Truck stays outdoors, what's would you suggest for maintenance?

[Tropez]

Hey all, my new truck will have to stay outside because my garage isn't big enough.

Here in Missouri we get it all. Blazing hot summers. Cold winter's with ice, snow, road salt.

What's a good preventative plan for upkeep when it comes to a truck that stays outside year round?

I know I don't want to leave road salt on it, so wash it asap after bad weather but what about other small things I may be missing?

I've never had a vehicle waxed, do you guys wax yours? If so, at any particular frequency?

Thanks!

 

[RamMeToo]

I just started using Hydrosilex on all exterior surfaces but I keep it in the garage.

Outside storage, I would get a professional ceramic coating installed ASAP. That will make washing a breeze and keep your paint well protected. I’m not talking about the stuff a dealer sprays on. I’m talking high end ceramic coating installed in small areas at a time by a professional. Had this done on a sports car a few years back and all I can say is it was incredible protection. Cost me $1200 at the time but that included paint correction.

 

[Ramlax]

wax it twice a yea, that is for sure a start.

 

[Tropez]

wax it twice a yea, that is for sure a start.

Any suggestions on a good wax brand?

 

[Gondul]

My vehicles live outside as well... a little dirt on them won't hurt the paint.

I wash them every 3 months or so... love bug season means washing almost every weekend so the protein in the dead bugs doesn't etch the paint.

For wax, look for a carnuba wax and I'd re-wax every 2nd wash. I'm a fan of Meguiar's products...

As far as road salt, if you have a pressure washer, you can use the following:

In a bucket, mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with a 1/2 cup of automotive wash and a 1/2 gallon of water. Stir the mixture, and apply the mixture to the undercarriage and any other areas of your vehicle containing road salt or a salt/sand mixture.

There are also commercial products, but friends I have up north who do this to good effect.

 

[356]

Hey all, my new truck will have to stay outside because my garage isn't big enough.

Here in Missouri we get it all. Blazing hot summers. Cold winter's with ice, snow, road salt.

What's a good preventative plan for upkeep when it comes to a truck that stays outside year round?

I know I don't want to leave road salt on it, so wash it asap after bad weather but what about other small things I may be missing?

I've never had a vehicle waxed, do you guys wax yours? If so, at any particular frequency?

Thanks!

Welcome to the forum from a neighbor near Holt. Wax annually. Wash the bird droppings off daily. In the winter, I run mine through a wash that does the undercarriage every two weeks. I’m and a pretty long dirt and gravel road. My 2012 looked great after six years...no rust spots, paint was shiny.

 

[dutchman187]

You can get six months out of a sealant like menzerna powerlock and it is idiot proof to put down. You can self apply a ceramic, but they are way harder to do yourself. Plus side is they last a couple years. If you want to stick with wax, your longest lasting and still easy to apply waxes are collonite #845 insulator wax or #915 Marquis de elegance.

 

[Mdegen93]

I would check out ammonyc

The reflex is a ceramic coating and you can apply “skin” which is a sealant. Follow his videos on YouTube he covers all aspects of detailing from washing to correcting and protecting your paint

 

[Billet1500 4x4]

Wax twice a year, I hit it with the last coat every 8 weeks , use the last coat on the head lights every 2 weeks, because I do not want them yellowing out. 3m 303 UV protectant on your rubber seals around the windows and black plastics on the bumpers, bed rails and such. DO NOT get wax on the black plastics. like Gondul I like meguiars I use the ultimate compound followed by their ultimate paste wax, dutchman187 mentioned menzerna which is the choice of most professional detailers, never tried it myself but I'm sure theres a reason the pros use it.

 

[troutspinner]

They really don’t need that much attention. My last Ram (14) got a clay bar treatment every summer with a good coat of wax and then in the winter, I’d use a trusted local carwash. Never had any issues on my Max Steel paint. Still looked new when I traded it in.

 

[Neurobit]

Here’s what I would do.

In order from cheapest to most expensive...

If you want to keep it protected without a lot of upkeep, apply a synthetic sealant.
Carnuba ain’t going to cut it. Even the most premium Carnuba wax will only last 3 or 4 weeks in ideal conditions. In your neck of the woods, during winter you’ll be lucky if it stays on after two weeks.

For sealants, I would go with Meguiar’s M21 or Collinite 845 (they call it a wax but it’s really a sealant). This will give you months of protection, three at a minimum. Uber cheap (about $18) and relatively easy to apply.

