I've been looking at trucks to buy and I've fallen in love with these old Yotas. My question is wether or not it's a good idea to own one of these in a zone that gets a lot of snow. What types of preventative measure could I take to avoid getting into trouble with rust? I would have a garage, but im sure that alone isn't enough. Regular under carriage cleaning? Some type of protectant? POR15?

 

Constant washing, among other things. Don't be afraid to get cold and wet😉.

 

Having seen what the Connecticut winter road salt did to the bed on my dad’s new 1986 extra cab after a few years, i don’t even drive mine in the winter. It’s not the snow so much as the ice melter goo that they put on the roads. Here in MA they use about 5 different chemical concoctions. If you feel you must, i think people have good results with oil-film coatings for the underside.

 

I'm lucky. I live in South-Central Oregon. They use crushed lava rock on the roads here in winter. Doesn't do a darn thing to melt snow or ice off the roads (until the sun hits it), but boy does it give you grip! It's very, very rough and coarse, but small enough it doesn't damage tires. Settles down into the surface of the snow or ice, and provides great grip, providing they haven't just laid it down, and it's not forced down in yet. Then it's just loose gravel, really. But heck, I drove on that kind of surface for nearly 30 years down in Yuma, Az, so I'm pretty used to loose gravel
Mainly, it does nothing whatsoever to the metal of vehicles, other than making some loud banging, rattling, noises if the tires pick some up off the road and throw it up under. Yes, if you hit some going fast enough, or spin the tires hard enough, it will chip the paint in the bottom body areas, but I'm a coward. I drive slowly, carefully, and do everything I can not to spin the tires in snowy, icy, areas. I get people behind me upset with me for not driving 75 on an icy curve, but I haven't needed to get pulled out of a ditch, or tree, yet! Almost 20 winters here now, and no, I'm not quoting the local Native American tribe's way of talking.

Just so you know, there are other ways than "salt", that work very nicely.
I saw something on a tow-truck show that they're trying beet juice in some places. Very effective on melting snow and ice, but totally safe for vehicle metal. Makes it slightly sticky, is all. Pretty nifty!

I've heard a lot about the oil film method being very effective for protecting cars, as well, although I understand the "Zeibart" rust protection coating works well, too. Can be applied to almost any vehicle, but a bit expensive. Almost all vehicles now come with it standard, I believe, but I may well be wrong on that.
/shrug/

Good luck to you!
Pat☺

 

frequent routine washing what i am able to seems to have worked ok for my mid west taco over 23 years
little spots pop up once in awhile on body panels and use some touch-up paint on them

having a non-heated garage is a +++

 

Thanks! Great tips, sounds like just keeping the underside washed regularly will be the best way to go and I guess just keep an eye on any problem areas. Will take a look at oil film, i'v never heard of it!

 

Park in in garage over winter and get a beater. Especially if in the rust belt. I used an oil spray in upstate NY. Rust was still a thing.

 

yeah i dont even drive my "rusty" toyotas in the winter here anymore. They never used to be bad with what they used on the roads here til the last few years, now we are as bad as minnesota. Newer cars rust and aluminum wheels get destroyed, Biggest thing with driving a toyota pickup on ice and snow is you may as well plan on keeping it in 4wd 24/7. rwd + ice + pickup = stuck on level ground. Once i get my trucks cleaned up well, I spray them underneath with fluid film. works great. 2 cans will do a truck nicely with a little left over.