# Freezing salt in v box!



## Plow horse (Oct 18, 2009)

Hi I along with a lot of people had salt freezing in my salt dogg v box even with the tarp on. Has any body tried running there exaust pipe up to the spreader and somehow running the warm exaust through the inside of my salt dogg or other spreaders????? Like the tri axle dump trucks that vent through the bed! Or any other form of HEATING salt spreaders???
I have heated mirrors, HEATED WINSHEILD WIPERS now I need a heated V BOX! This aught to be GOOD! Thanks!::waving:


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

Plow horse;2026860 said:


> Hi I along with a lot of people had salt freezing in my salt dogg v box even with the tarp on. Has any body tried running there exaust pipe up to the spreader and somehow running the warm exaust through the inside of my salt dogg or other spreaders????? Like the tri axle dump trucks that vent through the bed! Or any other form of HEATING salt spreaders???
> I have heated mirrors, HEATED WINSHEILD WIPERS now I need a heated V BOX! This aught to be GOOD! Thanks!::waving:


There is at least a couple guys that routed their exaust into a hole in their poly spreaders on here. Do a search I remember pics also


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

Well I did a quick search and couldn't find squat so I don't know, it is on here somewhere I swear you just need to look deeper. Pretty sure it was just a hole cut in the back of the vbox and ran some tubing up from the exhaust.


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## Plow horse (Oct 18, 2009)

OH and I want every one to know it was not just me and my salt dogg that had freezing issue's
last winter everybody I know and the state and townships also had freezing problems, every spreader metal, aluminium, plastic whatever they all FROZE up with salt in them, even in the dump trucks. Thanks


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## Plow horse (Oct 18, 2009)

Cool I looked and did not see anything BUT I will look AGAIN. Thankyou.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Not suppose let it sit over night.

IF we loading during a event. We shake some out from time to time. 

Assuming gas truck, I would think from the ethanol in the gasoline exhaust would condensate against the tarp and drip on salt


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## Herm Witte (Jan 27, 2009)

Is your salt treated?


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

Just get 2 cases of the -35*f windshield wash.
You will.only need it after a freez up.


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## Plow horse (Oct 18, 2009)

I do NOT leave salt in over night!! try not to plow with it cause it will freeze as your driving / plowing, unless I am going to jingle out salt on some spots along my route, it also packs down on the auger or drive chain when you leave it in while driving but the freezing has been the BIG issue! My salt is treated and still froze. Most of the time I would like to have a half ton to a ton in my v box when I am doing some of these farm drives, so figuring out some sort of heat system is key. I would not run the exaust through the inside of the v box into the salt, I am thinking on the salt dogs to run it through the 1st or outer wall of the poly spreader, as far as I know they are hollow, then cut a vent in the back some where for it to vent out. If I am correct it would heat the v box enough to solve the problem. on other models making some sort of bladder that could go along the bottom and vent out the back, heat rises so?


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## JustJeff (Sep 9, 2009)

Had all kinds of problems with that exact same thing last year. Someone on here told me to remove the baffles completely and don't run the vibrator as it compacts the salt. I'm gong to try it this year and if it doesn't work it'll be on Craigslist in the Spring. I'll bet I poured fifty gallons of washer fluid over it, and it did nothing at all. Had to go to the car was and power wash it out twice.


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## WilliamOak (Feb 11, 2008)

I've only had my salt dogg freeze up partially on me once and that was in double digit negative temps. I also keep a piece of conduit in the bed but don't need to use it that often (salter likes to bridge the material- different issue) Like others have said throw some material down every so often and always go home with an empty hopper.


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## plow4u (Jan 17, 2000)

I always carry 3-4 gallon of windshield washer fluid. Dumping some down in the sides is usually enough to thaw it out. Just an idea if you get stuck.


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## Derek'sDumpstersInc (Jul 13, 2014)

I always read about guys complaining about this on here every year, and for the life of me, I can't figure out why it is happening. I have been running a V-box since 2012. I ALWAYS load a day or 2 before the storm, because once it starts, I don't have time to stop during my route to load. I also am a one man operation so I don't have a salt truck lagging one or 2 accounts behind coming in after I plow to treat. I plow, then salt, then move on to the next account and repeat. My salt is dry going into my shipping container, and since I'm loading before the storm when it's nice and sunny out, it goes into my V-box completely dry as well, then gets tarped WITH A FITTED TARP, so it stays dry in the spreader. It stays in there for the next 4-5 days until the storm is done, I have finished all my nightly prop checks for refreeze for several nights afterwards and then is finally emptied out, the equipment cleaned and put away until the next storm. I don't get it. Are you guys loading wet salt? Do you not cover your spreaders (as I see many driving around town here with salt heaped up out the top of their hoppers) or is it a difference in overnight temps, single degree temps or sub zero does happen, but not very often. I even had a local contractor here that I bought salt from before I had the ability to handle it myself warn me of the same thing, because he couldn't understand why I was always calling him a couple days ahead wanting to arrange to be loaded. Believe me, I'm GLAD IT HASN'T HAPPENED TO ME, but I have to be one of the least lucky guys in earth, so how is it that it seems to happen to EVERYONE but me? For what it's worth, I run straight bulk salt, no treated or sand, although I have a pre-wet system on my truck that treats the salt as it falls into the spinner. Also have 2 vibrators at alternate corners (left front/right rear) of the hopper.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

It's colder longer up here


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## Plow horse (Oct 18, 2009)

*dry salt*

Dry salt,That's a great IDEA! Except when you go through so much BULK salt that your shed empties over a couple of storms! I can put a tri axle load in my shed, but I go through several tri axles a season or more, AND yes its wet, so that is the Problem. I understand that, I am trying to solve the problem of what we have to work with. some how heating the spreaders would solve the freezing.


