Even those individuals who claim to love having muddy vehicles must clean them at some point to keep them operational. After all, having a clean vehicle means having a running vehicle. There are simple ways to prevent a build-up of dirt and muck, even in the face of rainy days and muddy paths. Use this guide on how to protect a truck’s interior on dirt roads and back roads if you ever find yourself on a backwoods excursion.
Prepare the Exterior
If you’re driving a truck or SUV and you think you might find yourself going off-road, there are a few things that you might want to do to prepare yourself in advance. One of the first things you should do is make sure you have a decent clear coat applied to your paint. This coat will repel almost everything that your vehicle encounters.
The second thing you will need to do is waterproof your windshield and your glass windows. There are plenty of waterproofing products out there to get this job done. You might want to invest in a grill guard, which will help with mud or water splashes from hitting ditches or puddles. If you do this, then you will also prevent most of the dust and dirt from getting to your air filter, which blows directly into your vehicle through your air conditioning.
You can even have the suspension of your vehicle raised and add mud tires or off-roading tires with thicker treads on them. These will prevent you from getting stuck and limit the amount of debris from gravel, mud, dirt, and water reaching the interior of your truck.
Check Your Fluids
It’s always wise to keep an eye on your vehicle’s fluids. The first reason is that your vehicle cannot operate functionally without them. Another factor to consider is that if you have old fluids or you’re low on oil and other fluids, you might find it harder for your vehicle’s engine to operate. This difficulty could produce more smoke and emissions than it normally would, making your ride dirtier. Over time, oil collects dirt, and this is part of why you need to change it every several thousand miles.
Don’t Stir Up the Dust
Keeping your tires rotated and aired up will keep your truck driving properly. It will drive smoothly, and better yet, you won’t have as hard a time getting into and out of challenging places. If the air in your tires is lower than usual, it will take more force and power to get your truck out of its position. This struggle could lead to your tires slinging dirt and further roughing up your vehicle.
If you maintain your tires properly, you can bet that your vehicle will escape muddy spots and go longer without the mud sprays across the rear. That way, you can avoid kicking up the dust and dirt that love to find their way into your vehicle through the ventilation systems and windows.
Waterproof Your Interior Surfaces
Not only will you need to keep your exterior cleaned and waterproofed, but you’ll need to do the same with your interior as well. There are many products on the market just for these purposes, and they will come in handy if you’re off-roading by making it easier to clean up once you’re done. If you take the time to prepare before heading out on a weekend getaway, it will be as if you never left home.
With minimal effort, you can get your truck just as spotless and ready to go as it was before you left. Just think about how much easier it will be to keep your truck clean if you’re staying on top of the interior, even after backroad adventures. With the interior waterproofed and protected, keeping your truck clean is as simple as power washing the exterior and getting back on the road!
Keep Your Distance
Whether you’re on the highway dodging Mack trucks or in the outdoors behind other trucks and SUVs, you’ll want to keep your distance from other vehicles. Maintaining a car’s length between you limits the number of rocks slung at your ride.
This flying debris damages your truck and puts your air filter through a beating as well. After all the dust clears, you’ll find that a lot of that dirt and dust came through your air conditioner and into your vehicle’s cabin. Riding at a distance helps keep your vehicle safe and stops dust from showering its interior.
Wax Down Your Ride
Before and after any ride or trip, you should always apply multiple layers of wax. This wax coating is your first defense against the muck that could harm your vehicle. With enough wax, just about anything will slide off your vehicle on contact. Wax can go a long way if you’re using it right, especially if there’s dirt involved. So long as you’re keeping it thick and buffed well, the dirt and grime don’t stand a chance of making it inside your vehicle.
Invest in Covers and Mats
Above all else, you should always have a decent pair of custom-made seat covers for trucks and floor mats in your vehicles. These are the staples of keeping your vehicle’s interior looking its best and keeping your truck feeling a brand-new ride. Protect coverings ensure dust and dirt stays away without ever wearing down the older interior that you’re trying to protect. Some seat covers can last for years without a blemish, and floor mats come in durable and rugged or stylish looks to suit your preferences.
Install Cargo Liners
If you take the time to invest and install cargo liners in your vehicle, you can safely keep your things in place while on the road. Cargo liners protect your truck bed from anything you store that could be dirty and materials that could potentially get everything else in their path messy during the drive.
If you were wondering how to protect your truck on backroads and dirt roads, these tips for keeping the vehicle clean should come in handy! While this list might not cover every possible option for protecting your truck, these initial steps will keep your vehicle neat and clear of debris while outdoors.
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