review Review: Scorpion Coatings X02 Bedliner Kit

[Chris]

Christopher Hawkins

Community Manager, GM-Trucks.com

3/30/2015

 

Product: X02 bed coating kit

Manufacturer: Scorpion Coatings

What it is: Premium professional quality spray-in bed liner that can be done by a professional or at home

What Scorpion says it does: “Our bed liner for trucks system is composed of the highest quality polyurethanes that keeps your truck bed looking new for years to come. This tough, virtually impenetrable polyurethane resists both moisture and rust, unlike many other “drop in” bedliners. By using a drop-in, moisture and rust can get into the smallest of cracks and the tiniest of holes, rendering you bedliner useless within a short period of time. Not with Scorpion Coatings. We understand the pride our customer take in their truck beds and we know what it means to keep your truck looking new for years to come.”

Cost: $199 for a 2 gallon kit with gun and hopper

 

Tested On

2004 GMC Sierra Extended Cab/Standard Bed

 

I recently had a chance to install and test the Scorpion X02 spray-in bed liner. I wanted a cheaper DIY alternative to Rhino or Line-X without using a roll-on or spray can. I first found Scorpion while at the SEMA Show in 2013. I drifted into their booth and had a lengthy conversation with one of their representatives. The product looked great on samples and a completely covered Hummer H1. It got my attention because it was a lower cost alternative to Line-X and Rhino but still gave the look of being a spray-on.

 

The X02 bed coating is also an alternative to a drop-in plastic liner. It is easy to spray in and the provided gun is essentially a modified drywall texture gun. It can be color matched to your truck or virtually any color you want.

 

Kit Unboxed

 

The kit that I got is the standard black color but I opted to get the additional red metal flake added in. I did all the prep work myself and a friend of mine who is a retired plasterer did the spraying of the liner in my own garage.

 

Install Process

The install was fairly easy. If you are somewhat handy and have repainted anything around the house, then you can do this. A friend and I did this in my garage. If you do not feel as comfortable, there are dedicated professionals that can be located online using Scorpion's website.

 

1. Sand the clear coat

 

 

2. Mask the bed and tailgate and cover the truck

 

 

3. Spray adhesion promoter

 

 

4. Spray liner

 

 

Scorpion’s liner builds upon itself. This allows it to be sprayed as thick as you want it. The standard 2 gallon kit will spray on thicker than Line-X. It is actually tackier than the Line-X liners I have used. Once I place something in the bed, the tackiness of the Scorpion X02 holds it in place.

 

During the install, the factory drain holes were retained unlike a drop-in liner. Because the X02 is acrylic reinforced polyurethane, it has held up to the California sun and 3 to 4 drive through car washes every week. It is still as black as when it was sprayed and the metal flake has held up. One gallon of acetone did spill in the tailgate and did not have any ill effect on the liner.

 

How well does it work? So far the only items I have hauled with the bed liner are lumber, groceries, and an old water heater. The bed liner has held up excellent to what I have thrown in it. The water heater had some sharp metal edges and even dug in a bit, but still didn’t harm the liner. The water heater rolled in the bed but did not slide. The grip works great for holding items in place. As for groceries, I've thrown cases of water and soda in the bed and they stayed put for the drive home.

 

Finished

 

 

In use

 

Conclusion

If you don’t like the cost of a Line-X or Rhino and a drop in liner just won't do, the Scorpion X02 Kit is the answer. It looks amazing, has just enough grip that nothing slides, and was done in just one afternoon in my own garage. Going forward, I will use this in any truck I get.

[Chris]

I would like to add a thanks to the man you see in the pics, Allen. He is a lurker here but rarely posts. He did the spraying for me. It allowed me to get some shots with my DSLR.

[LaserBlueZ71]

So do you think this product will still look good after 5 years in the sunshine? Does it have any means of blocking UV rays?

[Chris]

So do you think this product will still look good after 5 years in the sunshine? Does it have any means of blocking UV rays?

I dont really know. But it is a different material than the Line-X. So my guess is it will hold up different to Line-X without. I am at 6 months with it sprayed in there with a lot of sunshine here, other than dirt and dust from where I live, it looks great still. I didn't think about looks too much, my focus was performance

[LaserBlueZ71]

Truthfully speaking, what the inside of the bed looks like does not matter much I suppose. As long as the body looks good on the outside, who cares what the bed looks like!

 

Thanks for the review, I am going to consider this stuff over Line-X. They want $650 here for Line-X with the UV resistant coating. Far too rich for me.

