back to clean as much salt as i can from the bottom of that truck. Right now, it's so nice and new looking under there.

Normally, i would not make that drive in the winter, but, it's unavoidable this time, not to mention they're expected to get 5 inches of snow the day we are there....ugh...my poor ****** truck never felt snow or salt before.

If I were you and you didn't need the benefits of a truck on this journey, I'd consider renting a vehicle.

The $ you spend on a rental could be considered as insurance and protection for your RAM.

.

 

[2023RAM1500ds]

Lol just wash it thoroughly at those spray it yourself car washes Spend as much time you want spraying the nook and crannies underneathe. And it's fun driving in the snow!

 

[WY-Dave]

and thru all that damn salt they throw down! I'm thinking of buying one of those undercarriage spray attachments for a pressure washer

you may already have one. Living on dirt roads this gets the mud off pretty good

 

[2023RAM1500ds]

you may already have one. Living on dirt roads this gets the mud off pretty good
View attachment 560325

Yes dont let it harden, wash it off while it's still wet!

 

[mikeru]

If I were you and you didn't need the benefits of a truck on this journey, I'd consider renting a vehicle.

The $ you spend on a rental could be considered as insurance and protection for your RAM.

.

^This. If this isn't something you do often I'd seriously consider renting a vehicle. I'm surprised no one has come in and said "it's a truck! It's supposed to get dirty and nasty". I used to be of this opinion until I started buying new $75k trucks LOL. I need to drive on gravel roads occasionally so we actually bought a 10 year old "beater truck" for this type of thing so we could avoid the rock chips on the wife's truck. Not saying that's the best solution for everyone but that has worked for us.

 

[Mlarv5]

The trick to driving around on the salted roads is pretty simple. Don't wash it until you are in a warmer area. As long as it stays cold and frozen the salt will not hurt anything. It is when it thaws and freezes again and again. A lot of cities now leave their trucks outside, instead of brining them into the garage at night. This keeps the salt at bay by not letting it freeze and thaw. When you get back home wash it real good if you have a pressure washer a water broom attachment works wonders to clean out underneath your truck. If you are really worried about it use the stuff boaters use called Salt Away.

 

[markabby]

my wife's mom passed away, so, i can't refuse this trip or i'll be living in the streets.

i'll bite the bullet and drive it , but, when i get back i'll be sure to clean every thing under, in and around it. Plus, to make it worse, they are expecting 5 -6 inches of snow...lol

being from rochester all my life, the snow doesn't bother me, i've had to get rid of many nice cars and trucks in my lifetime because of SALT!!

 

[Daw14]

I would rent a vehicle to not expose my truck to the salt , but more importantly all the great drivers out there.

I’d rather a rental damaged far from home than possibly my truck.

 

[mikeru]

The trick to driving around on the salted roads is pretty simple. Don't wash it until you are in a warmer area. As long as it stays cold and frozen the salt will not hurt anything. It is when it thaws and freezes again and again. A lot of cities now leave their trucks outside, instead of brining them into the garage at night. This keeps the salt at bay by not letting it freeze and thaw. When you get back home wash it real good if you have a pressure washer a water broom attachment works wonders to clean out underneath your truck. If you are really worried about it use the stuff boaters use called Salt Away.

I can see this working well where it gets cold and stays cold. But the normal winter temps where I live are overnight lows in the mid 20's and daytime highs right around 32-33 (farenheit of course). So there is a daily cycle of freezing and thawing. They use a liquid deicer where I live instead of spreading salt. This stuff works well but is nasty. It pays no favors to steel but it's especially hard on aluminum. I have a water broom that I use about once a month, but it's quite an ordeal to drag a hose out, rinse off the undercarriage, then remove as much water from the hose as I can (no inside storage for the hose) and try to squeegee the driveway off before the water freezes. I'm gettin' too old for all that LOL.

 

[Mlarv5]

I can see this working well where it gets cold and stays cold. But the normal winter temps where I live are overnight lows in the mid 20's and daytime highs right around 32-33 (farenheit of course). So there is a daily cycle of freezing and thawing. They use a liquid deicer where I live instead of spreading salt. This stuff works well but is nasty. It pays no favors to steel but it's especially hard on aluminum. I have a water broom that I use about once a month, but it's quite an ordeal to drag a hose out, rinse off the undercarriage, then remove as much water from the hose as I can (no inside storage for the hose) and try to squeegee the driveway off before the water freezes. I'm gettin' too old for all that LOL.