You can always layer the sealants and top them off with a final coat of Carnuba for extra pop, but it’s not needed to protect the paint.

If you want a little more protection for a little more money, Hydrosilex or McKeey’s Hydroblue. Around $35 but even easier to apply and should last longer than sealants. They are claiming 7 months but you can safely expect 4 or 5, and, since it’s so easy to apply (you can do it wet or dry), you could do it once a month and know you have protection year round guaranteed.

The last option is a ceramic glass coat.
Most expensive of all, but you will get one to five years protection depending on product. Keep in mind that these have to be maintained with good washing discipline, and although they are hard coats, the do scratch just like clear coat, You can apply these yourself if you’re handy, instead of paying over a grand to have it done. There are plenty of YT videos that can show you how step by step how to do this.

I’ve been using Hydrosilex since July and very happy with results. Before that I used M21 every three months, and high-end Carnuba once a month.

I also finish with a spritz of Meguiar’s instant spray wax after every wash as a drying agent, just because it’s so much easier than drying with a microfiber alone.

Cheers,
Neurobit

 

[bgmshrm]

cut the header in half and get a bigger door. Ive done it.

 

[Agitated]

Theres no need to wax a modern day base/clear coat paint. Other than to shine it up. Go ask any auto painter worth his salt.

 

[Mdegen93]

Theres no need to wax a modern day base/clear coat paint. Other than to shine it up. Go ask any auto painter worth his salt.

Lol I don’t know who you’be been talking to but this isn’t true.

 

[Bdog]

No options to build a carport? That can often be done for about the price of these ceramic coatings. Keeping the sun and hail away are half the battle

 

[Billet1500 4x4]

Lol I don’t know who you’be been talking to but this isn’t true.

It kind of depends on who you ask, some say yes and some say no. Once upon a time when they were still shooting lacquer you had to wax because the paint would dry but not cure. Then came acrylic enamel which would dry and cure but still had issues with oxidation of the pigments and uv resistance so you had to keep them waxed. Now we have base coat clear coat, the clear coat protects the finish, is resistant to most things that would hurt a lacquer finish and is relatively uv resistant. Regular washing to remove most contaminants will allow the clear to do its job and protect the base coat however it will dull and most clears are somewhat soft and will scratch and swirl, a good synthetic polymer wax will help prevent dulling and scratches, hide swirl marks and prevent etching and water spots. A clear coat wears away with the elements and is damaged by uv rays just like everything else in this world, the better you take care of it the longer it lasts and the longer your vehicle looks it's best.

If anyone tells you a truck that was not waxed for 10 years will look as good as a truck that was regularly waxed for 10 years and subjected to the same elements then they're full of it.

 

[alacombe]

My vehicles live outside as well... a little dirt on them won't hurt the paint.

I wash them every 3 months or so... love bug season means washing almost every weekend so the protein in the dead bugs doesn't etch the paint.

For wax, look for a carnuba wax and I'd re-wax every 2nd wash. I'm a fan of Meguiar's products...

As far as road salt, if you have a pressure washer, you can use the following:

In a bucket, mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with a 1/2 cup of automotive wash and a 1/2 gallon of water. Stir the mixture, and apply the mixture to the undercarriage and any other areas of your vehicle containing road salt or a salt/sand mixture.

There are also commercial products, but friends I have up north who do this to good effect.

The sun sure will

 

[alacombe]

Theres no need to wax a modern day base/clear coat paint. Other than to shine it up. Go ask any auto painter worth his salt.

? this is crazy

 

[Agitated]

No it isn’t. Try it. Go ask a good paint guy. Marketing is a very powerful thing.

 

[356]

No it isn’t. Try it. Go ask a good paint guy. Marketing is a very powerful thing.

There is some truth to this. Waxing provides an opportunity to identify chips that need attention & touch up, makes the truck look great, and adds 3 mpg by letting the truck cut through the wind. O.K., the last one is not true.

Here is what Consumers Report says on the subject:
Thanks to today's clear-coat finishes, our testing shows that even the best wax will probably not improve the shine on a new car. Regular washing is still the most important step to protecting your car's finish. But a coat of wax can add a layer of protection against tree sap, bird droppings, and other contaminants—at least for a while. Most products we tested showed a significant loss of protection within about five weeks.