Caring for your Chariot part 1

I love my truck. I have had it for almost 10 years and I have used it to carry kayaks to my favorite fishing areas since day 1. I have put over 130k miles on her travelling all over Florida and to North Carolina and Virginia. When the first signs of rust appeared, it didn’t look so bad so I paid little attention to it.

Over the years I carried many kayaks on a roof rack. After fishing the saltwater, I would at least rinse her off or wash of the salt water. Sometimes I would be out fishing for up to a week in remote areas and couldn’t rinse of the salt. The clear coat on the hood and roof went first. Then, small rust spots around the windshield and doors.

By the time I realized I was in denial, the rust made a hole in the roof and rain water was leaking into the cab. I was hoping to put another 100k miles under her wheels, but at this rate she would be scrap. I know little about body work so I met up with Dave at Jack’s Auto Body in Bonita Springs. His obvious experience while preparing an estimate made me feel better.

I removed the racks that had adorned my chariot since I have owned her and dropped her off at the shop. Three days later I get a call to pick her up. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was very pleasantly surprised! The rust hole was gone as was the countless other smaller spots. It was an expensive fix, but well worth it.

I talked to Dave about the causes and effects of rust. He pretty much told me what I already knew. If you carry kayaks on top of your vehicle, you will eventually have rust problems. It doesn’t matter how well you rinse, it will only postpone the inevitable. All we can do it watch for it and use rubbing compound on any rust spots as soon as they appear.

My next project is getting new paint and restoring my chariot to her former glory. It took almost 10 years for the rust to take hold on my vehicle and now that I carry my kayak in the bed of the truck, I hope the next 10 years will be rust free.