Ford aluminum body vs Ram steel - can the Ram do as well?

[Tomtint]

I have a few aluminium Fords, Oldest is a 17 and has no signs of any body corrosion .. Its a plow/work truck with 15K miles on it V10 F450 Dump truck.. On its 4th set of manifolds, 2nd set of heads, 3rd set of rotors pads and callipers , 2nd set of trans lines, 2nd set od power steering lines...Im sure i forgot other stuff.. But the body is fine.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

With the recent price increases on trucks I'm starting to wonder if my penchant for trying to get an F250 at (what I consider) a decent price is futile.
Since my wife agreed we needed a new truck I had focused on Fords due to the no rust body in my rust prone environment (Mississippi).
But with ~ a $10K difference in price I'm wondering if diligent rust prevention could make up the difference.
Comments?

I thought Mississippi and similar places were the Benanna Belt, No?

 

[jyoutz]

I’m surprised to hear about vehicles rusting in Mississippi. I thought that only occurred where road deicing salt is used?

 

[Hay Dude]

With the recent price increases on trucks I'm starting to wonder if my penchant for trying to get an F250 at (what I consider) a decent price is futile.
Since my wife agreed we needed a new truck I had focused on Fords due to the no rust body in my rust prone environment (Mississippi).
But with ~ a $10K difference in price I'm wondering if diligent rust prevention could make up the difference.
Comments?

It all comes down to how much you drive in salt/what you do about removing salt if you do and whether or not you keep your truck in a garage.

It has very little to do with the brand.

I’m in an area where salt brine is used generously. Yet my vehicles don’t rust. I rinse off the frames, springs, exhaust, spring mounts, axles, everything underneath for a good 10-15 minutes. I also rinse the rinse out fenders, shocks, undersides of doors.

 

[5030]

My 97 F350 has no rust either. It gets garaged and washed topside and underside at leas 3 times a week in the winter.

Only major thing I did to it was replace the injector harness' and dealt with the algae issue a couple years back. I agree with Hay Dude, if you live where they treat the roads, treat your ride to frequent washes topside and bottom side. I wash it myself but I also run it through the car wash uptown that washes the underside as well. I have an unlimited wash membership there, I can wash it every day if I want to, or the Burb of my Focus. My Focus is also driven in the snow and salt / brine and it has no corrosion either. Of course it's a 14 not a 97.

I see a lot of Fords and Ram's with rotted out wheel wells. You must clean the wheel wells religiously or the crud collects in the arch and rots them out.

My 97 has never seen any sort of corrosion protection either. I've always felt that applying corrosion protection traps moisture and brine and salt and promotes rust.

We live 2 miles off the pavement so it's imperative to wash the underside regularly, winter and summer because a rainstorm equals a muddy road.

 

[5030]

I modified the 'wand' on my hot water pressure washer with a street Ell just so I can wash the underside and get up in the wheel wells easily.

 

[rontaki]

While I don't have the issue of driving on sales roads, I wonder if one could set up a powerful sprinkler to drive over for rinsing salt of the underside.

 

[Topzide]

Have you tried other rust converters?

Yes, but settled on Black Star, as it needs no top coating. It's used in the North Atlantic on oil wells and is environmentally friendly! You can brush, roll, or use a garden sprayer. You just pressure wash, let dry, and apply. No wire brushing! Check it out.

 

[kneedeep]

I’m in MS and never had any vehicle rust due to environmental conditions. In North MS, road depts use sand on bridges if warrantied
I do try to keep stuff with motors under roof. My 20+ yr old stuff stays covered in pollen and dust here in the Delta.

 

[newbury]

Well in north eastern Mississippi everything iron based rusts. I agree it does not rust through as quickly as in the north where there is a freeze thaw cycle but exposed steel develops rust quickly. I've quickly learned to keep Fluid Film accessible to spray any bare metal.
But I bought a welder to repair the rusted out deck of my first rotary mower.

I thought Mississippi and similar places were the Benanna Belt, No?

If you meant "Banana belt" - no.
Banana belt - Wikipedia