I'm moving from the almost always warm Golden Isles of Georgia to the mountians of West Virginia. My truck has never seen really cold weather in its 31 years of service or snow for that fact, spent over 98% of its life at the Kingsbay Naval base.

Since my truck will see freezing temps and snow, what do I need to know to protect my truck and keep it running in its current optimal form?

 

When was the last time you changed all of your fluids to include replacing and bleeding your brake fluid? You need to make sure your antifreeze is in good shape, preferably a 50/50 mix (I prefer the green kind that I mix myself), and simply follow your owners manual regarding the weight of oil you need to run. I would also pay attention to your differential(s) and transfer case (if you have one) as well. If you haven't drained and changed that in some time, I would do that too as moisture can accumulate which could potentially cause havoc, especially if you drive through any water and the like.

 

Make sure you have the proper weight oil and lubricants, as well as antifreeze is good advice. West Virginia gets pretty chilly in the winter, but it ain't Fairbanks, AK. Having a good battery and letting her warm up for a minute after starting should be all that is necessary. After all, they designed these truck to run in all parts of the country in all weather. Things like block heaters, battery blankets, etc really aren't necessary even in West Virginia. Just my opinion, mind you.
Good luck on the move.

 

check and /or replace belts and hoses. im not sure if WV uses salt on the roads, but ya may want to consider some undercoating. you may also want to put some weight in the bed. bags of sand work good. they can help if you need( 2 more things to put in the bed) a tow strap and a shovel.

 

X2 on Undercoating or frequent car wash and waxes.

If you go the car wash and wax route, make sure to throughly clean the underside, the fender wells, etc, and use the spray wax liberally all over the truck including the underside. Make sure that water "beads" up well and is repelled.

WD 40 is also a good product for water displacement and rust prevention. The "WD" in WD-40 stands for Water Displacement. Spray it on backside of fenders, and wheel arches and areas that may be prone to rust on a regular basis.

If WV does indeed salt their roads, you should clean and wax the truck daily after every trip in the snow or ice to remove buildup and to prevent rust, paying paticular intrest to the wheel arches and wells.

Good luck on your move...

 

Thanks everyone for all the feedback, much needes and greatly appreciated.

What all would be involved for me to have an undercoating done and where do I go for that?

 

Where ya headed in wv?? Im in the mountains of va just over the border mid-state.

Wv does use salt and cinders. As far as undercoat i dont know myself but dont be like some of these idiot deep south people that think cause they have 4x4 they can run 70 in 6-8 inches of snow. Check your tires good for tread and cracks. Make sure your antifreeze is good down to -10. It dont get that cold except windchill. Use a good antifreeze washer fluid. And get lots of it. You will go through a good bit.

 

Wellsburg area

Im a cautious driver to begin with and never been mudding, strange for a southerner lol. Im changing all my fluids before I move up there. Think a body/paint shop will do undercoatings?

 

Up near pitt. Get a good bit of lake effect snow up there.

 

The Ford Dealer did a full undercoating to mine when it was new, including underhood and inner fenders. It finally started peeling after 30 years and started to look crap, so I repainted the engine bay.

Not sure exactly what they used, although it was rubberized etc... The 1981 owners manual called it "super seal, anti corrosion protection"...

 

Looking at the frame of my truck and it appeared to have an undercoating which has also started to peel with very light surface rust on the frame. Think maybe if I touched up those areas it would hold for the snow season temporarily until a proper undercoating is applied?

Thanks everyone once again for the info!

 

Well, without the proper preperation, it may make things worse...

I would sand down the area as best you can then spray it with undercoating.

 

Gotcha. I wont be able to do much until I get a second truck (prefer 4x4) so I can make repairs and needed adjustments after my move. All of my money now is tied up into a Uhual and a travel trailer to tow my truck north, refuse to put the added stress and mileage on the ol' girl.

It should start to warm up in April there when I arrive so Im safe for now, but now I know what all will be needing acclomplished before the next snow season. Thanks again for the pointers