Living in PA they love salt and other Ice melters, I want to do something for the new truck. I have been researching and studying til my head is going to explode. Was going Krown then read about seal damages sometimes and so much dripping, So then decided Fluid Film, it sounds like less dripping maybe But then the odor subject came up.
How long do the odors stick around? Are they that bad? How do people like working on these vehicles with this oily stuff underneath everywhere? I have an appointment to have FF done next week (Krown would be much closer and more convenient) But now I am having second thoughts questioning myself. Also considered CRC spraying all I could on my own but I have my self talked into having it done they may know where and how and get a better job done , despite the old saying want it right do it yourself. I really feel the truck should have added protection, seen too many around me rot out. Any thoughts or reassurances or talk to go the other way?
My only options in this area are FF/Krown, Zeibart (whiich I have hear many conflicts about some say they no longer use a hard spray but use more of a wax based, IDK) or trying to do what I can myself with something different. I have even started to think about going to coin op carwash and hosing everything off underneath best I can and holding off longer to decide what to do but do not have as much faith in that idea! Just want to take care of our new truck! What say you?
I know what you mean about salted roads in the winter, I’m up in northern Ontario, the roads are salted as soon as it snows or calling for freezing rain from November to April.
I also know the pain your going through on deciding what to get as far as rust prevention. I’m on my 10th FCA vehicle since 1994, and have had many different rust protection devices or applications done, all my vehicles rusted after so many years, some I traded in after only a few years so the rust never had time to show, but I had a few vehicles for up to 15 years.
My vehicles are parked in an insulated garage every night so the vehicles melt every night in the winter making it the worst for rusting, I hate scrapping frozen windows and idling time for warm up.
List of some of my vehicles and type of rust control.
-1994 Dodge caravan, dealer applied rust protection, was a waxy film on body panels, 10 year rust though protection, had the van for 13 years, 300,000 km. Rocker panels and fender wells had rotted though after 10 years, did some body filler and paint to keep it in shape. Sold it privately after 13 years.
-1996 Ram 1500 extended cab, no rustproofing applied, same thing as the van, the rocker panels and fenders rusted through after 10 years or so and had to do body work to keep it in good looking shape, I did not use the truck much it only had 134,000km when I sold it privately in 2011, had it for 15 years.
-2006 Dodge caravan and had Krown rust proofing done every year since new, real bad experience with Krown, all the rubber sound proofing rubber on the interior of the body panels had melted off, the rubber went to the bottom of the doors and quarter panels, the fender well and the rocker panels rusted through after 8 years and Krown did not want to cover, mostly because the dealer was an *** h**le, I could not find all the receipts to prove that I had the van rust application done every year, the head office said they would not cover if I didn’t have all the receipts. Had to the bodywork to keep it. Drove the van 9 hours south to trade in for a 2017 Hyundai Accent. The dealer gave me $250 without looking at it, probably sold for scrap. Had Corrosion Free (name of the company) applied since new, application is every 18 months. I gave the car to my daughter in December 2019.
-2011 Ram 1500, had the electronic rust control module installed from the dealer when I bought the truck. Waste of money. I also had the truck Krowned every year for four years until Krown screwed me with the van. The bumpers of the truck were rusting bad and near the tailgate handle was showing rust bubbles under the paint. The bumpers are not covered under the warranty of the electronic rust control. Had the truck Corrosion Free applied staring in 2017, I have to say the rust near the tailgate handle never got worst since. I had the bumpers Linexed coated and painted to match the original gray. Sold my truck in 2020. Most Rams that old have rusted through rocker panels and fender wells. It sold for $17,000 after I sold it to a private dealer for $11,000, I kick myself for not trying to sell it myself, but it was a quick sell and my new truck was on it’s way.
-2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk Elite, Corrosion Free applied since new
-2020 Ram Rebel Diesel, $80,140 window sticker price, I’m retired now and plan on keeping this truck for a long time so I got the rustproofing and undercoating done at the dealer, apparently lifetime warranty, I was not satisfied with the application so the dealer reapplied the undercoating (black breathable rubberized coating)and rustproofing (clear liquid that turns yellow waxy film on the body panel I terior. They also spray the doors, hood and tailgate hinges, it is kind of ugly because it turns yellow, on a white truck it really shows, the price to pay to try to prevent rusting.
I also have the Corrosion Free applied since new, I really don’t want this truck to rust, I had a buddy of mine inspect my truck and Jeep after the Corrosion Free application (second application since new) and he was absolutely right that they had missed some rust problematic areas like the fender well easily seen under the hoods and they had not removed the rubber plugs in the rocker panels of my truck to apply the rust protection. The owner of Corrosion Free was sorry and blamed the young worker for the poor workmanship, the owner, the worker and me went over both vehicles and both vehicles had the rustproofing re-applied.
What I like about Corrosion Free is that it is only applied every 18 months and it did stop the rusting from progressing on my 2011 Ram. It does smell for a while after the vehicle warms up, must be the spray on the exhaust components and you can see the dirt stick near the seams of the doors and tailgate where the rust protection creeps out, but it is easily washed.
After all that I really don’t want to be bothered with trying to get warranty done, it never worked for me in the past, I simply don’t want my vehicles to rust.
My suggestion is to keep a close look at what kind of job is done to your vehicle.
I might buy the tools and materials required and do the rustproofing myself in the future.
