Severe winters can do a number on your truck if you don’t take the proper steps to prepare for the impending weather. Just because your truck is rugged, doesn’t mean it can’t use some winterizing. There are plenty of easy steps that can be taken to prevent damage or extreme wear and tear to your truck.
How do you prepare your truck for winter? Prevention is key to preparing your truck for harsh winter weather. You should take the following measures:
- Perform Proper Maintenance
- Add Additional Equipment
- Replenish or Add Safety Kit
- Have a Weather Proof Tool Box Ready
A huge misconception about trucks in the winter is that they don’t need a lot of winterizing because they are meant for harsh conditions. While trucks are built to withstand extreme elements, they still need preparation for the winter season.
Why Winterizing Your Truck is Important
Preparing your truck for winter will be important for a few different reasons. The most important being your safety. You never want to be driving into a blizzard with black ice on the road and realize you forgot to swap in your snow tires. Preparing your truck before the winter weather hits will ensure the safety of you and your truck.
Depending on the region you live in, you may have more than the snow and ice to contend with. We are not talking about other weather conditions – we’re talking about salt.
Some areas use sand instead of salt to help improve traction on the roads during inclement weather. But if your roads are covered in salt for the winter, you will need to prepare to maintain the integrity of your truck’s body.
Proper Maintenance
We’ve all been guilty of letting that warning light on the dashboard stayon for too long. But when winter is approaching, it is not the time to ignore or procrastinate on those warning lights or any scheduled maintenance. You want all of these things taken care of before the bad weather hits.
It is crucial to get this stuff done early for your truck to continue running smoothly through the harsh winter months. It will also be nice for you to not have to stand in freezing temperatures while you refill fluids or take care of something you could have done a few months ago.
Checking Fluid Levels
The biggest component that should be checked and refilled before the winter is your antifreeze and engine coolant. These should be topped off as necessary and monitored as you head into the winter.
Antifreeze does exactly what it sounds like it should do. It prevents your engine from freezing in extreme temperatures. If these levels are too low and unable to work its magic on the engine, it could leave you stranded in those freezing temperatures that caused it.
Your truck should have a “fill” line on the antifreeze chamber that will tell you how high the level should be. Always top it off and fill it to the line to ensure you’re ready for any temperatures that winter has in store for you.
Another level that you always want to check regularly is your gas. This may seem like a no-brainer and something that doesn’t particularly apply to winter. But during those winter months, when temperatures can get dangerously low, you never want to be in a situation where you run out of gas.
According to FuelEconomy.gov there are multiple reasons that fuel efficiency lowers in cold temperatures as well. So that quarter tank of gas that used to get you a little further may not go as far as it did when it was 70 degrees out.
Along with the drop in fuel efficiency from freezing temperatures, you do not want to run out of gas during a snowstorm. That is why you need to give yourself a cushion. Try to keep your tank above half full during the winter months as a good practice.
You’ll also want to check the windshield wiper fluid and consider switching to a winter-specific formula. Winter wiper fluid is designed to not freeze in extreme conditions. Normal wiper fluid can end up causing more harm than good if you are in freezing temperatures.
Check Tire Pressure
Even if you have the best snow tires money can buy, they won’t do a whole lot of good on a slippery road if the pressure is off. Make sure you always have a tire gauge handy and check the pressure before winter as well as routinely checking throughout the winter months.
While you check the tire pressure, it is always smart to thoroughly examine the quality of the tires. Checking for damage or imperfections is a great place to start.
One thing that is often overlooked is checking the tread. If the tread has worn down too significantly, you will have a hard time gripping to any surface properly, much less an icy road. Tires that have a poor tread cause the tires to become smooth and unable to grip the road properly. Stripped down tires with no tread on top of a slick surface can be hazardous. If the tread is too low, it’s crucial to get new tires before the winter hits.
Schedule Any Necessary Additional Maintenance
If you’re not sure what your truck may or may not be due for, check in with your garage before winter. They will let you know if anything else is needed or recommended for your model truck. They may also recommend an oil change using winter-grade oil for your next oil change. Depending on the types of temperatures you face in your area, this can be worth looking into.
You want to utilize an oil with a lower cold weather viscosity grade. According to U.S. News, if you normally use 10W-30, switching to 5W-30 could be a good move.
Washing and Waxing Your Truck
Giving your truck good wax before the winter will be a great way to help protect the exterior from the weather conditions as well as any salt that may be used on the streets. You want that protective layer to be established just before the harsh weather hits.
Throughout the winter, it will be essential to continue a steady routine of cleaning your truck. Salt will easily corrode the body around the bottom of your truck over time if you do not implement proper cleaning techniques.
When you wash the truck, be sure to get underneath all along the bottom of it. If you catch a few days of sunshine and good weather, it will never hurt to do an additional wax job.
Additional Equipment
Aside from your maintenance routines, you will want to ensure that you have all the necessary additional equipment that will help you get through the toughest of winter conditions. You may not need all of these items depending on the uses you intend for your truck in the winter and the region you live in.
These are all excellent ideas to keep in mind and consider if it makes sense for you to be equipped with them.
Snowplow
Even if you’re not planning on starting your side hustle of plowing driveways for your neighbors, a snowplow can be an excellent addition to your winter truck arsenal. If you live in a heavy snow belt that is used to seeing many feet of heavy, compact snow – a plow can be extremely helpful.
This is especially true if you live in a rural area where the snowplows don’t go through as frequently. It can be different between getting to work that day or not.
Grill Cover
Grill, or front end covers don’t just help shield your truck from bugs in the summer, they can also help keep the amount of cold air flowing through to the radiator. Even the partial covering of the radiator with a grill can help keep the radiator running in great condition in the coldest of temperatures.
