Determine which roads are salted

[redbaron73]

I am going to pickup a coach in Indiana and drive it back to Texas. I have plenty of time and want to avoid salt roads. Being from the south, I have no idea how to tell if the roads are salted. Is there a website that will show? When is salt put out? Can you tell by looking at the road?

[Possum]

It depends on the how the salt is applied and how long before you seeing it. Some places use a brine solution others straight salt and then others use a sand and salt mixture in varying percentage amounts. Most of the country that snow fall is common to use salt so you will in all likelihood be driving on salted roads.

A one way trip over a salted road will not do all that much harm to your vehicle but if you are that concerned you could have the underside of the vehicle(s) spray washed when you get back.

As an aside both my units have had years of salted road travel put on them.

[guglipm63]

They apply salt any time it snows. We wait to take our motorcycles out here in NW indiana after a good rain has washed it away.

[PyrateSilly]

There is no set map of when and where salt or sand is put down on the roads. Best advice is to either have it rinsed off underneath by a company like Blue Beacon or another truck stop wash place or just do it your self and save the money.

[mccsix]

Been there.
3 weeks ago I picked up my Entegra MH in Middlebury Indiana after being worked on, painted, Buffed and waxed.
I wound up driving from In thru Ky in the worst white knuckle conditions ever, horizontal snow, 25 gusting to 45 mph cross winds, and salt everywhere.
Arriving home the coach and toad were crusty white with salt. Washed it including underneath as best I as I could. Time will tell, but having lived in Chicago for a lot of years, I know from experience it takes a lot more than 1 or 2 salt exposures to do any real damage.

[TdogKing]

When you get back lay a hose with a lawn sprinkler in a straight line and drive over it and stop for a few minutes here and there as you work your way down the hose. Turn around and go the other way down the hose and most salt if not all will be washed off. I worked in Freeway Construction and that's how I would get the mud out from under my Company truck except I would leave it in one spot for much longer while watering the lawn at the same time.

[HD4Mark]

Anywhere that get a decent amount of snow/ice/sleet will salt or use some kind of chemical anytime that lovely stuff falls from the sky. Some rural areas may use sand instead though. They don't have the storm drain run offs to clog like in the city.

I don't know of any web site to tell what roads have had what but if the side of the road is white, it has had some kind of salt. If it is brown than sand. You could watch the weather forecast and try to go after there has been some dry weather and they forecast clear sky. Not easy to do in the north.

One idea I have seen is to wash your coach and use an old fashion lawn sprinkler to slide under and remove any road chemicals and dirt.

[t55watson]

I am the guy who put the salt on the road. Rather my crews did. If you are not in a hurry to get back to TX. Don't drive when the roads are still wet after a snow or ice storm. When the road has dried the salt has dried and been blown off. As stated before 1 or 2 saltings won't do damage to your rig. That being said, the washoff is a good idea.

[mccsix]

Great idea about the sprinklers thanks for the tip.

[redbaron73]

Thank you so much for all the info. The sprinkler idea is a good one in addition to the Blue Beacon..Guess I will just do both.

I didn't know when conditions called for salt, so the explanation of snow=salt, and rain=clear (or more clear) roads is good to know.

Does it make sense to pre spray my latches with wd40? Any other areas? Not sure if this is a wasted effort, and appears it might be.

[BFlinn181]

Watch the weather reports available on line for the areas you wish to travel though and try to plan travel after rain. (at 40 degrees or more) You'll find most all the salt washed away. Wash when you return home and you'll be good as new.

[Shadowcatche]

Says something! My 12 year old Subaru Out Back is basically rust free because Subaru learned its lessons. I have had Subaru's since 1977 and they all went to the junk yard with good drivetrains but terminal rust Subaru #11 now has more than 300,000 salty road miles and has some rust, #13 now has 150,000+ miles and no rust.
So what doe it say about the quality of a MH?

[Arch Hoagland]

You can put a lawn sprinkler under your coach when you get home and pull it end to end to help remove the salt.

[Yaj]

Salted roads are very hard on a DP. Alternators get hit the worst. Radiators don't like it. Rinse it off as good as you can!