# Pre-loading V-boxes



## straightlinelan (Mar 9, 2008)

So here is my question. I am thinking of pre-loading my vbox salt spreaders. Has anyone done this?

My bulk salt is stored outdoors under a tarp. The trucks would be stored inside a heated garage. I would not load more than 12 to 24 hours before a storm and would empty out after every use or non-use.

I use snowex 8550, snowex 7550, and boss vbox (auger style).


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## Boyerlandscape (Dec 14, 2013)

straightlinelan;1698864 said:


> So here is my question. I am thinking of pre-loading my vbox salt spreaders. Has anyone done this?
> 
> My bulk salt is stored outdoors under a tarp. The trucks would be stored inside a heated garage. I would not load more than 12 to 24 hours before a storm and would empty out after every use or non-use.
> 
> I use snowex 8550, snowex 7550, and boss vbox (auger style).


I mean in theory it's heated so it should be good. That said I'm weary of leaving anything in to long.


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## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

If stored inside a heated shop the salt wouldnt be to bad to pre load but out side in the weather under a tarp I would be scared to
I pre load but my stuff is inside out the weather now back in the 80s I kept stuff out side and only pre loaded one time and temps drop and I was in back the hopper breaking it up by hand


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## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

Our salt is outside under a hoop tent thingy on top of concrete blocks. We preload for most every storm, if the forcasted storm turns out to be a dud then the trucks stay loaded even if it's 2,3,4 days away. All the trucks are inside heated buildings. My truck is still my daily driver even while loaded, I just keep the cover on and make sure my truck is in the heated shed as much as possible. I've had problems of the salt being wet and sticking together and flowing poorly, but luckily no problems with it freezing even on nights that are zero or below. It's actually kinda rare if I don't have atleast a couple hundred pounds of salt in the spreader between storms, I don't purposely go fill it after a storm and let it sit for half a week before the next use but I don't make a special trip to spin the remaining salt back out on the pile. There's been times I've been 1/2-3/4 loaded for a week or more and it's always flowed fine out of the spreader. Sometimes it's just straight rock salt, other times it's treaded and goes by the name "lightening" 

All the salters are SnowEx 8500's.


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## SnowGuy73 (Apr 7, 2003)

You should be fine preloading.


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

You should be fine.

Keep a couple cases of the cheap windsheild washer fluid handy, you get freeze up in the augers dump a couple three gallons down the auger line and wait a moment or two


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## siteworkplus (Nov 7, 2011)

I always pre-load and store in heated garage. Never a problem
Always loaded for that unexpected overnite re-freeze or squall


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## chachi1984 (Feb 10, 2012)

basher;1699017 said:


> You should be fine.
> 
> Keep a couple cases of the cheap windsheild washer fluid handy, you get freeze up in the augers dump a couple three gallons down the auger line and wait a moment or two


I don't like leaving salt in my salter outside, spend too many times chipping it out when I first started

what does the washer fluid do, would this work for a chain conveyor v box


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## vinnys (Mar 9, 2007)

WOW!!! Salt in a heated inviroment = ROT on anything untreated. Ask anybody that parks there car in a heated garage during the winter. We load as needed. The less time salt is in my truck, the better!


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## vlc (Dec 8, 2012)

I load up before every storm and my truck stays outside. I use magic salt so I don't know if that's helping to keep it from freezing. I like having everything ready so I can just get out to the tuck and go plow. Plus, I like the extra weight in the back for pushing snow. Anything left over gets spun back out into my pile and the spreader and trucks get a good washing and greasing.


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

You won't have any problems at all preloading. A good thing to get in the habit of doing is just to turn the s


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

You won't have any problems at all preloading. A good thing to get in the habit of doing is just to turn the spreader on for a few seconds right after you leave or if you've been driving around a lot. Seems to keep things from freezing and packing.


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## framer1901 (Dec 18, 2005)

The other benifit of preloading and storing in just a bit of heat is those frozen salt chunks soften, you don't have to smash them to get them usable.


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## leigh (Jan 2, 2009)

vinnys;1700695 said:


> WOW!!! Salt in a heated inviroment = ROT on anything untreated. Ask anybody that parks there car in a heated garage during the winter. We load as needed. The less time salt is in my truck, the better!


The salt is going to be in the salter,not all over and under or inside his truck!


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

I always preload. My shop is not heated. Spreader stays covered and indoors, never a problem. The only time I've ever had a problem with freezing up salt was when it came from the supplier soaking wet...

And vinnys is correct, heat accelerates the rot process, including the steel parts of the salter...


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## leigh (Jan 2, 2009)

vinnys;1700695 said:


> WOW!!! Salt in a heated inviroment = ROT on anything untreated. Ask anybody that parks there car in a heated garage during the winter. We load as needed. The less time salt is in my truck, the better!


"Corrosion starts when the relative humidity of the air exceeds around 65%. Many areas has a higher humidity in winter (80-95%) than in summer (60-80%)" . In consequence, iron rusts five times faster in winter as it does in summer. However, the relative air humidity in enclosed spaces often differs from that existing in the open air; in winter, in heated room it is lower, while in summer it can be higher in cool cellars. On the whole the danger of corrosion in inside rooms is less than in the open air.


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

I don't think that applies to wet, snowy trucks dripping on the garage floor... maybe different if you parked the loaded truck there and left it for the season..?


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## ServiceOnSite (Nov 23, 2006)

I suppose if you ever pre loaded and had to break it out by hand you will never think about doing it again. Im really surprised at the amount of people here that do this. Mine was so bad we had to use a 40lb hilti breaker to get the top layer off. I have a nice shop and a nice little salt barn. For the couple extra min it takes i guess its not worth the chance. But as we know every ones weather is different, moisture content and so on.


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

vinnys;1700695 said:


> WOW!!! Salt in a heated inviroment = ROT on anything untreated. Ask anybody that parks there car in a heated garage during the winter. We load as needed. The less time salt is in my truck, the better!


When I load into a poly hopper with fluid film coated SS, rust is not a consideration, but then I only load salt in the hopper not in the truck bed.




ServiceOnSite;1702527 said:


> I suppose if you ever pre loaded and had to break it out by hand you will never think about doing it again. Im really surprised at the amount of people here that do this. Mine was so bad we had to use a 40lb hilti breaker to get the top layer off. I


I wouldn't break it out by hand. that's a lot of unnecessary work. Soak it down with cheap windshield washer fluid or (if you spread immediately) water. Thaws the salt and you can spread. Windshield washer fluid serves the secondary purpose of making the salt more aggressive.


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## chachi1984 (Feb 10, 2012)

ServiceOnSite;1702527 said:


> I suppose if you ever pre loaded and had to break it out by hand you will never think about doing it again. Im really surprised at the amount of people here that do this. Mine was so bad we had to use a 40lb hilti breaker to get the top layer off. I have a nice shop and a nice little salt barn. For the couple extra min it takes i guess its not worth the chance. But as we know every ones weather is different, moisture content and so on.


done this about 6 times the last 2 years.


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## CashinH&P (Jan 14, 2012)

chachi1984;1699522 said:


> I don't like leaving salt in my salter outside, spend too many times chipping it out when I first started
> 
> what does the washer fluid do, would this work for a chain conveyor v box


Helps melt the salt. I left my truck out side loaded over night a few weeks ago and it froze solid, dumped 6 jugs og washer fluid in it and in a few hours I was back up and running. I pre load but I store the truck in a heated shop and now add a bag of calcium chloride to every load and that seems to help too.


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