After trip clean up - what do you do?

[tagMan]

Hi all,

Thinking i might start a thread about the Nav clean up after a Beach trip.

Spent 3 days after Easter camping at Double Island Point - First trip with the Navara towing the camper trailer in sand. - Must say i was very impressed with how it went.

Now for the clean up. I was amazed with the amount of sand in the engine bay - 10mm thick on the battery.

I do not use the under body wash at teewah as i think water the use would be pretty salty(may be wrong). I go to one of the high pressure auto carwash joints with an under body spray - $16 - cleans up good.

Then when i get home i hose everything again & again...

Has any body got any good tips..?

thanks Brett

 

[will]

Good idea for a thread tagMan.

i normally just use a garden hose on the lawn and get stuck into it fairly thoroughly. i have never noticed much sand in the engine bay after a beach session. i do make sure i get right underneath th body, on top of the chassis and all around the front suspension and diff.

it's amazing how much sand comes home.

 

[Eug]

how do you find sand getting caught up under the aftermarket bash plates?

 

[Charlie Navara]

Cleaning the navs

I haven’t done much sand but I have done allot of mud and IV spend 8 hours lying underneath my nav just cleaning the under body. There is a range of cleaners that say there effective but just disappoint when it comes to the job. I have found that the same brand that makes your CT14, CT18 and CT20 also make a Workshop Degreaser (all bio-degradable) and the workshop one seams to do the best (tested it on my moto and it didn’t eat any rubber or damage plastic or paint. but don’t quote me if you put it on the body and leave it there for an hour. could be ) but for general washing without solvents I use a brush from a dust pan and brush set and start by flushing all the excess. take note that the void on the style side above and behind the tyres has always got a build up of something and above the gear box will bake mud or salt water on which can be very bad Jew Jews. main point is to not be afraid to get underneath your nav and do the cleaning from there. It will you for it.

Hope this helps you

Charlie

 

[tweak'e]

don't forget inside the chassis. wash it out and pour some used engine oil in there.

 

[Charlie Navara]

Used engine oil. thats a new one to me might have to try it. any good points to put it in?

 

[tagMan]

how do you find sand getting caught up under the aftermarket bash plates?

yep.. plenty of sand gets caught up in there - easily hosed out. I think the front bash plate is worth it's weight in gold. When coming onto the beach with the trailer - obviously going a bit fast for the really soft sand at the entry to the beach (we all need to learn..) We hit F%$#ing hard - think the $200 bash plate may of saved the trip....

 

[felixblack]

Give the underbody a good coat of Knock-Out Rust Proof - KO-66 about 4 weeks before you hit the sand. 4wks will allow it to dry properly. it will last a good year or two.

or you could spray it with lanolin before and after.

both options are a lot more friendly to the beach then used engine oil

Some chuck sprinklers under there car for a few hours too

 

[Matt76]

If you put anything that stays wet like engine oil in your chassis, next time you hit the beach and fill them with sand the sand is going to stick to the oil and won't wash out. I have an electronic rest preventor thingy and also got the undebody sprayed with conventional rust protection stuff that dries. I give it a quick hose off and that'll do.

If you are woorried about it, there are a few rust control places who will do a proper post-beach washdown in brisbane, I took mine to a guy at brendale who did one for me after I had had the car over at moreton for a week last year. I forget how many buckets of sand he said he got out of it now but it was a fair few! I think it was about $100 to get done.

 

[Bosshog]

It been mentioned, but it is vitial to remember the inside of the chassis. As for bashplates well...

 

[Eug]

thanks for the pics bosshog, very helpful!