NEW FOR 2025: UNDER-COATING SERVICE ON SITE
After 10+ years of informal experimentation with developing a great system for under-body corrosion protection, we're now offering the service to outside customers. Read on to learn how this program could add value for your fleet.
Why act to prevent corrosion?
NJDOT is increasingly using brine de-icers which, by design, are clingy and difficult to remove. These chemicals (usually a mixture of calcium chloride and magnesium chloride) creep into the crevices, lap joints, and fastener threads of the vehicle underbody, causing extensive damage over time. While corrosion rates may have been acceptable in light of historical vehicle costs and the use of solid sodium chloride de-icers, many vehicle owners are concluding that current vehicle costs and increased corrosion rates warrant some action to reduce or prevent corrosion.
What can be done?
A good barrier to keep metal components separated from air, water, and de-icers is the best frontline defense. Paint and other coatings which fully cure, while aesthetically pleasing, do little to prevent corrosion, as they lack self-healing capability. A liquid or semi-liquid coating works well.
The other action we recommend is washing the vehicle every 3-5 days after contact with salt. This is particularly important when air temperatures fluctuate above and below freezing on a daily basis- when temperatures remain below 20*F all day, washing has no corrosion reduction benefit since no liquid water is present anyway. We do not recommend pressure washing on a regular basis, as it tends to force water into U-joints, electrical connectors, and Bowden cables.
How does Solanum’s treatment work?
We use air-assisted sprayers to apply soybean oil to the vehicle underbody.
Why use soybean oil?
In our 10+ years of informal experimentation with this, we’ve found soybean oil is the best material for underbody corrosion protection, period. It lasts much longer than any petroleum oil, is environmentally benign and won’t leave a trail of iridescent rainbows, and is inexpensive compared to petroleum oil. Soybean oil coatings offer 12-18 months of corrosion protection between treatments; the best petroleum oils we’ve ever found offer 6 months at best. Peanut oil can create a noxious odor as it cures and is expensive. Canola oil performs well all around and we sometimes do use it. Soybean oil has been the easiest for us to get in bulk, so that’s what we use most of the time. We can use customer-supplied oil by request.
Why is Solanum’s corrosion treatment so much cheaper than others?
We use a different process and application method than most other providers of undercoating, so it’s an apples to oranges comparison. Most providers use a paint sprayer to carefully apply the oil, by hand, to every crevice they can find. This process is effective, but expensive, and has quickly diminishing marginal returns on additional expense due to the difficulty of accessing confined areas with a paint sprayer.
Given that treatment needs to be repeated annually anyway, we use an air-assisted sprayer to achieve 85%-95% coverage in as little as 5 minutes, which allows us to offer the service at a price considerably lower than providers who take several hours to complete the treatment. After 1-2 years of treatment the coverage will be better than repeated hand application. Our view is that the money is better spent on overlapping repeated treatments, than on “perfect” one-time treatments; our price structure and application methods are built around this philosophy.
I’m not into these “eco-friendly” snake oils. Can you do it with something toxic?
If your sole goal is corrosion protection, use plant oils, because they work better. Not everything that happens to be eco-friendly is worse than the toxic version.
Traditional application method
Multiple passes required due to straight-line path of spray, good coverage is possible but
labor-intensive
Solanum application method
Air turbulence enables uniform coverage
in one pass
Schedule an Appointment
Call 908.627.1025, and leave a voicemail if no answer. We will get back to you as soon as possible to discuss what can be done then make a plan to get it done. You can also reach out using the email contact form.
PRICING, TERMS
See button above for current pricing. The pricing structure for this service is different than for the traditional a-la-carte repair & maintenance service we provide- there is no hourly charge for travel time, just a per-mile fee; the service itself is fixed price only and is not charged based on elapsed time.
Service is provided in-field only, this service is not offered at our location.
Eligible vehicles- Any vehicles with GVWR 10,000 or greater, and registered "COMMERCIAL", "APPORTIONED", "TRAILER", "FARMER" or "FARM USE" in New Jersey, or the equivalent of these categories in other U.S. states.
Under coating service is not available for passenger cars, light trucks, buses, RV's, and other non-commercial vehicles.
Before applying under coating, we will confirm a valid FMCSA inspection sticker (if applicable) has been issued for the vehicle and that the MIL is not currently illuminated.
Service is available during most business hours. Although our customary repair & maintenance work is often performed at night, under coating must be applied outdoors, which necessitates working when the sun is up.
Existing customers pay on same terms currently in place for your account. New customers, 50% payable in advance (cash or check acceptable), remainder due on completion, cash only.