For us salt belters what Id really like to see is more robust bed supports and BETTER OVERALL RUST CONTROL. The bed supports shouldn't hold the dirt, snow, slush nor rot out in 4 years.
If you drive a new truck off the lot in the salt belt regions without taking drastic rust control measures (Ospho, LPS, electronic rust protection, Ziebart, tranny fluid undercarriage wash then a ride on a dusty road etc...) your left with an unsightly rotting hulk with in 5 years. Not acceptable for a 50-90K+ truck!!!
Suggestion:
Offer a factory salt belt corrosion control package option where certain body holes and cavities are blocked off or opened up. Paint or powder coat the frame and chassis parts. Get rid of the gaping holes under the cab and in its its supports etc...etc...Come up with a tail gate seam that doesnt rust within the first year of service.

I know we salt belters cant expect them to last like an Arizona truck or youd be outta business, but 4-5 years with rot holes is unacceptable. My 95 Jeep GC is just now starting to rust through...thats a 20 year old well washed vehicle driven in the salt belt.

Dear Father Henry, for god sakes have we deleted the sponge like material sandwiched between the inners and outers on the rear quarter panels yet? We'd really like to eliminate the standard rear wheel well rot-out look, as its no longer in "vogue". For the record...Who puts a sponge in a wheel well between two pieces of metal in a 4X4! Sir that particular engineer needs their walking papers after 15 years if this!!

 

I think we'd all agree to that
but in the meantime, I'm using fluid film every year on my 2012

Wicked winter this year, tons of salt and not a smiggin of rust...works for me

PS you nailed the hot spots with the fender wells and bed supports - I gave it extra loving there

 

I agree, if i was to go out and spend $60,000 for a truck it better last a long time. The first thing i want to do when i get a new truck is NOT spend the time undercoating it...but i know i will be anyways

 

That foam applied between panels BEFORE painting is stupid. Ford did it on the bottom of the front fenders too, there is a plastic baffle in there by the door hinges that has the same kind if foam on it. Another place to keep an eye on.

 

if trucks did not rust away, there would be less of a demand for new ones.

 

I had this done to my "13".....

 

Bingo And they(car makers) know it!

 

So far my '11 is in good shape as far as rust. I did my usual power wash this spring and probably got over a bucket of salty dirt out from the bed cross members and sides. That fender well foam - what can I do to prevent rust through there? Pull it out? Oil it up with something like ATF or Fluid Film? Trade every 3-5 years?

 

The best thing you can do is trade every 3-5 years if you can afford to. I think if you soak the foam with fluid film that should slow the rust down quite a bit. I know some guys say to pull that foam out but I'd be hesitant to do that because then you just opened up a crack to catch dirt that will be impossible to get cleaned out.


It's too bad Ford didn't stick with the type of foam that they used in the '04-'08 F-150's. That stuff was fairly solid feeling and the '05 that I sold to my dad still doesn't have a hint of rust around the wheel wells or bed supports, and I didn't use any type of rust treatment on it. Actually, I've only seen a couple of 04-08 body style F150's with rusted out wheel wells.

 

My history has been about 4-6 years for trade though I do spend a bunch of time and effort washing things out. I considered yanking that foam out but am as you say, concerned with salty dirt collecting and probably rattles with the quarter skin bouncing off the inner panels. I'll look at doing a Fluid Film treatment this fall.

 

If I was spending that kind of money on a brand new truck, the frame and under body might as well be powder coated.

 

I just bought a 05 ccsb in feb and its bed is pretty bad underneath and bedfloor has holes in it. Kinda surprising with only 80k on the truck but spent all its life in PA and eastern ohio where they salt a lot more. Plus I don't think the PO washed it much. I would welcome some rust inhibiter or if an all aluminum body would be an option.

 

Ford isn't going to do anything about it. They are just going to keep making the sheetmetal thinner and minimally engineer it more to save weight and material costs. Aluminum will still corrode and bubble up paint. Ford will also end up transitioning to thinner "stronger" steels on the frame which will rust out faster and end up being boxed so it is harder to get at.

Ford has actually been painting less parts on the SD compared to what they were before. Just looking under the truck there are so many places that could have been designed/engineered to minimize the holding of moisture, salt and other debris but the engineers just could not get it figured out.

Keep on top of and repair the rust the best you can or deal with it. Buying a new vehicle every few years is a total waste of money and they are not going to get built any better in the future.

 

I'm interested in doing the fluid film on my truck. What fluid are you using and what are applying it with? Thanks

 

Find some here.... Amazon.com: fluid film

Or a john deere dealer may have some.