What's the skinny on frame-rust issues for a 2021 Tacoma buyer?

What's the skinny on frame-rust issues for a 2021 Tacoma buyer?
I do live where they salt/sand the roads in the winter. And I drive
in LOTs of mud and gravel, with gravel rocks flyin' everywhere.
Need the frame to last 300K miles to pay for a new 2021 truck.

 

I live in an area like you. I didn’t bother with undercoating because my 2006 had it and I still had the frame replaced (rusted under the coating). i just got a 2021 and I’ll just keep an eye on it.

 

With proper undercoatings, (Krown for example) NOT the hardening shit, you shouldn't have issues. I have 17k km on my truck as of today, in heavy mud, gravel (LOTS of gravel) and salty slushy snow and I do not have an ounce of rust.

 

If it helps, my dad has a 2018 and lives outside of Chicago. I looked at it a few weeks ago and it was fine. No undercoating also.

 

PB Blaster Surface Shield.

Edit: Possibly better than Woolwax and Fluid Film.
https://youtu.be/NE1_EiZIVHs

 

I’m gonna sand and spray my frame rails. 3 years in northeast and is rusted pretty good. Pretty much all the welds are lines of rust. Frame, arms, hangers, axle, around diff etc.

 

Spray with fluid film or wool wax before the first winter. Redo it every year that's the best way to do it yourself. You can just get spray cans like I did if you don't have a good sized air compressor or if you do buy the spray gun for it and the product is a Little cheaper that way. Other than that Krown is said to be good but they charge about $150 per service and recommend you do it yearly.

I looked under mine a month ago when I ran the tailgate lock wiring harness and didn't see any rust. It was all black and most of the places that don't get hit with much water were still covered in a layer of fluid film. We had a milder winter in PA in Terms of snow but I was out in on the salted and brined roads every time.

 

I would not trust that Toyota has gotten a handle on the frame rust issues since they've been going on since 1995. Krown, Fluid Film or any other rust inhibitors mentioned on this forum are your best bets. I live in NEPA = "the salt capital of the world" and don't have any rust on my frame after 7 years because I've had it sprayed every year with Krown. If you don't do anything it WILL RUST... "keeping an eye on it" is useless because by the time you can see bad rust on the outside the inside is already done.
Edit: the above poster is right...Krown costs me $150/year-- worth every penny!

 

If I still lived in Michigan (rust belt) I absolutely would use fluid film or wool wax myself. I'm in colorado now though and the road salt/winters will be much less harmful so I'm passing on doing anything.

 

This - will keep your frame in good condition and isn't all that time consuming.

 

Took me a few like 2 hours. Well maybe 3 If you count all the time I spent cleaning my self up and putting things away. I swear I was like a greased pig when done. Definitely wear clothes you don't care about and eye protection. You will need a good bath after. I'm sure the next time for me will be faster since I know the spots to hit and some places still coved I can not worry about.

I think Krown is really worth it too if you want it done and don't want to be bothered with doing it on your own.

 

I'm in Maine having seen what the weather can do to any frame the first thing I did to my 2011 was pressure wash the frame and fluid film it. Every year it gets done again if they is a sign of surface rust it gets sand blasted, painted (welds for some reason seem to show a little rust) and then FF. The frame is still black.

 

I go to a place to have my woolwax done. They take my truck, I go have a nice long breakfast, maybe an extra cup of coffee at the end of it and when I'm done my truck is waiting for me.

 

sounds expensive

 

Not really, $100 and some odd change a pop.

 

Milder winter? U must talking about the previous year. We got 60" of snow this past winter in western PA.

 

Get yourself a 6 pack of cosmoline rp-342 and have at it. Seems to be the best long lasting coating i've ever used. I wouldn't rely on toyota to change your frame. They have to be pretty far gone to qualify.

 

Where I am in south central Pa we didn't get as much. Maybe two bad snow storms none of them like a foot which we had in the past.