Do I need to bother with undercoating?

I just bought a new 2023 Tacoma. Is undercoating necessary, or a waste of money?

 

Have you utilized the search function?

If you live in a cold weather state, this site recommends you do some undercoating.

 

No ziebart.

Wool wax seems to be the best these days.

 

Welcome!
Your location is not in your info, that said; I would, but I’d do it to any new vehicle

 

Woolwax or Fluid film.
Skip the "dealer" undercoating.
This has been beat to death...

 

I got the dealer undercoating. Mainly because I live in the arctic and don’t have access to fluid film or any other rust preventers. It’s held up well over the last 5 years.

Up here they spray calcium chloride on the roads (which are dirt) so I needed some kind of protection.

 

If living in the salt, or brine belt, as we call it here, where you have icy/ snowy/slushy winters, best to apply a couple coats of a rust inhibitor like rp-342 cosmoline the sooner the better. Others like fluid flim need to be reapplied every year, or sooner. Just depends whether you prefer a more permanent job using cosmoline, or like to do this job every year using lanolin based inhibiters.

 

Pb blaster surface shield works really well so far.

 

‘Suggest solvent based undercoat. It also dampens noise.

 

you bought a vehicle close to 50,000 dollars, and are wondering if spending a few hundred the first year, before the first snow/salt event is worth it? it is a no brainer, do you want the truck to look good, last, and be easier to maintain, and resell when needed? get a kellsport pro install kit, https://www.kellsportproducts.com/W...mpty-and-2-flexible-extension-wands_p_83.html

and buy 1 gallon of fluid film, wool wax, or surface shield (whichever you prefer), for the larger areas, and frame, and 4-6 spray cans for the hood perimeter, bottom of doors, and tail gate. spray everything metal under the truck, that isnt exhaust, or brakes EVERYTHING!

after the first years application, your only cost is your time, and the sprayable material (about 50 bucks a year). doing it yourself, you know it was done correctly. each fall before the first snow event, during recoating, you can touch up the high traffic areas, hit the missed areas, and keep an eye on your trucks progress, to nip things in the bud, before they are unable or too costly to be fixed.

good luck. Ski