Keeping it shiny all winter

[RedDevil73]

So I didn't worry too much about washing my 2003 Ram 1500 and I ended up wishing I had. The bed rails and aftermarket rims and other shiny bits ended up with road salt pit marks. A rust pocket eventually formed above the rear wheel well, but I was told that was really due to a design flaw. A couple of other small paint blemishes had a bit of surface rust too.

I intend to take better care of my new truck, but I'm not sure what is reasonable and what is overkill.

My guess is that frequency of wash/wax doesn't matter during the summer months but once salt gets on the roads then it should be washed every time the roads get dry and waxed maybe once a month.

Those of you who live in road salt areas, how do you keep it shiny?

 

[Alfonsio]

Michigan here.... Simple answer is you can't. Oh you can wash it to get the majority of the salt and crap off at the quarter wash but its pretty much impossible. Too many places for salt to seep into. Plus when its freezing for days and days and days....washing your vehicle is the last thing you want to do. The best thing is to buy a beater ride and park the truck indoors for the winter. I've got an old Escort that I plan to drive on the Michigan salt flats this winter.

 

[RedDevil73]

Thankfully, Delaware is not Michigan. I shiver just thinking of winter there. Most winter days here get above freezing and actual snow/ice periods are just a few days long, a few times per year. I'm hoping that a bit of diligence can keep the corrosion monster at bay. I really like my shiny red truck.

 

[Etroze86]

Good layer of wax before the snow flies and wash out wheel wells after running down roads after a storm. ND we are lucky they went to a sand gravel mix instead of using salt but it is still next to impossible to keep clean.

 

[G_Altima]

Living in Wisconsin is hard on vehicles. I just finished waxing mine before the weather really drops and the snow starts flying. When it gets covered in heavy salt I'll wait for the warmest day and spray it off in one if those hand wash car washes. Then I park it in the sun to dry. Once the salt is off the roads in the spring I wash it extremely well to get the rest of the residue off. I know of a few people who spray their wheel wells and underbody with atomized oil before the winter to prevent rust.

 

[Texas_Cornhusker]

I have a pressure washer that i use to wash the truck, including underneath it. We have alot of salt in the air here in hawaii, and its known for rusting anything quickly. So best thing to do is wash it, even under it. I am going to order Some Sacrificial Anodes to install on the frame. It will prevent rust on your car. They are mostly used on boats. but will work on cars.

Anode FAQs

 

[FancyStancy]

Its hard to give salt advice because I'm down here in Texas but like they said^^ powerwash underneath the truck a lot, like weekly. Also, I have coated all my frame rails, cross members, gas tank, etc with Rustoleum Truck Bed Coating. I can't give you an accurate description on how its holding up because we don't have snow or salted roads but it seems to be a good product. Worth a try IMO and looks good.

 

[WhiteExpress]

That is all. If you live in those areas, you might keep the sheet metal in good shape, but the truck is still going to rust apart under it.

You'd have to neutralize the corrosion after every storm.
A good pressure washer will go a long way, but these trucks have those plastic fender liners, which help a lot in some regards, and make a complete cleaning near impossible too.

I've noticed the rear bumper likes to act as a scoop and hold lots of nasty death inside it.

 

[FancyStancy]

Lol!^^

 

[TheDonVon]

So I didn't worry too much about washing my 2003 Ram 1500 and I ended up wishing I had. The bed rails and aftermarket rims and other shiny bits ended up with road salt pit marks. A rust pocket eventually formed above the rear wheel well, but I was told that was really due to a design flaw. A couple of other small paint blemishes had a bit of surface rust too.

I intend to take better care of my new truck, but I'm not sure what is reasonable and what is overkill.

My guess is that frequency of wash/wax doesn't matter during the summer months but once salt gets on the roads then it should be washed every time the roads get dry and waxed maybe once a month.

Those of you who live in road salt areas, how do you keep it shiny?

Im in NY and i want to keep my '13 shiny all winter as well! With all my previous vehicles what i would normally do is wash the car/or get it washed about 1 week after any snowfall. This gives the roads a couple days to "clean" off and i always made sure to get an undercarriage wash.

To keep the paint protected. Give the panels a good wash, use a good sealant, and top it off with a wax before winter. Repeat in the spring. The sealant is important because it will provide 6 months of solid protection, waxes generally only last for a couple months. After any car wash during the winter, i always through on a jacket and gloves and applied a quick wax.

To each his/her own, but this is the method to my madness!

 

[Cruizer]

I live in Ohio and they use the sand/salt mix and then sometimes that beat juice or whatever it is. Luckily there's a couple good car washes in towns near me that are brushless and spray the bottom of your vehicle. I wash my truck though the winter in there every time it's above freezing. Stayed pretty clean last winter. Was actually complimented on how clean the underside of my truck was last spring.

 

[Ccravillion]

Michigan here.... Simple answer is you can't. Oh you can wash it to get the majority of the salt and crap off at the quarter wash but its pretty much impossible. Too many places for salt to seep into. Plus when its freezing for days and days and days....washing your vehicle is the last thing you want to do. The best thing is to buy a beater ride and park the truck indoors for the winter. I've got an old Escort that I plan to drive on the Michigan salt flats this winter.

I cant justify paying the price of one of these trucks and then parking it during the most fun and usefull time of year to have a truck just never understood that concept