Storing paint in the truck during cold season

[hellbilly]

What do you guys do to keep the paint warm during the winter months. Obviously you can keep it in the cab of the truck with you, but i was wondering if anyone had any other ideas.

[ProfessionalLocator]

What do you guys do to keep the paint warm during the winter months. Obviously you can keep it in the cab of the truck with you, but i was wondering if anyone had any other ideas.

Once I worked for a firm the prohibited keeping paint in the cab of the truck. So in winter it was thaw out the paint or shut down for the day.

Sure I took some paint inside with me at the end of the day but after a few hours in the bed of the truck the next day it froze again.

So I thawed out the paint by packing cans around the exhaust manifold inside the engine compartment. Fortunately none of them exploded but it was obey the rules or get fired for getting the job done.

[Goldenboy]

I use a milk crate on the passenger side floor. You can fit almost two cases of paint in it and because it is all open the paint thaws out in the morning really fast on your way to the first locate.

I do have an extended cab truck now and have tried keeping the paint behind me but it takes too long to thaw out and when I would be at my first few locates of the morning they would still be frozen.

One thing I can suggest is not to try to thaw them on the dashboard. I've seen a ton of exploding paint cans from the paint getting to hot too quick.

[hellbilly]

I use a milk crate on the passenger side floor. You can fit almost two cases of paint in it and because it is all open the paint thaws out in the morning really fast on your way to the first locate.

I do have an extended cab truck now and have tried keeping the paint behind me but it takes too long to thaw out and when I would be at my first few locates of the morning they would still be frozen.

One thing I can suggest is not to try to thaw them on the dashboard. I've seen a ton of exploding paint cans from the paint getting to hot too quick.

I have heard of that happening.

I was thinking of using a heating pad on the bottom of a cooler.

[walktheditches]

Always kept a case in my house during the winter. Would take 2 cans out with me in the morning so I had paint ready to go and then let a few thaw on the passenger floor board during the day. Suggest you put them in a trash bag just in case one explodes. Plus it helped a lot when you get that call-out @ 2:00 a.m. always had a can ready to go.

[yahoo]

i just use my cab.....but don't have to deal with the cold that much

[1idejim]

store in styrafoam ice chest with hand warmers thrown in, grade setters trick from years past

[paintitnow]

I can tell you from expeirence those tips will explode off. The bottom of my windshiel and dash do have orange and yellow paint on it. I usually kept my paint in a milk crate either on the floor board or the passenger seat. I have one of those supplemenet 12v dash board heaters and found a aux heater but it iw designed to be hard wired in. I am thinking about lining a tote with styrafoam and use those little heaters to heat up the paint, just will have to remember to turn it off when i get home

[radiotechfios]

Keep 2 cans on the floor of the passenger side ,on the way to your area turn on the heat .it works really good ,always rotate and keep 2 or more cans inside car .

[TBONE]

store in styrafoam ice chest with hand warmers thrown in, grade setters trick from years past

thats a new one there havent heard that one before

[locator_smbk]

store in styrafoam ice chest with hand warmers thrown in, grade setters trick from years past

Not a bad idea, but I don't forsee me using handwarmers, since I cannot afford them most of the winter and my company won't pay for crap.

The only thing I do to warm my paint up is wait until I get to my first job, get the computer fired up (which usually take 15 minutes), Let my computer download the new work for the day (takes anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes), grab a can of each color, throw it in the floorboard (or slam it, it doesn't really matter) with the heat and defroster running wide open on the "recirculate" setting, get out of the truck, smoke a cigarette or two, find a port-a-john to take care of some business, and walk back to the truck and the paint is thawed out enough to work.

I used to have a small electric heater in the bed of my truck that I would plug in just before I went to bed. Unplug it in the morning and drive away with nice warm paint, warm batteries and happy locating equipment. Then I realized the company was profiting from the use of MY electricity and MY heater, so I stopped doing it.

You know I used to go that "extra mile" on lots of things, but I just don't give a damn anymore. If the paint is frozen, it's frozen...

[TBONE]

Well its that time again any new ideas????

[TheCableVine]

Sounds like I got it easy. I have a van that I locate out of and I park it in my garage at night.

I highly recommend a van and a garage.

[Wingfoot]

After work, I stuff 2 cans each of the shitty, water-based paint of yellow, red and orange in a plastic bag and store the bag in my home overnight. This gives me a head start in the morning while I cook the dozen cans that's on the floorboard of my work truck.

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[Inspired]

Well its that time again any new ideas????

Move to Phoenix. It never gets cold here.