How to Avoid Salt Damage to your Vehicle

The Midwest or America’s Heartland is known for a lot of things, the iconic foods, crystal clear lakes, cornfields, state fairs, Big Ten sports, and unpredictable weather. In fact, in Iowa, we can expect an average of 27-inches of snow each year and when it snows, you can be sure that salt is on the roadways. 

Salt is imminent to safe winter driving but it is unsightly on your vehicle and can also cause damage such as rust. Over time rust on certain parts of your car can create a myriad of issues such as problems with the brakes, structural damage, issues with the exhaust, muffler systems, coil springs, and more. The good news is, there are ways to avoid damaging your vehicle with a little time and effort. Here are some tips. 

1. Wash your vehicle every 10 days or less.
2. Wash your vehicle before the temperature reaches 35 degrees F. or higher. At freezing temperatures, road salt can't do much to hurt your car; it has to warm up to start contributing to rust.
3. Avoid driving through deep snow. Deep snow can become packed into the undercarriage and contribute to corrosion and even cause drivability problems (reduced braking action, vibrations, inhibit airflow, etc).
4. Avoid driving through large puddles of standing water where road salt collects.
5. Repair paint chips that are larger than the tip of a pen to avoid corrosion.
6. Wax your vehicle at least every three months to give your vehicle a strong protective coating.
7. Wax your vehicle before winter to protect your paint from corrosive salt.
8. Keep car tires clean and salt-free.
9. Wash your car during the day so the vehicle has time to dry. 
10. If possible, avoid driving before and after a snowstorm.

While it’s not always possible to avoid the wintery weather of Iowa it is possible to avoid damage from the salt. Terry’s Auto Body and Trailer Sales is your headquarters for exemplary customer services and for safe winter driving. We take every measure to ensure you are satisfied with all your trailer needs and will do whatever it takes to earn your business and remain lifelong clients. Terry’s Auto Body has been serving the  Riceville and McIntire area for over 30-years. We pride ourselves on being large enough to provide professionalism and reliability, yet small enough to provide personalized service. Contact Terry's Auto Body & Trailer Sales for all your trailer needs, repairs, and maintenance. Avoid disaster and keep your family safe while driving. Call 641-985-2536 or visit our website.

Sources:

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/hidden-hazards-of-road-salt-car-corrosion-can-take-a-toll/363940

http://www.royaltouchcarwash.com/preventing-road-salt-damage/

https://blog.nationwide.com/prevent-road-salt-damage-to-your-car/

Photo by Thomas  Apeldoorn Unsplash 

Prep Your Car for Winter Driving

When it comes to driving in winter, we know what it takes to be good and careful drivers. When conditions are bad, we understand that we must drive slowly and cautiously and never waiver in our vigilance if we are to keep ourselves and other drivers safe. That's what we OURSELVES do. But we can be the best drivers around in these frigid conditions, but no matter how careful we are, it doesn't do much good if our cars are not ready Too Faced this dangerous season. The other half of the equation of remaining safe on the roads in these next few months is taking proper care of our vehicles.

Here are a few key ways to prep your car for safe driving during this frigid time of year. 

Inspect  Your Battery

The functionality of a battery, according to Constellation, lessens in cold weather. That’s why it’s best to have your car’s battery carefully inspected before severe winter weather strikes. 

Fix Your Heater

If you were to find yourself in an emergency while on the road and you’re stranded for a significant period of time, we have to assume you’d be pretty uncomfortable if your car’s heater was failing to work while waiting for help to arrive. Not only can a working heater in winter prevent minor discomfort during any trip, it can also keep you safe and healthy. 

Check  Your Tire Pressure

Check your tire pressure with a tire gauge to ensure that your tires are fully prepared to face snow and ice. From there, you can simply follow the instructions found in your vehicle’s manual for the recommended tire pressure. If you find your tires need air, simply visit your local gas station-most of them offer free tire air fill-ups all year round!

Stock up on Emergency Materials

Having a box stocked with winter supplies can, at the very least, make an emergency situation more comfortable. But in extreme cases, a winter box can save your life should disaster strike on a cold winter day. US News recommends having a flashlight, road flares, a first-aid kit, blankets, an extra change of clothes, gloves, snacks, and a charged cell phone whenever you hit the road this season. 

Terry’s Auto Body and Trailer Sales is your headquarters for exemplary customer services and for safe winter driving. We take every measure to ensure you are satisfied with all your trailer needs and will do whatever it takes to earn your business and remain lifelong clients. Terry’s Auto Body has been serving the  Riceville and McIntire area for over 30-years. We pride ourselves on being large enough to provide professionalism and reliability, yet small enough to provide personalized service. Contact Terry's Auto Body & Trailer Sales for all your trailer needs, repairs, and maintenance. Avoid disaster and keep your family safe while driving. Call 641-985-2536 or visit our website.