If the temperature of the air flowing through them drops too low, it can cause a lack of sufficient heat making its way to the engine. This can be especially helpful for older trucks that don’t have the same capabilities to regulate radiator temperatures.
Windshield Cover
Unless you can ensure your truck will always be parked in an indoor garage, a windshield cover will help keep the windshield safe from the harsh elements. It will also save you time chipping ice away from the windshield each morning. You can easily remove the cover, revealing an iceless windshield ready to go.
Not only does the constant abuse from ice and snow cause a windshield to weaken more over time, the constant scraping and scratching to get ice off will also shorten the lifespan of a windshield.
While truck windshields are meant to withstand some pretty intense conditions, the more you expose them to things like a thick layer of ice and pounding from a snow scraper, the less effective they will be over time.
Snow Tires
A common misconception is that 4-wheel drive vehicles do not need snow tires. But if you live in a region known for icy roads, snowdrifts, and poor winter conditions, having the addition of snow tires as well as 4WD will be your safest bet. Snow tires offer a different element of control and performance than 4WD. Read my review on my favorite snow tires.
The 4WD aspect will give you more power and handling in poor conditions. But the tires are what provide the superior grip. And when it comes to snow and ice, the grip will be the difference-maker. According to Dunn Tire, proper winter tires can improve braking by up to 25 percent.
The combination of 4WD and snow tires will allow for the best handling on any surface, while also being able to power through and accelerate properly.
Tires Chains
Not only will tire chains help keep you safe in the harshest winter conditions, but some areas require you to have them on your vehicle. Areas with severe conditions on steep roads will often require vehicles to be equipped with them. You could also opt for an anti-trac grabber, which offers similar benefits.
Keep in mind, using chains when there is not a significant need for them can be damaging to your tires, costing you money. They can be so detrimental that even the road can be damaged. Only use them on roads that have a solid layer of snow or ice that you will need help navigating through.
Tonneau Cover
In the same way that a windshield cover will help preserve your windshield, a tonneau cover is going to help protect your truck’s bed. Again, unless you plan on always being able to park indoors, this will be a great addition to your winter truck kit. Keeping the bed free of snow or ice will help preserve the truck and make maintenance easier. This is my review on my preferred hard tonneau cover.
If you like to keep things in the truck of your bed in warmer months, this will also help keep those items safe from the winter weather as well.
Floor Mats
While all cars will have floor mats, a set of rugged floor mats meant for winter will be a welcome addition to your truck’s interior. All-terrain floor mats with a thick waterproof base will be best for the winter. Finding something with grooves will also be a good idea to catch access to debris like salt or stones that your shoes picked up in the snow.
Swapping out your usual floor mats for a heavier duty winter option will help limit the amount of debris sneaking into your interior. Read my review on my favorite floor liners.
Bull Bar
An unfortunate reality of winter driving is that there are more accidents. A bull bar can help save the front of your truck in an accident. Not only does this help keep the aesthetic of your truck looking good, but it can also help keep all the components in the front end of the truck safe upon impact.
No matter how safe you are and how good of a driver you are, front end collisions become much more common when roads get icy. A bull bar can save you in the long run by adding it before winter begins.
Winch
A winch can be an incredibly useful additional tool on the front of your truck to help yourself or others out of a snowbank or after sliding down an embankment. With the heightened risk of accidents in dangerous driving conditions, a winch could be the difference between waiting for AAA or being able to help.
Lift Your Truck
Using a suspension lift to raise the ride height will make your truck easier to handle in the winter months. It is an easy fix for added performance during months where you will undoubtedly need to clear more obstacles. Whether it is a snowbank you want to power through or some snow drifts that you need to handle on a tricky curve, a raised suspension will improve the truck’s performance.
Replenish or Add A Safety Kit
A safety kit for your truck in the winter is the best way to make sure you are prepared for the worst, while you hope your other preparations will help you avoid the worst.
Here is a list of items that are recommended to keep in your kit for the winter:
- First Aid Kit
- Road Flares
- Blankets
- Flashlight
- Lantern
- Extra Pair of Gloves, Scarf, and Hat
- A Bag of Sand (which can help you gain traction if you get stuck)
- Ice Scraper and Snowbrush Combo
- Crank Radio
- A non-perishable snack high in protein
- Portable cell phone charger
Hopefully, these are not items you will need to use. They are good items to have even if you are driving mostly on city streets, but they should be considered essential if you do a lot of driving in rural areas. If anything goes wrong and you get stranded in the winter, having ways to stay warm, and getting in touch with emergency services is crucial.
Items like a first aid kit are easy to remember, but not always easy to remember to replenish or check. We’ve all dipped into our emergency stash before for a band-aid or two, so make sure your kit is fully stocked and in good working condition. Alcohol pads can dry up, and medications can expire. Always ensure the kit is fully stocked and ready.
Have a Weather Proof Tool Box Ready
Besides your safety kit, having some basic tools handy will also benefit you during the winter. Make sure you find a weatherproof toolbox so you can keep it in the truck of the truck and not take up additional space in the cabin. If you’re in the market for a simply toolbox, read my review on my preferred toolbox.
Getting Your Truck Ready for Winter
Preparing your truck for the winter will keep you, your truck, and fellow travelers safe. Ensuring all maintenance is up to date, adding useful equipment, and preparing for anything will be the best way to prepare your truck for the winter.
If you’re thinking of different ways to accessorize your truck or make it more functional, consider checking out my recommended accessories page. I spent a good amount of time picking out mods that can be useful for most pickup trucks.