Beach Driving & Rusty Frames

Hi All,

Just curious, how worried should I be about a rust if I drive on the beach fairly often? I drive on the beach to go surf perch fishing/crabbing probably once a month and have been pretty good about hitting a self-serve car wash on the way home to wash off the underbody of the truck. It's quick, easy and gives me peace of mind about rust on the frame and from what I've read, it seems like this is the best course of action.

I don't live in an area that uses salt to clear snow in the winter (thank god), so I don't have to worry about that. Either way, I still wonder how hard the salty sand is on the truck given all the posts about rusted frames. Is driving on the beach so often something to worry about? Or should I keep slaying the perch, washing my truck afterwards and not worry about it?

 

Slay them perch and keep it clean!

It takes years for these yota frames to rot out. Especially in our salt belt. But it comes down to maintenance. #1 maintenance item-Keep your ride clean

 

No issue if you don't drive in the ocean. If you actually drive in Sea, then you are not doing the truck any favors.

 

Well, salt spray and salt leaching into the sand are all things to worry about. Check your undercarriage weekly. If dry and the white of salt stain shows, flush it out frequently with a hose. Just treating it won’t be enough so I would wash it frequently too.

 

Get one of those water brooms, it hooks up to your pressure washer and sprays.... here is a video of it.

 

Why not do a good oil undercoat?

 

Why not, not be a retard and stay out of the salt water?

 

Yes, and combine it with frequent washing. I would even “paint “ red wheel bearing grease on any exposed welds I could see under neath. It wouldn't take long to notice the salt accumulation. Rinse it off every time you go near salt water.

 

Lol I don't drive in the ocean bud. Do you think I'm fishing with a gill net dragging out of my tailgate? Hahaha

Being serious, I hit the self-serve car washes because they usually have a power washer available. I haven't seen any salt stain or rust yet after a year of doing this, so I'm thinking I'm cleaning it well enough. I'll look into a coating of some kind if I start seeing rust

 

if you think driving in the sand isn’t throwing salt on your stuff your on drugs bro... driving IN the ocean is what boats are made for... or these guys....

 

dude if I lived in a winter heavy state or even in Houston or corpus (lived in Texas most of my live, including active duty) I would preventative treat. Oil coating is a preventative, if you have rust you will need to treat with one of those rust paints that convert rust to regular metal then treat, which really defeats the purpose.

 

I live in Oregon - we don't salt our roads here at all in the winter (for better or worse) near where I live. The salt in the beach sand is the only salt my truck sees and I wash it off pretty quickly after I get off the beach. I think I'll look into some coating options if I start seeing signs of rust or maybe pick up that nifty spray thing the other guy posted.

I'd be a little reluctant to use an oil coating since it seems like it might make the sand stick to my under carriage, but I've never used one of those coatings before, so I don't know first hand if it dries after time? Shit I don't even know if we have a place that offers that service here in Oregon

 

SHS (seaside high school) alumni and university of Oregon alumni. Go Ducks! Here so I know the climate. Also if ur just doing beach driving and spraying off after with spot treatment your fine. So much wind and fresh moisture in Oregon the salty air doesn’t really matter. Where do you live?

 

I love the beach specially in Florida, but corrosion is the bitch that comes with the territory.

But I wouldn’t worry about the truck unless you plan on keeping it well past 15 yrs. Once you reach that point, it may not be corrosion that’ll be the end of it for you.

For reference, I look at the hvac condensing units at the houses on the beach. They look bad but still work 7-10 yrs while other similar ones inland can go 12-17 yrs. And they don’t get anything near the corrosion protection your vehicle has.

Then there’s TOYOTA who often honors their products from such issues well beyond the stated warranty on a regular basis. So there’s that.

Moral of the story, relax, enjoy your truck, Do keep it clean and do the maintenance.

Cheers

 

Are you sure they don’t use mag chloride spray or ice slicer (a reddish salt that looks like sand) to treat the roads?

 

I remember the passes being covered in a reddish sand

 

Sounds like a plan. If done meticulously, which a friend does who lives in the coast, there can be fewer problems then people inland who do nothing.

 

Oil based coatings work, even with rusted areas. That’s their main benefit as an insulator. . Cars and trucks , theoretically start rusting as soon as they leave the assembly line. In reality, nothing stops rust, but it can slow it down enough to make a car last a lifetime. I’ve used converters and yes, they work. But, you really can’t get to areas inside a box frame. Oil based agents can and they work, even without getting rid if the rust or converting it.

I have attachments for my tractor I leave outside year round. They are always rust coated. I oil them at the end of the year before storage, throw a tarp over them, and the rust just doesn’t progress.

Personally, I would use a converter first in areas you want to look good, otherwise, just “ oil it” regularly.

 

After you get off the beach, and get home. Get out your garden hose and wash down your wheel wells, and under carriage. If you do this, you should have a vehicle that will last you a long time.

This is exactly what I do, and have done on previous Wranglers and Tacoma’s.

My ‘17 Sport also gets throughly washed every week during the summer, and waxed 6-8 times a year.

Enjoy fishing and running your truck on the beach!