Sources:

https://www.constellation.com/guides/winter-storm-preparedness/preparing-your-car-for-winter.html

https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/2015/11/03/5-steps-to-prepare-your-car-for-winter

Towing Tips: Winter Holiday Travel with a Tow

The winter is filled with beautiful, cloud-like views, soft snowfall followed by warm evenings by crisp, hot cocoa filled fires. The winter can truly bring out the inner adventurer in you. But don’t let your next road trip come to a halt due to safety issues. Take on the winter equipped with the proper knowledge to make sure you don’t get into any life-threatening situations and your trips run smoothly. When it comes to towing in the winter, it becomes even more important to know these towing safety guidelines. Read below to learn how to travel safely this holiday season with a tow. 

5 Winter Tow Tips, Trailer Safety, & More 

1. Maintenance & Tire Checks: Regular vehicle maintenance checks should be done once a year to multiple times a  year, as well as making sure your tires are maintaining their tread. Your trailer needs to be up to date and maintained, as well as your vehicle. Consider checking the battery more often due to the cold weather. Cold weather decreases the life in batteries at a faster rate, especially when the batteries are older. However, replacement batteries are usually your best bet to avoid a dying battery. Regular maintenance for your trailer and brake repairs, as well as finding replacements for your wheels, tires, bearings, and seal is another way to ensure a safe ride. Safety during the winter is even more critical, so proper maintenance and repairs should on top of your list. 
2. Drive Safe & Slow: Be aware of the amount of weight you are driving and practice, especially if you’re a first-time driver. Icy roads reduce traction, so it’s ideal that you’re extra alert even if you have quality tires. For example, slowly add more and more power to your vehicle when speeding up. Once you are sped up, maintain your vehicle's forward motion and avoid stopping on icy inclines.  
3. No Cruise Control: No matter the distance, cruise control is a no-go when you tow in the winter. Towing in the winter and using cruise control can disengage the driver and potentially cause the trailer to be unstable.
4. Install Trailer Brakes: With the added dangers of driving in the winter, it’s vital to have trailer brakes. After you install your trailer brakes, check to see if they have a brake control. if they come with a brake controller ease up on the braking power if there’s a lot of snow. A trailer brake control is something to consider purchasing when towing during winter travel to avoid sliding or worse, potentially jackknifing. 
5. Stay Equipped: If it’s going to snow during travel, it’s a sign you will need to be more cautious and bring extra equipment. You never know what safety measures you will have to take. Stay equipped and keep the following in your car:

• Extra set of snow tires 
• Emergency kit
• Flares to call for help if you get stuck 
• Food and water 
• Charged batteries
• Flashlight 
• Blankets and extra clothing for warmth 

Stay safe this winter with Terry’s Auto Body & Trailer Sales. If you are driving a trailer this winter in the snow, contact Terry's Auto Body & Trailer Sales for all your trailer needs, repairs, and maintenance. Avoid disaster and keep your family safe while driving. Call 641-985-2536 or visit our website at www.ricevilletrailers.com. 

sources:

http://knowhow.napaonline.com/5-winter-towing-tips-safe-trailering-ice-snow/ https://www.crossroadstrailers.com/blog/index.php/how-to-tips-for-driving-your-trailer-in-the-snow/

How to Drive Defensively

Driving can sometimes be a scary ordeal. Aggressive, inattentive, and impaired drivers not only pose a threat to themselves, but to other drivers sharing the road with them. While you can’t control the actions of others, you have the power to make the roads safer while protecting yourself, your passengers, and your vehicle by being a defensive driver. 

Follow these tips to hone your skills and stay safe behind the wheel:

• Be Aware. Being aware of your surroundings may seem like common sense, but this is the easiest and best way to protect yourself and others while traveling the roadways. Check your side- and rear-view mirrors periodically (every 5-10 seconds is suggested) and when your changing lanes or turning. Scan your peripheral for other vehicles and potential obstructions for at least a quarter-mile ahead. For those driving larger vehicles or towing wider loads, make a conscious effort to scan your surroundings more frequently. 
• Delete Distractions. In today’s digital world, our main distraction is the cell phone. While hands-free calling appears to be safer, it takes your attention off the road and increases accident risk. Your best bet is to resist the urge to use your phone while driving. If you need to make or take a call, pull over in a safe area and resume driving once your call is completer. However, cell phones are not the only factor. Checking your GPS for directions, adjusting the climate or radio, and even eating affects our situational awareness. Plan ahead by programming your GPS prior to the start of your trip and mapping our restaurants and rest stops along your route. 
• Rest Up. Tired or sleep-deprived driving is considered distracted driving and thus has a negative impact on your attentiveness. When driving long distances, stop every few hours to walk around, stretch out, and recharge your batteries. If you have a travel buddy, alternate driving shifts. 
• Get a Grip. In driver’s education we were taught to keep our hands at “ten and two,” but times have necessitated us to change to “nine and three.” Should you get in an accident and the airbag deploys, the “nine and three” position gives you the range of motion to turn and react if needed with a higher chance of avoiding injury. 
• Be Ready to React. Follow the “three-second rule” while driving; maintain a “three-second” following distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you. Increase the distance inclement weather or other difficult driving conditions. This will allow you the necessary time to react to accidents or other unforeseen situations. 

