Pickup Bedliners

[velvetfoot]

It looks like I'll be getting a pickup. It appears to have a mat lining, sort of like a floor mat. It's heavy duty, but it can be picked up like a floor mat. What's the poop on bedliners? Is this mat thing adequate, or should I get a spray on or insert?

 

[WellSeasoned]

Does it have a plastic bed liner, or just the rubber mat over a painted bed?

 

[MasterMech]

Mat will keep the floor of the bed from getting scratched up and help keep things from sliding around. Not much else however.

Drop-Ins are crazy slick. This can be good/bad. They offer the best protection from dents/dings but can rub the paint away and hold moisture underneath, causing rust to form.

Spray ons will keep things from sliding around. Like velcro..... Seriously, you won't be dragging things across it because it requires so much effort to do. But it rust-proofs the bed and offers reasonable protection from dents and dings. Also looks great, and can be sprayed "over the rails" for additional protection/style. They do tend to fade a bit with exposure to sun and are not bomb-proof. You can peel/chip them (they can be repaired) and a hard impact will dent the metal underneath.

Both of my trucks have spray-ons.

 

[WellSeasoned]

I'd go sprayon bedliner. They are tough as nails compared to a plastic liner that will warp, trap water, mud, you name it, in between the liner and the body scratching off the paint, exposing bare metal to moisture and ultimately rusting. I have heard good things about Line-x, but don't know if they are near you. Also depending on the make of truck, they may not spray the tops of the bed rails, like my Ford F-250 has plastic, hard mounted rail covers that my closest line ex dealer won't remove. Good luck!

 

[velvetfoot]

Does it have a plastic bed liner, or just the rubber mat over a painted bed?

Just the rubber mat over a painted bed.

 

[velvetfoot]

Would salt get the beds first?
I have to see what a spray liner would cost.

 

[Beerdog]

vf...

I had a Toyota for about 14 years. I bought it new and immediately installed a plastic Duraliner. The rear quarter panels were badly rusted out and the engine had a fatal failure and so my old reliable truck was scrapped. I live in upstate NY where roads are heavily salted in winter, and we can expect salted roads from late November to March or April. When I scrapped the truck I removed the bed liner and found the paint was pristine, and the minor abrasions caused by the liner rubbing the paint caused only paint damage but no steel deterioration. The bed had no dents, and I abused the truck. The plastic was slippery and the grooves were a PIA to clean, but it did its job.

My current truck is a used 2001 Silverado and I use it as a work truck. It has a spray on bed liner that is really rugged. But I use the truck to haul wood and I throw the wood into the bed from where it's split a few feet away. I find the bed is getting dented and the spray on liner is chipping. If I were buying new and my intention was to haul wood and I wanted to protect the bed, I would get another plastic liner insert because I think it protects the bed from impacts better.

John

 

[Elderthewelder]

and a hard impact will dent the metal underneath.

Yep, found that out the hard way while loading big rounds in my Nissan Frontier with a Line Ex sprayed on liner, Dropped a round in fender well and dented the crap out if it

 

[clemsonfor]

Here's the deal, do you want it to look goo. After u have trashed and beat it loading it with wood to the Max?? I mean if ur buying new or almost. New and worried about bed scratches get a spray on or plastic. The plastic will never be removed so who cares?? I got a use. Ranger, bed was never. Lined. I got a mat like u have to keep things from sliding. 10 terra later really no more scratches but tons of stuff hauled. I don't care what bed looks like its a truck. If I had a newer one though I would be the same way though.

 

[velvetfoot]

Chances are, although since I never had one I don't know, the bed wouldn't rot from the top down, but from the bottom (with all the salt).
The truck is used, but from the South.

 

[clemsonfor]

Bed liners are good for scratch resistance and dents. If your keeping till it rots out your not worried g about the debts or scratches. Just use the mat. Save the cash foe something else.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

My Ram came with a plastic insert, I don't know what it costs but I say this is the way to go, it's tough and durable....gl

 

[osagebow]

I vote plastic. I see them cheap on CL occasionally. No issues besides cleaning the grooves, takes a lot of abuse. I also like the way the wood slides out. I can get about 1/2 the load to slide out by lowering the gate, quickly backing down a small incline in one of my storage areas, and locking 'em up.

