Rustproofing and undercoating

So I just bought a brand new 2018 DCSB TRD-Off road. I don't plan on selling it. However I live in Pennsylvania and for almost two thirds of the year they salt the roads. I am considering getting some sort of rust proofing and undercoating but I am seeing so many options out there. There is Zeibart, Krown, Waxoyl, TST etc etc. Mind you, I dont have a garage and the apartment managers do not allow you to work on your truck in the car park so I'm unable to apply any coatings myself. What advice do you have? What works well and what doesn't work well. What type of products to stay away from? Any recommendations?

 

For all things rust:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/rust-prevention-treatment-consolidation-thread.355928/

 

I live in NEPA near Scranton and take my truck to LineX of Cumberland County- Mechanicsburg for a Krown application once per year....just made an appointment today for my 4th application....so far so good. It's a 2 hour drive each way for me...well worth it if my frame and truck remain rust-free while I own my truck.

 

Stay away from rubberized undercoating. Go with something like the Krown, fluid film type.

 

Just out of curiosity, how well does that work? I've seen some untreated cars from back east, and even ones a few years old, it's not pretty. How much "rusting" does that prevent, in your opinion?

 

My frame is still black and solid after 4 Pennsylvania winters. I will know for sure how Krown works long term after 6-7 winters I figure as Tacoma frames from my area are already rusted to shit after that short amount of time. Had a friend with a 2006 and by 2013 he was eligible for a new frame from Toyota....you could literally scrape off quarter size pieces of rust just scraping it with a pencil.

 

Krown if you pay to have it done, Fluid Film for DIY.

 

I'm doing a Fluid Film job soon myself on my new '18 TRD OR, while its clean. Bought the cans, a wand, a pistol grip, throw away suit, and drop cloths for the driveway. If it works out well next year I'll get the bulk product with the spray gun. Getting a look under the truck, it looks much better than my neighbor's 2nd gen. It seems the frame paint is different and where there is a bolted joint like the crossmember it is also bonded with sealer/adhesive.

 

Just saw a couple videos done by a mechanic in Upstate New York:

Zeibart Undercoating Damage:


Krown review on his own Tundra:

 

Thanks for the great info guys. So it seems like there is a greater vote for fluid film type vs rubberized undercoating, and most people seem to like Krown.

 

Personally I just go down to Lowes, buy three cans of fluid film, and do the whole truck in about two hours with a jack and some jack stands. Just make sure you do the inside of the rocker panels, and most importantly do the spare wheel, and drop the spare wheel to do above that. A few weeks later I get back under the truck to look for any spots I missed (dirt tends to stick to it after a while so its easier to see what you missed)

 

lived most of my life in Pa, Pittsburgh area and have always used rubberized undercoating with no problems, but whenever I am out with salt on the roads in the winter, I try to always spray the vehicle off after being out as fast as I can or go thru a carwash with underbody spray. I also cut used oil and spray over the whole underneath every few years, if you take care of the vehicle, it will last..

 

I will use the fluid film in the next few weeks to just put a good coating on it..

 

I'm new to this stuff, so this is probably a newbie question, but if I do Krown or fluid film, and take it to the car wash and/or do an underbody wash once a week, would that wash off the Krown or fluid film? And how fast will it washed off, one wash, 10,20?

 

good question, i want to know as well

 

Well, you could always find a group of local enthusiasts and join in a tech day at someone elses property. You take pizza and cold beverages, and you'll likely have more help than you can imagine.

 

Pressure can blast it off and detergents can certainly take it off. Dont know the speed. You can either reapply midway through the year or otherwise dont wash the underside until spring. Thats a tough pill to swallow for most people but it does work. Make sure you apply it thick in the fall. Like I said earlier, I do one full application and a touch up a few weeks later.

 

From my understanding Krown stays on even if you wash it. Fluid Film will come off. I don't like the fact Fluid film attracts dirt,dust, and road grime making it a bitch to clean. I'd say just be pro-active and clean the under body religiously and you should be fine.

 

Currently looking for this lol

 

Your method no doubt works well, but many won’t bother, thus it becomes a bigger problem unless they keep up with it.