Looks like I will be buying a new Ram 2500. It will be driven in the winter and will get a plow on it. I have a wash bay and a lift in my garage so I can keep in pretty clean. I will still have my '99 Ram for daily winter use.

What is the best way to minimize the rust? Rubberized undercoating over everything? That waxy stuff that needs to be reapplied every year? Any suggestions?

primer ,then gloss black paint.im in mass so lots of salt.

fluid film at least once a year.....I think it's kell motorsports or something like that that sells undercar kits to apply the stuff.....

Does any of that work all that well? My wife is from Mass. When we're up there visiting it seems like every truck I see, that's more than a few years old, is already rusting pretty bad.

Hopefully I will get the truck before winter so it is clean when I get it home. Then I can spray whatever I need to without worrying about trapping salt somewhere.

Do the '10-'15 style Rams have any known rust-prone areas like the '03-'09 Rams do?

I don't think the box is any different on the new ones to the older ones. Clean transmission fluid works well too, but is sloppy at first.

If you just keep it clean, it won't rot too quickly on you. My 97 Dakota is a local WI truck, and it was simply cared for kept clean. Sure, it's not mint, and it does have rust, but it's pretty darn presentable even after 20 years!

Compared to most!

Most rust starts on the INSIDE where all the moisture and crap gets up inside and does its dirty deed and only after its erupting through the skin can you see it and then the real damage is done. Internal cavity wax inside all the nooks and crannies and lots of it does the most good IMO. Undercoating the externals also but getting inside with the protection is just as important and often overlooked.

http://3mcollision.com/3m-rust-fighter-i-08892.html
eastwood sells their own flavor in quarts and aerosols as well.

Our 1999 Beetle is a pile of junk however VW puts the rest to SHAME on the rustproofing that car got from the factory. From the floor up the side of the car about half way every internal/hidden/boxed structure is coated with a thick layer of cavity wax. On a super hot day with the windows up it actually smells like melted crayons for a moment when you open the door.

Find a shop that does rustproofing. Talk to them and get a feel for the work and warranty. Then if comfortable ask to talk to the guy that will be spraying it. Spot him 50 bucks and you will get a better job. I had my 2015 done and they did a real nice job. Main areas are the rear wheel well areas and doors.

Move south!

Have the truck undercoated at the dealer before you take delivery of it. Or have it done immediately after - before you start driving it. I've worked on enough older northern vehicles to see first hand the ones with the factory undercoating have held up better - by far.

I am not a big fan of running boards but I notice the trucks that have them fare much better in the rust belt. The ones offered by Dodge are more of a step bar than anything.

Has anyone put an attractive and effective running board on their 2500?

Elbow grease.

The only way I've found to get keep rust away is to pressure wash it the minute you get home from any form of sloppy. If you are pressed for time it doesn't have to be an all-out wash job, but at the very least make sure you flush the undercarriage until clean water is running off your ride.

There's trucks running around here 6 years newer than mine that are blistered and rusting, so I must be doing something right...........

I have an 08 H.Q.C. I don`t use it everyday but use it to tow and get around when it snows, It is washed as soon as possible after being driven in the snow. A friend showed me something: In the rear wheel wells up against the outside of the truck there is an inner fender that has three big oval shaped holes that the moisture and crud can get in, I think this is why so many trucks like mine and older are rotting the moisture is getting in there and is getting trapped: I filled the holes real good with silicone sealer, hopefully this helps keep the moisture and crud out.

I don't know if Zeibart is still the same as it once was, but my 79 Dodge was Zeibart'd the day after I bought it. I drove it for over 100,000 mi in Pa winters before turning it into a hot rod and it has never had any panels replaced. Considering the rust problems of trucks from these years it worked wonders for me.

Here's how to stop the rust and prevent it from happening using something you throw away. Get an oil squirter like the one pictured and squirt your old used motor oil between the bed sides. Instead of throwing your oil away use it to stop the rust. You can squirt oil all the way to the front of the bed inside. Make sure the truck hasn't been driven on a wet road for at least 3 days before doing this. You don't want to trap water in there. You will have oil dripping when you do this so do it outside your garage. You will have to wipe oil off some places for a couple days but that's a lot better than having your truck rust apart. I also squirt it in the front fenders from under the hood, inside the doors through the door latch, into the tailgate and even remove the rubber plugs on the back side of the rocker panels and squirt it in there. If possible drive on a dirt road after you squirt it up to trap the oil in there.

How often do you do that? I would think it doesn't cling for very long. Would doing the same thing with something like Zero Rust or undercoating work better?

I've tried the used oil, (dirty and smelly) the new oil, (drips off over time) the commercial stuff (expensive). They all work, but have there drawbacks as noted. Here is my preference, and it is time tested to prevent rust LONG TERM.

Get a gallon can of wd 40. Mix in 2 cans of STP Oil Treatment, and stir it really good until it is dissolved in the wd40. Put it in an old paint sprayer. Spray it in the doors, inside the door posts, inside the fenders and quarters, rockers, tailgate, box braces, between the box and the cab, above the wheel wells, gas door, backside of bumpers, bumper braces, inside the hood bracing, door hinge areas, the entire bottom side, axles, driveshaft, suspension and springs, get it everywhere except the outer finish. Whatever overspray gets on the finish wipes off easy with no damage. It take an hour and cost less than $25

The wd flashes off over time, and leaves a very thin coat of STP, that clings tenaciously thru rain and snow and car washes. But wipes off with mineral spirits if you ever need to. A re-spray every 5 years or so ensures no rust for ever.

STP is a brand. which product are you referring to?

http://www.stp.com/products

Oops, it is the STP oil treatment. It is thicker than honey. I will edit my original post.