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## Derek'sDumpstersInc (Jul 13, 2014)

Plow horse;2029517 said:


> Dry salt,That's a great IDEA! Except when you go through so much BULK salt that your shed empties over a couple of storms! I can put a tri axle load in my shed, but I go through several tri axles a season or more, AND yes its wet, so that is the Problem. I understand that, I am trying to solve the problem of what we have to work with. some how heating the spreaders would solve the freezing.


Here is an idea for heat. My spreader has an inverted V that runs the length of the spreader minus about the first 12-15 inches and the last 12-15 inches. I know it is there to take some of the weight of the load off the auger, but how about if you welded a piece of plate steel across the bottom two edges to form a hollow triangle. Then run your exhaust pipe in the front of the spreader and out the rear, with the exhaust flowing through the center of the triangle. Now you have a heated tunnel running the length of the spreader. I would think that would provide enough heat to keep it flowing in the middle at least even if it did still freeze to the outer walls. Just a thought. Don't think that would be too difficult or expensive to engineer. I would use stainless pipe inside the spreader to avoid it from rusting out quickly. What do you think?


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

Just before winter last year one of my salt suppliers called me with a deal on some salt. We took 4 trailers. When it came it was blue and he told me it was an anti caking agent. It was the worst salt I've ever had. The crap froze just looking at it. All the salt boxes froze solid and the phone rang off the hook. The salt was out of Detroit which should have told me something. How can you haul 5 hours cheaper then 45 minutes away.

I would say look for a new supplier.


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## John143 (Nov 2, 2011)

I too had the same problems last year with salt in my dogie freezing up. However, it only would freeze if it was under 25 degrees at night and I left the salt in while I was passed out! (sometimes on the floor!) didn't even make it to the bed most nights! Now a roll up tarp I made and put on the front of my steel building and a torpedo heater did solve the problem. But It inst very cost efficient. So I cut a square hole to the right of the spinner 4x4 hole. Went to Walmart and got one of them cube electric heaters. (20 bucks) and then took an old cutting edge and some self tappers and cut out a 4x4 piece of the metal and screwed it around my square hole to prevent (melting) and then... rigged up a small stand to hold my (20 dollar) Walmart heater on to the v-box! And voila!! No more frozen salt while i sleep on the floor!!


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## Plow horse (Oct 18, 2009)

*any body find heated spreaders yet?*

Anybody find any pictures of heated spreaders yet? let me know. Thanks.
Heated windshield WIPERS are the BEST!!!!!!


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## superdutypsd (Oct 30, 2014)

I had this issue twice last year, my salt ended up freezing on me with in 30 min of loading and going to my lots, got there for a retreat and ended up having to shovel, and dig around, until i found got it un clogged a big pita, i had no washer fluid, as far as adding heat i thought about it also and was likeing the easiest way would be to used the heated wire for pvc pipes you can wrap around and plug in or the heated wire used for roof top lines and gutters both can be found fairly cheap at big box store


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## chachi1984 (Feb 10, 2012)

I never leave salt in my salter anymore , the first few years I had salt freeze up on me even with it covered. now I only load salt when I need it .
with the amount of breakdowns I've shoveled out the salter too many times


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## redclifford (Aug 10, 2015)

We load up all the salters n sidewalk tractors before a storm and never had an issue. I run 3 salt doggs and the only time they have clogged is when we had wet salt - so we changed suppliers and knock on wood we've never had an issue.


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## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

I left salt in my SnowEx hitch mounted spreader once last year. I won't ever do that again! Glad I don't have your problems! I'd like to see the photos of the heated spreaders.


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## redclifford (Aug 10, 2015)

I leave salt in the trucks all season long, I cant load every truck to do site checks everyday.


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## Plow horse (Oct 18, 2009)

All sounds good. I found camper water tank glue on heater pads, going to try them.


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## Plow horse (Oct 18, 2009)

I found heater pads for camper water tanks, going to try that.


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## cjames808 (Dec 18, 2015)

Oh I ran a salt Dogg 1500shpe for 3 years. Auger. Inverted v. Vibrator. Under 20/15deg it was a 50/50. Under 5deg and almost useless unless you have indoor salt. Even treated jammed. Just the angle and spacing for feed and small augers I guess. For the 30-40% more you can get a quality chain drive that will last years of not standing on top of it poking. And the controllers are from the 80s hugeee.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Nevermind


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## BossPlow2010 (Sep 29, 2010)

Plow horse said:


> I found heater pads for camper water tanks, going to try that.


The salt isn't feeezing because it's cold. It's freezing because it's wet

I noticed you mentioned water tank heat pads, but what have you'd one the last 7 years?


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## Ajlawn1 (Aug 20, 2009)

BossPlow2010 said:


> The salt isn't feeezing because it's cold. It's freezing because it's wet


So it would freeze if it was wet and warm too...


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## BossPlow2010 (Sep 29, 2010)

Ajlawn1 said:


> So it would freeze if it was wet and warm too...


Not much gets by ewe…


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## Plow horse (Oct 18, 2009)

You all are to funny


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## Hydromaster (Jun 11, 2018)

Ajlawn1 said:


> So it would freeze if it was wet and warm too...


Yes,

ever make ice cream in the summer?


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