Ice and Wipers

[c3k]

I just took the truck out in the recent snowstorm (North Carolina). We had ~3" of snow and then freezing rain and sleet. A nice glaze. We ended up with 1-2" of ice underneath 2-3" of snow.

Falken Wildpeak AT3Ws were great for traction. I even got to pull a Ford Ranger out of a ditch on my truck's maiden snow trip. (Almost 500 lb ft of torque + 4 wheel drive + lockable rear axle = Ford Ranger back on the road)

On to my question... The day after the storm, my windshield wipers were encased in ice from the melted snow freezing in the rain scupper. They were solidly locked in. Sure, the solution is to pull the wipers up, and extend them upright, overnight. Sigh.

At one point in my life, I had a Caravan. It had a front windshield electric defrost strip where the wipers sit. That was great for ice and snow buildup.

Aftermarket heated windshield wipers exist. I've found Everblades and Crystal Clear.

What solutions do you use? Are the heated wipers any good?

Or, do you just put up with ice accreting onto the arms and occasionally knocking it off?

Let's hear it...

 

[ferraiolo1]

Just warm your truck with the defroster on. And it will allow them to thaw enough to pull them up and knock the ice off. If you forget to put them up the night before. Living in northern pa I never had an issue or a need for heated blades.

My Subaru has the heated strip in the windshield with is something everyone should do. But it’s more of a convince thing over a necessity.


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[FirstTimeRamDriver]

Buy a bottle of glycol and keep in the truck. Spray it on the wiper blade when it ices up. I was in NC over the weekend and used the defroster method.

 

[KWKSLVR]

I live in Alabama so.

 

[sylent_snyper]

Welcome to the problems of us northeasterners. If the weather patterns continue, you'll be a pro at clearing the wiper blade when it swings up while driving in the snow.

 

[RockYacht2020]

I live in Alabama so.

I got to the third message in this post and said to myself, "why am I reading this? I live in AZ." Then I read your message and was glad I'm not the only one.

OP, I'm sorry you have that issue. Sounds like you're just as well off with a defroster while you warm up the truck though, if it's that cold. Sending sunshine your way.

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[kapinallinen2]

Defroster... says a guy from Finland.

 

[c3k]

LOL...the defroster won't do well against 4" of ice. Yep, that's how thick it is wrapped around the blades in the scupper.

As well, in bad icing conditions (yes, I've driven in them...but not in the truck) the ice will gather on the blade frames, until softball size hunks are sliding across the glass, preventing the rubber blade from clearing.

My winter dream truck? Heated blades and a defrosted segment of the windshield where the blades rest.

 

[Rebel2022]

Funny (or ironic?) that there is a heated section in the windshield where the forward facing camera for active braking lives but not for the wipers. Even though you may not be able to see out of the windshield at least the truck can and will stop you!

 

[kapinallinen2]

Defroster to un-stick the blades from the windshield, still have to use manual labor to clear the rest of it...
My dream truck has Florida tags on it.

 

[ferraiolo1]

Heated blades and a heated lower windshield wouldn’t have done anything for 4in of ice.

Manually scraping it away is all you could have done anyway.


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[Fantastipotamus]

I picked up one of the windscreen covers. I bought this one, and it fits, but barely. Would probably go with one of the ’truck’ ones if I had to do it over (it’s a stretch to get the hooks over the mirrors, and i don’t have the tow mirrors anymore even). I also do not put the flaps through the doors. Seems like a recipe for water in my interior.

In any case, it works pretty well. It sits on top of the wipers, so, it won’t keep ice out of the scupper, but it will keep it off your wipers (and wind screen). I’ve lived in NH my whole life, and never had a garage, and only thought to buy one of these recently. *sigh*

 

[mikeru82]

Welcome to the problems of us northeasterners. If the weather patterns continue, you'll be a pro at clearing the wiper blade when it swings up while driving in the snow.

Are Northeasterners the only ones who regularly get snow/ice? I wonder what that stuff is that we Northwesterners are getting every winter then? What about the midwesterners? Maybe it's just me, but I'd have said "welcome to the problems of us northerners"

 

[Scram1500]

If the moonbats get their way and reverse global warming, this situation will get worse

 

[sylent_snyper]

Are Northeasterners the only ones who regularly get snow/ice? I wonder what that stuff is that we Northwesterners are getting every winter then? What about the midwesterners? Maybe it's just me, but I'd have said "welcome to the problems of us northerners"

Because he's on the east coast and so am I. The rest of the country doesn't really matter.