Rust Proofing - do these things still rot out?

[olscout]

They all rust when exposed to salt and that beet brine junk they pretreat with. I had a 2001 Ram 1500, those were known rust magnets. This one was 99% rust free, it turned out that the original owner was an equipment operator for a large road building company. When they shut down the blacktop plants in November, he loaded up all of his guns in the oversized toolbox in the bed and drove up to the UP of Michigan to spend the winter at his cabin hunting. At least at that time, the people in the UP knew how to drive in the winter and didn't salt or brine, so even though there was plenty of snow, no salt.
When I bought my 16 Ram1500, one reason I chose it was because of how clean the under body and frame was. It was 3 years old and a lease return. Since then, every year it gets a Rust Check treatment and it's still clean.
There is a rust proofing outfit that advertises on FB, they're not local to me and they use New Hampshire Oil Undercoating. I watch the videos, they're usually a minute or two. It's pretty amazing some of the vehicles they get in that are under 10 years old, including a couple of Rams, that they were able to put the point of a chipping hammer through various spots on the frame. Obviously those were going to require some spendy frame repairs before the rustproofing. So yeah, depending on location, they'll still rust. And although the underbody washes help, those videos show that the frame rust comes through from the inside, which the underbody washes don't reach.

 

[Ramabam]

Wisconsin says its reducing salt or roads and bridges getting damaged. As far as my 2022 Ram Iam 70 years old, dont think i will worry as the truck should outlive me.

 

[Dusty]

I'm less interested in replies along the lines of "I always rust proof and never have any issues".

What I'm wondering, who here has a 4th or 5th gen ram, has never rust proofed it, drives in salty winter roads, and terribly regrets that decision? This will be the 5th winter my truck has not been rust proofed and I'm just wondering if I will regret that. I see many 4th and 5th gens in my area that are not rust proofed and still in pretty great condition, older trucks seemed to rot out around the wheel wells.

Neither my 2010 or my 2014 were rustproofed (as opposed to undercoated). I would water clean flush several areas of the body several times a year, concentrating on the front fender drains and the rear wheel arches. Every time I'd flush the rear arches I'd see a fair amount of sand and small stones come out, and in the spring salt residue.

The 2010 was last recorded to be in North Carolina, but the 2014 is still in my immediate area. I run into the owner once and a while and the rear wheel arches as of this past summer showed no signs of rusting or paint bubbling and no rust anywhere on the exterior body.

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 103751 miles.

 

[js12278]

I live in Michigan. My fourth GEN 2011 1500 had almost no rust when I sold it last year. I did not do any traditional rustproofing. I sprayed fluid film along the bottoms of the doors, inside the door bottoms, inside the rocker panels, in the bottom of the tailgate, around each wheel, well, and inside the front and rear bumpers, along with the metal around the bumpers. I did this about every second or third year. I would do it on a hot day with about five or six rattle cans of fluid film.

My new truck, a 22 5th gen, I paid a guy to spray the whole underside of the pick up with fluid film. I’ll probably go back after two years and have him touch it up. He got it inside the doors and everywhere he was supposed to.

Central Illinois, 2018 1500 92k zero rust. Every other year Woolwax and Fluid Film. It’s the best protection against rust in the salt belt, besides leaving.

 

[quickster2]

The only thing that looks kinda bad on mine is the hellwig swaybar, the rest just looks pretty minor surface spots here and there.

My Hellwig rusted up even before winter salt. Poorest paint job I've seen in a long time. Same with their end links. I keep a coat of Krown spray on them now. I pay for Krown at the Krown dealer in Rochester Hills Michigan on our 3 vehicles. I buy a case of Krown spray and use Fluid Film, CRC Marine, LPS3, and Boeshield as well. Whatever you may use, on our trucks, make sure to pull the tail lights out and spray between the inner and outer panels of the box.

 

[LemmysDad]

My Hellwig rusted up even before winter salt. Poorest paint job I've seen in a long time. Same with their end links. I keep a coat of Krown spray on them now. I pay for Krown at the Krown dealer in Rochester Hills Michigan on our 3 vehicles. I buy a case of Krown spray and use Fluid Film, CRC Marine, LPS3, and Boeshield as well. Whatever you may use, on our trucks, make sure to pull the tail lights out and spray between the inner and outer panels of the box.

I pulled my Hellwig from my 2018 Sport and put it on my 2022 Rebel. Before I did I wire wheeled all the rust then rust washed it, primed and painted it. After a year and a half it still looks good. I don’t think the Hellwig is meant for the Canadian winter salt and beet brine beating. The paint or “powder coat” they use is junk meant for non-severe climates.
And I do get my truck Krown sprayed every year in the fall. Does wonders.

 

[PowrRam]

Minneapolis MN, land of salted winter roads. 2018 Big Horn 1500. I don't have any body rust that I can see and the undercarriage of my truck is barely showing surface rust. I wash it a couple times a month in the winter months at a self-serve car wash where I can get the spray wand into the wheel wells, behind the back bumper and into the spare tire area. I also open driver and passenger doors and spray the rocker panels and into the door jambs. I regularly clean out the drain holes at the bottom of the fender areas behind the front wheel wells.

However, despite using chrome polish and waxing my chrome running boards they are showing rust damage via bubbling under the chrome finish. This was noticeable after the third year.

I also leased a 2015 Big Horn for three years and never saw any rust on that one, and the chrome running boards barely showed any rust damage.

 

[frankherche]

Rust proofing on my truck was good for 7 years. It is now 13 years in the Northern Illinois with salt. The underbody is still clean. There is rust around the fender wells, the rockers and the bottom of the front fenders. I plan on replacing those parts myself. I do think it is worth the expense. There are lots of newer Rams with more rust than mine I am going to add another coat of undercoating. The rustproofing of today is much better than it was 13 years q
Ago. I had my 2017 Durango rustproofed and it is just as clean as new.

 

[cdn cj]

This is not my truck just one o saw in a parking lot.
I’ve seen a few like this, it seems to be all or nothing.
This is southern Ontario.

 

[Gren71]

FWIW ive had jeeps for years and never had any major issues. Every couple months, or at a minimum during oil changes, ill get underneath and spray ANY rust spots with rust converter. Once that dries i spray it with black engine paint. My local dealer regularly compliments me on how good my jeeps look and held up. During the winter here in DE its not really all that bad with salt...so after the season I just chuck a grass sprinkler under the truck for a bit and let it do the work of rinsing it for me..I do the same after taking the jeeps on the beach. Time will tell with this ram but I plan to follow the same method that has served me well so far.

 

[Atcer2018]

My 2018 spent the first year of its life in Michigan. It now resides in SE Virginia three miles from the Atlantic. Snow is a rare event here but they do put that liquid stuff on the roads if FROST is in the forecast. The truck looks very good and the underside has minimal surface rust on bare metal surfaces. I’m not diligent with washing the undercarriage and it’s in surprisingly good condition.

 

[butterscotch71]

My 2015 started to show a bubble under the paint about a year and a half ago at the passenger rear wheel opening.