Following these defensive driving tips will not only make the roads safer for everyone, but it also removes the fear-factor, allowing the drive to be an enjoyable part of the journey.

If you are driving a trailer this winter in the snow, contact Terry's Auto Body & Trailer Sales for all your trailer needs, repairs, and maintenance. Avoid disaster and keep your family safe while driving. Call 641-985-2536 or visit our website at www.ricevilletrailers.com. 

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Sources

https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/driving-safety.html

https://driversed.com/driving-information/defensive-driving/defensive-driving-techniques.aspx

https://www.businessinsider.com/defensive-driving-tips-2017-2

3 Tips for Towing in the Winter

Winter is a beautiful time of year with fresh powder of snow, Christmas songs, hot chocolate, and heated seats in your car to keep you cozy while driving. Enjoying long winter drives and seeing trees covered in snow can be beautiful but can turn dangerous with icy roads or heavy snow hitting your windshield. If you are traveling far with a trailer this winter, keep you and your family safe with some planning and preparation. These winter towing tips will help you and your trailer arrive safe and on time at your destination.

Regular Maintenance Check

Before you begin your long drive, it’s important to make sure your trailer is up-to-date on its maintenance checks. Part of maintenance checks should be checking the battery. Cold temperatures may cause old batteries to die. If your battery is a few years old, consider replacing it. Terry's Auto Body & Trailer Sales offers brake repairs, new wheel and tire replacements, bearing and seal replacements and more. By having a regular maintenance check, it’s an efficient way to ensure breakdowns won’t happen and you remain safe on your drive.

Install Trailer Brakes

Towing in snow can be extremely dangerous if you are not equipped with the right equipment. If your trailer is equipped with a trailer brake controller, adjust it to provide less braking power in the snow. By doing so, it will help prevent the trailer tires from locking up, sliding, and potentially jackknifing. If your trailer is not equipped with trailer brake controllers, Terry's Auto Body & Trailer Sales can install a set of trailer brakes. By installing brakes, it helps distribute brake force between your vehicle and the trailer and you are less likely to fishtail or slide.

Avoid Cruise Control

Cruise control is wonderful when driving long distance but avoid using cruise control while towing in the winter. When allowing your vehicle to control the throttle, you become less engaged with driving and less likely to react quickly and safely when a dangerous situation arises. The cruise control system also isn’t able to detect when the weather gets bad and how snow covered the road is which may result in accelerating or downshifting at the wrong time and potentially destabilizing the trailer.

If you are driving a trailer this winter in the snow, contact Terry's Auto Body & Trailer Sales for all your trailer needs, repairs, and maintenance. Avoid disaster and keep your family safe while driving. Call 641-985-2536 or visit our website at www.ricevilletrailers.com.

Winter Driving Tips in Iowa

Every year, the first snow reveals the craziest of drivers, as if they don’t remember the previous winter! With avoidance and a few simple tips, you and YOUR car will survive the snow. Prepare yourself and your vehicle, for good measure, and your overall safety. During the winter, the risk factor of getting in an accident increases on the roads. Inexperienced drivers will soon learn what it’s like to drive in icy conditions. Anticipate that you will have bad weather by preparing and properly equipping your car.

Preparing Your Vehicle

• Keep a windshield scraper in your car to clear ice and snow off your windshield
• Evaluate your car's battery and ignition systems to make sure they are clean, along with identifying the + and - battery terminals
• Wiper, defroster, windshield washer fluid, lights, and hazard lights should all be double checked. You don’t want to be caught in a blizzard without hazard lights.
• Change the oil to a winter grade oil
• Check the exhaust system, heater, and breaks
• Make sure your tires are sufficient. You might want to consider purchasing snow tires if your car doesn’t drive the best in snowy and icy conditions

Winter Driving Tips

If there is a storm and you have to drive somewhere, make sure you have at least half a tank of gas. Double check the weather conditions and listen to the radio in case of severe weather warnings. It’s best to travel in the daylight, because it’s easier to see, especially if there is a heavy snow fall. All in all, you can prevent being in an accident based off of your actions and how you anticipate other drivers. Drive slow and don’t take turns too quickly or with aggression. Driving defensively and slowly, without rapid movement will prepare you for other driver’s mistakes.

Tips

• Remove snow and ice from windows, headlights, and taillights
• Bridges tend to freeze quicker and are more dangerous to drive on, proceed with caution
• Drive slow and with gentle movements, especially on black ice
• Don’t drive too closely behind other cars
• Start braking earlier, quick stops will cause your car to slip and skid

Terry’s Auto Body and Trailer Sales wants to help you prepare and be safe for the winter! If you need any updates on your trailer for winter, we will accommodate to your needs. Our trained automotive technicians can guarantee 100% satisfaction. For more information, visit our website at www.ricevilletrailers.com or give us a call at 641-985-2536!