When I lived in north east Ohio we had similar weather. When it was warm and sunny (25f and above) I would hit the local carwash with undercarriage wash. I had a monthly pass of as many washes I wanted. I never had an issue with rust. They used beet juice to spray the roads with for a few years. My white truck looked like a murder zone every once in awhile. Now I live in TN , when it snows the town only has two salt trucks, they take care of the I40 and a few major roads. The rest they leave alone for the few days we get it each year. I retired now so my trucks sit in my driveway until?

 

[jejb]

my wife's mom passed away, so, i can't refuse this trip or i'll be living in the streets.

i'll bite the bullet and drive it , but, when i get back i'll be sure to clean every thing under, in and around it.

Good luck. When I moved to Ark from MN, I had a not one year old GM 3/4 ton. It had been through one winter in MN. Washed the undercarriage as much as I could, thought I was good. Took 4-5 years, but it started rusting in the typical places you expect snow belt trucks to rust out. Had it fixed a couple of times. No way I'm taking my Ram up north in the winter. I'd rent something or fly and rent.

 

[tron67j]

Another vote for renting. But I had same situation 2 weekends ago. Had to drive to Upstate NY near Syracuse and couldn't avoid the salt. First chance I got on way back was to wash it (I have already marked all car washes on that drive as I do it often). I stopped 2x on way back and then did a full wash at a great place near where I live. All good.

 

[zrock]

most touchless car wash have a undercarriage wash as well. Use them all the time in the winter and the underside of my truck looks good.. ON a side note its a truck don't know why trucks now are more expensive than a luxury car and treated better.

 

[Doug Ram]

you may already have one. Living on dirt roads this gets the mud off pretty good
View attachment 560325

That lawn sprinkler is not strong enough to remove embedded road gorp/cement that's made of salt, dirt, mud and other chemicals that accumulates under a vehicle. Once you get home use a strong hose end sprayer to get it all off.

 

[Dusty]

and thru all that damn salt they throw down! I'm thinking of buying one of those undercarriage spray attachments for a pressure washer when we get back to clean as much salt as i can from the bottom of that truck. Right now, it's so nice and new looking under there.

Normally, i would not make that drive in the winter, but, it's unavoidable this time, not to mention they're expected to get 5 inches of snow the day we are there....ugh...my poor ****** truck never felt snow or salt before.

I live in the Rochester, NY area. I truly understand your concern. As someone already suggested, rent a vehicle if possible. Winter and salt aside, I'm not sure there's even a good reason to come here even in the summertime.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 126226 miles.

 

[CaptOchs]

Rochester RAM owner here. I really don't see any reason to be concerned. Your RAM won't rust itself to pieces just by being here for what 1-2 weeks? Most of us have car wash plans. I go probably around 1-2 a week. Depending on how long you stay you could sign up for a month at a car wash place. Then you can wash it daily if you're that concerned about it. If you wash your truck at least twice, it's probably worth it. Also, for the cost of renting a car you could get krown or ziebart undercoating for your RAM.

A few items of note:
1) There is a salt shortage going on in Rochester. Towns are spreading less of it around. Some towns are looking into alternatives like a salt brine, beet juice, or sand.
2) What's in your windshield washer fluid tank? My dad rented a car and drove up from Florida last December. His washer tank froze solid before they even got to NY because they used water.
3) Pothole season is upon us. Quite frankly, that could damage your RAM far worse than road salt. Hit a nasty one and you could mess up suspension or even have tire/rim damage. Watching the road closely while driving is just a part of life around here.

Hope this helps.

 

[LouM]

I wouldn't worry about it myself, many of the car washes have the undercarriage wash. It doesn't matter much to me if it's brushless or brushes, my truck goes through a brush type weekly in the winter that has the under carriage wash. It's a 19 with minimal frame rust.

 

[js12278]

Fluid Film or Woolwax lanolin undercoating will keep salt off your frame and stop any current surface rust in its tracks. I treat my truck 2x a year. Spray it thoroughly in fall and touch up in spring.

 

[joesstripclub]

and thru all that damn salt they throw down! I'm thinking of buying one of those undercarriage spray attachments for a pressure washer when we get back to clean as much salt as i can from the bottom of that truck. Right now, it's so nice and new looking under there.

Normally, i would not make that drive in the winter, but, it's unavoidable this time, not to mention they're expected to get 5 inches of snow the day we are there....ugh...my poor ****** truck never felt snow or salt before.

I am always impressed with how much junk the undercarriage power washer attachment gets off my vehicles. It's great if you venture off road all at as well.