Going Beach driving, what protection should I give my Prado

[Queenslander Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Queenslander]

Quick question guys.

Have read that lanolin sprayed underbody pre beach driving is good, even penetrol.

Would you guys recommend spraying the car pre trip or just giving the car a huge rinse after. Have heard that high pressure wash is bad and running a sprinkler under the car for 3 hours is good.

Any advice on this matter would be great. thanks.
Rob8-)

[SandRunner Member Find all posts View Profile Close SandRunner]

Do NOT use lanolin pre beach. The sand will stick to everything under your Prado and it will look like the beach itself! When you get back home give it a good rinse (salt is water soluble so the better the wash the less likely you are to have salt on your vehicle) allow it to dry overnight then use lanolin.

[Dueler120 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dueler120]

I'd recommend starting off by getting under your car and cleaning it nice and thorough with water. Remove built up deposits of dirt and use a wire brush to take off any rust scale. Once dry apply a couple of coats of rust preventative black paint over any areas that have been previously exposed. A good idea is to remove all bash/ belly plates to get at areas behind them and to also give them a once over too.

Once painting is dry apply a liberal coat of fish oil or lanolin (I use Lanotec) bearing in mind that the fish oil will give off a harsher odor. I coat my car at frequent intervals eg when servicing, to maintain a good coating but also bearing in mind to allow it to dry or bake somewhat before bogging the rig up to its eyeballs in sand. Yes lanolin and fish oil will be sticky depending on how much you use but light coats at frequent intervals should help prevent a super tacky surface. Always clean the rig no matter what method you choose and remember to push the hose down the holes in the floor pan rails etc.

Cheers,

[Bell Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Bell]

I came off the beach the other day and crawled under the car with a hose and gave it a good clean, the amount of sand and dirt was huge, previous owner never cleaned it I suppose. Was wondering about how to clean the salt from the engine bay, I don't know whether to use a hose or not. How do others do it or don't do it?
Thanks.

[Kak Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Kak]

I use a low pressure hose to wash inside the engine bay. I run an unmodified 150 Kakadu Petrol, and due to the sand scoop up front (sorry, Standard toyota underbody protection) there is a huge amount of sand that gets into the engine bay.

No issues thus far, but i would be interested in other people's opinion on whether there are any issues with hosing down the engine bay. (i just try not to get water over the battery terminals)

[Queenslander Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Queenslander]

sound good guys, The boys at the local 4bee shop recommended I spray the liquid offroad wash called buster 50. It works as a salt barrier and you spray it on the under body and all over really before a beach trip. The boyz were raving about it.

I also think the rest of the procedure will be similar, rinse, rinse and rinse finishing with underbody sprinkler from fresh water tank and then lanolin the next day when dry.

[Dueler120 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dueler120]

Spray electrical connections and terminals with crc. This displaces water when cleaning the engine bay. Soak with truck wash then rinse with clean water. I use a pressure cleaner with no problems, just not at full bore and too close to fuse box and filter housing. Its a good idea just to check your latches are secure on your air filter housing just in case. I also leave the hood up on start up to blow out any excess water and run it down the road to evaporate the rest and prevent any ponding.

[matt150 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close matt150]

Don't let kids take camera phones or iPods that will result in photos when ya get bogged...

[samo Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close samo]

dont think that as soon as you drive your car off the beach it is going to rust in to a pile of brown stuff, all you need to do is give it a good hose underneath and wash the salt spray off it, 5 mins underneath will do it justice,just pay attention to areas that catch sand, it bashplates and wheel arches, under the bonnet give it a quick hose to get the sand off the engine and if you want give the electrics a spray of wd or crc, this will help prolong the life, after all they are 4wd, you didnt buy them to drive on the TAR did ya? i sure didnt. cheers samo

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

I'd recommend starting off by getting under your car and cleaning it nice and thorough with water. Remove built up deposits of dirt and use a wire brush to take off any rust scale. Once dry apply a couple of coats of rust preventative black paint over any areas that have been previously exposed. A good idea is to remove all bash/ belly plates to get at areas behind them and to also give them a once over too.

Once painting is dry apply a liberal coat of fish oil or lanolin (I use Lanotec) bearing in mind that the fish oil will give off a harsher odor. I coat my car at frequent intervals eg when servicing, to maintain a good coating but also bearing in mind to allow it to dry or bake somewhat before bogging the rig up to its eyeballs in sand. Yes lanolin and fish oil will be sticky depending on how much you use but light coats at frequent intervals should help prevent a super tacky surface. Always clean the rig no matter what method you choose and remember to push the hose down the holes in the floor pan rails etc.

Cheers,

So, by coating the underside of your car in fish oil, you then wade it out into the ocean off Cable Beach and use it as a giant mobile burly pot attracting all the fish right?

[Dueler120 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dueler120]

So, by coating the underside of your car in fish oil, you then wade it out into the ocean off Cable Beach and use it as a giant mobile burly pot attracting all the fish right?

I wish it was that easy!

[Chriso57 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chriso57]

dont think that as soon as you drive your car off the beach it is going to rust in to a pile of brown stuff, cheers samo

Right on!

My old 95 series practically lived on the beach. When I sold it there was a few small rust spots where the paint had chipped back to bare metal and that was it. Prado's along with most new cars really dont rust like the cars years ago. (I know, i've got a 1971 Monaro...)

I always just give it a good wash with the hose or my Karcher.

Chriso

[Oli Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Oli]

Saw a 4-year old Prado in a used car lot on the weekend with the chickenpox.
Rust spots blooming through the paint all over the chassis rails. Drive shaft was encrusted.
How much beach work do you have to do to get it into that state?

[Dueler120 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dueler120]

Saw a 4-year old Prado in a used car lot on the weekend with the chickenpox.
Rust spots blooming through the paint all over the chassis rails. Drive shaft was encrusted.
How much beach work do you have to do to get it into that state?

Where about was this? I have seen the toll of ex mine vehicles that have spent their early years in salt pans eg Karratha and Port Hedland and those working in and around open cut mining ops like gold and they look to die a slow ugly death due to minimal servicing requirements and only being cleaned once in a blue moon when the big boss arrives on site for a visit. Countering that there are allot of vehicles up here that are dedicated fishing/ camping rigs that spend each and every day near the coast and on the beach and apart from the surface spots on bull bars and the like they are still kicking along fine. Above comments hit the nail on the head, your car will not fall apart around you once its driven on the beach a few times.

I guess a constant cleaning and maintenance schedule will stave off the rust to some point but we have to realise that if we want to use these vehicles to their potential and have them take us to all the country has to offer we have to expect wear and tear and a few blemishes.....I think its called adding character or maby its like us getting old and rusty too!

Cheers,

[Dueler120 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dueler120]

Right on!

My old 95 series practically lived on the beach. When I sold it there was a few small rust spots where the paint had chipped back to bare metal and that was it. Prado's along with most new cars really dont rust like the cars years ago. (I know, i've got a 1971 Monaro...)

I always just give it a good wash with the hose or my Karcher.

Chriso

Agreed! Just goes to show how much plastic is built into modern day cars.

Cheers,