Undercoat new truck?

I'm getting my new Tacoma in a month.

Should I get it undercoated? It rains a lot here, but they don't salt the roads much except in the interior where I go hunting in the fall so I'll encounter some salty roads.

 

I just use Fluid Film on mine in the Fall and a little touch up in the spring.

I decided to not go the undercoating route because if a small piece opens up and lets salt/water in you won't know it until it's too late because it is cover up.

 

You can spend the money on undercoating if you want....but ultimately...if you don't do it right with the proper prep, you could trap moisture in which could be worse.

Think of it this way..... I live in Pennsylvania and they salt the roads a lot. My frame is decent and my truck is 8 years old. My truck is part of the rust recall.

You have a new truck. After 2 generations of Frame rust bullcrap - I hope Toyota has done something differently to prevent this rust issue in the newer trucks.

Do you plan on keeping your truck for at least 10+ years or more?? If you don't live in the salt belt, you could probably go 10 years just fine. Even so...If there's another frame rust issue ...Toyota will undercoat it or replace it.

 

Toyota will not buy frames unless they rust out. If you want to keep your truck be proactive if you trade every 3 years nothing much matters maintenance wise. I spray mine with linseed oil and have no rust. I know people with trucks newer then mine getting new frames. I wonder if I shot myself in the foot - maybe I could have done nothing and got a frame plus extras.

 

How do you spray the linseed oil? Can I get this in a spray can?

 

You buy it from any paint store - boiled linseed oil - around $40 or less a gal - will do frame at least 3 or 4 times so cheap per application. You can spray it with any spray gun. I used a Wagner until recently. I bought a
Fluid Film PRO Gun kit : 1 : 89.50. 16 inch Aluminum Solid Wand : 1 : 17.00
Discount : -10.65
Subtotal : 95.85
TOTAL : 95.85
This is nice because you can get inside the frame with the wand - I couldn't with the Wagner. There are less refills with the Fluid Film PRO Gun so it goes quicker. You'll need a compressor for the Fluid Film PRO Gun - no compressor needed for the Wagner. Hope this helps.

 

Know of two trucks, mine and my father in laws. Both in the salt belt, his more so (he's PA, I'm NY). No rust on mine and minimal to none on his ( his truck is 7 years old and has 250K+ miles).

Dudes on here love fluid film likes its the gospel. I dont knock the guys that do it, actually commend them for taking care of their trucks, but those of us that don't I think we will be okay.

If you arent near salt, I think you will be okay

 

I'm in a major salt & calcium chloride area and I've never treated my frame/undercarriage. I just make sure to hit a good touch-less car wash with a good bottom blast/spray weekly in the winter. After 4 years, I only have a little surface rust on some of the welds towards the front of the frame. I'm hoping/guessing this is a result of whatever frame fix was put in place.

Edited - I also pressure wash it when I return from hunting/fishing trips when the forest roads have been wet and there's a layer of dirt on most of the undercarriage.

 

Same issue here. Some surface rust on the welds. Was thinking of wire brushing them and spraying with some black krylon.

 

Thank you sir!

 

U R Welcome. I may have miss spoke - if you buy the pro gun you don't need the wand because it comes with a flexible tube you can put inside the frame
so it's $17 less then I spent.

 

Undercoating the truck cuts down on a lot of road noise.