 

[clemsonfor]

Or find them free on the roadside. I saw one a few weeks back that someone slung out on purpose.

 

[MasterMech]

Chances are, although since I never had one I don't know, the bed wouldn't rot from the top down, but from the bottom (with all the salt).
The truck is used, but from the South.

Spray on will be the most $$ of all the options. If the truck is in really nice shape, you could have them spray the wheel wells while they're at it. It might cost extra but the stuff is the absolute best undercoating.

 

[flhpi]

I had line-X on the 3/4 ton and loved it. The 1 ton didn't have a liner when I bought it so I bought a heavy mat for it. I have noticed that I have gouges and deep scuff from metal and stuff getting bounced around. I will probably lineX it in the future and toss the bed mat back in the bed to help prevent dents from heavy items.

I had trucks with the plastic drop in liner. Great to slide wood in and out of but too slick when you have to jump in the bed and tie stuff down.

My truck is a dually so I keep waiting for my girlfriend to catch the bed on something so I can just get a flatbed. Unfortunately, she drives it pretty well. As soon as I drop the money on a spray on liner her or I will crack the dually sides.

 

[KaptJaq]

I have a drop-in hard liner. I find it easy to slide wood in and out. I also find that I have to secure things a little bit otherwise they slide too much as I drive. Ever feel a group 31 battery hit the front of the bed during a hard stop? I thought the guy behind me got the trailer. When I park the truck in the yard I make sure the nose it a little higher than the back. If the nose is down rain will make its way under the liner and drips out the weep holes at the front of the bed.

KaptJaq

 

[WellSeasoned]

Spray on around here are $500-700

 

[basod]

I vote plastic liner - seen many a rusted bed in the NE that was only capable of hauling anything due to the liner.
The front&rear fender wells and cab corners will be Swiss cheese long before the bed rusts through from any abrasion caused by the liner.

And you've already got the rubber mat if you want to throw it on top for moving furniture or anything else when the non-slip surface is desired.
The piece on the tailgate can be roughed up with some 40grit on the high ridges and flat surfaces to keep it from being a skating rink

 

[rkshed]

Spray on.
I've owned Toyotas forever and if it had a plastic liner it had rust. Spray on, no rust.
Our daughter has a 2001 ranger with a plastic liner. It runs perfectly but there is so much rot under the liner that we are junking it after this winter.

 

[Ashful]

I've done spray in liners in all of my pickups but one. That other one had a high end hard plastic liner, which was durable, but dangerously slippery when wet! Spray in, over the rails, is all I do now. You can use them after a week, but they always seem to take a year to reach max hardness. My current one is 8 years old (longest I've ever owned one vehicle), and is now just starting to get some chips and slices in the top edge of the tailgate. They can touch that up (lifetime free repair), if I ever make time to go back to the installer.

Like anything, not all are equal. There's a range of product quality, and an even bigger range of installer quality. If done right, the install will take a pro more than a half day. I've sat and watched them do it, and sanding out the whole bed takes some time!

 

[Beer Belly]

When I bought my truck a couple of months ago, I went with the Plastic Bedliner.....I was gonna do a Spray in Liner but was told they do not warranty against staining, and if any Fuel/Oil got on it, it would like stain, and possibly weaken the coating. So, I had the dealer put in the Liner before delivery of the truck, and they put it in wrong, and had to reset it back in....now God only knows how many screw holes are in my truck from their hit and miss installation....good thing I don't keep my trucks long enough to watch the rot

 

[clemsonfor]

The spray in holds up OK to fuel and oil . Not perfect but the loggers I see have oil soaked beds and the spray on stuff holds decent considering the whole thing is oil soaked.

 

[MasterMech]

I'll vouch for the spray on liners oil/gas resistance. I've degreased mine and power washed it out many times. Both of my trucks have Ultimate Liner sprayed in. I've had Rhino liner too and I think I liked that one better. I would try Line-X on the next one but there are no installers anywhere near me.

 

[Machria]

Rhino!