[Chris]

Truthfully speaking, what the inside of the bed looks like does not matter much I suppose. As long as the body looks good on the outside, who cares what the bed looks like!

 

Thanks for the review, I am going to consider this stuff over Line-X. They want $650 here for Line-X with the UV resistant coating. Far too rich for me.

Exactly. and this stuff allows cases of water to stay in place on the way back from grocery shopping which is nice. I hate when they slide under the toolbox

[TruckDaddy]

Thanks for the review, here's some additional information.

 

X02 is not intended to be a consumer based DIY product. Scorpian states that is should be applied by professionals only. The Scorpian DIY product for consumers is Al's Liner.

 

The two-gallon X02 kit is 10% solvents (that evaporate away) and 90% solids. So, you did not end up with two gallons of a bedliner product. LINE-X and Rhino apply about 8 gallons that are solvent free. So, to get the equivalent X02 thickness, you will need to buy 3 X02 kits which will cost $597.

 

According to Scorpian, the color stability of Al's liner is 2,500 hours (which is about 104 days which is about 3.5 months).

[Texas Husker]

Thanks for the review Chris. Hadn't heard of this before. Interested to see the long term results. Looks good though and I like the flake in it.

 

 

Thanks for the review, here's some additional information.

 

X02 is not intended to be a consumer based DIY product. Scorpian states that is should be applied by professionals only. The Scorpian DIY product for consumers is Al's Liner.

 

The two-gallon X02 kit is 10% solvents (that evaporate away) and 90% solids. So, you did not end up with two gallons of a bedliner product. LINE-X and Rhino apply about 8 gallons that are solvent free. So, to get the equivalent X02 thickness, you will need to buy 3 X02 kits which will cost $597.

 

According to Scorpian, the color stability of Al's liner is 2,500 hours (which is about 104 days which is about 3.5 months).

 

Where Did you find this info at? I was trying to find some details like this on their site but came up short, as far as longevity is concerned. And I'm assuming the 2500 hours is sunshine hours, so more like a year, but still not as much as I'd hope for.

 

I'll have to dig some more and see if there are any long term (multiple year) reviews out there.

[Chris]

Thanks for the review Chris. Hadn't heard of this before. Interested to see the long term results. Looks good though and I like the flake in it.

 

 

 

Where Did you find this info at? I was trying to find some details like this on their site but came up short, as far as longevity is concerned. And I'm assuming the 2500 hours is sunshine hours, so more like a year, but still not as much as I'd hope for.

 

I'll have to dig some more and see if there are any long term (multiple year) reviews out there.

I couldnt find that info, and the Al's/

Scorpion thing is correct, but mine is Labeled as Scorpion as I didnt get the "consumer" packaging. I didnt get my proportions correct with the flake. It should be more pronounced than it is. And it will be updated as time goes on. I am 6 months in right now.

[Blue2500CC]

Great review!

 

So others know, what size air compressor is needed for the spray gun?

 

Keep us posted on how it performs!

[Chris]

Great review!

 

So others know, what size air compressor is needed for the spray gun?

 

Keep us posted on how it performs!

Sorry for the mess, but here is the compressor I used. I choked it down at the gun to about 25 PSI

[BlackZ71Silverado]

Looks good Chris, hope it holds up well for you.

 

It appears that he sprayed right over your tailgate bolts. Hopefully the drain holes in the front of the bed were left open. When I had my 2000 Silverado Rhino Lined, they sprayed over everything. I had to go under the truck and drill up through the drain holes to clear them out. They also sprayed over my tailgate bolts and it was extremely difficult to get them loose. Had to use a thin cut-off wheel to cut through the Rhino Liner so I could remove the bolts.

[Chris]

Looks good Chris, hope it holds up well for you.

 

It appears that he sprayed right over your tailgate bolts. Hopefully the drain holes in the front of the bed were left open. When I had my 2000 Silverado Rhino Lined, they sprayed over everything. I had to go under the truck and drill up through the drain holes to clear them out. They also sprayed over my tailgate bolts and it was extremely difficult to get them loose. Had to use a thin cut-off wheel to cut through the Rhino Liner so I could remove the bolts.

Over the bolts was my decision, and the drain holes up front are open. Everything drains out the front

[BlackZ71Silverado]

Good deal......keep us updated as to how it holds up over time.

 

 

Sent from my crappy iPhone 6

using Tapatalk

[Chris]

Good deal......keep us updated as to how it holds up over time.

 

 

Sent from my crappy iPhone 6

using Tapatalk

That's the plan