Gm Bedliners

pm26 · December 3, 2007

Why is it that these bedliners and matching tailgate pieces require drilling about 15 holes in your truck bed? Why didn't GM pre-punch these holes into the bed, then paint the panels, and provide snap-in plastic inserts, so that if one wishes to install a GM bedliner, all they have to do is drive the screws into the plastic inserts? Or come up with some other attachment method?

Today I saw a new 2008 GMC Sierra 2500 with a $ 52k sticker and a very ugly dealer installed bedliner, which was attached to the front bed panel with three self tapping screws, half torn out, and the front of the bedliner completely warped. It looked horrible. I have never seen one this bad on a new truck. Typically under-the-rail bedliners go over the front bed panel. Not this one. This will cause all water to run under the bedliner. Perfect for rust to start underneath where the bedliner scuffs the paint by rubbing. The dumbest design I ever saw.

So if you buy one of these new trucks with a dealer installed GM plastic bedliner, you'll have about 15 holes drilled into your bed. I would recommend against buying such a truck unless you really want a plastic bedliner. These bedliners are just another way for dealers to make extra $$, while mutilating a new truck.

My 95 Nissan pickup had a factory installed bedliner and tailgate piece that did not require drilling a single hole. And that is the way it should be. Irrespective of the make or model. Holes only invite corrosion and look ugly when you remove the bedliner.

hubbycap · December 3, 2007

Man, you gotta get a grip. Just don't buy it!

pm26 · December 3, 2007

I am just surprised that they would devise such a crude system for a nice truck. And I never saw a bedliner before that was designed to drain all water under the liner. Of course I would not buy a truck like this with a dealer installed bedliner. I just wanted to warn others who may want to remove the liner later on and will have to deal with 15 ugly holes.

Zembonez · December 3, 2007

I am just surprised that they would devise such a crude system for a nice truck. And I never saw a bedliner before that was designed to drain all water under the liner. Of course I would not buy a truck like this with a dealer installed bedliner. I just wanted to warn others who may want to remove the liner later on and will have to deal with 15 ugly holes.

I can agree somewhat on the self tapping screws being an issue if they are just bare metal on metal. Rust is rust. Drilling a bunch of holes is not good.

However. I disagree with the old story of plastic bedliners wearing through the paint and causing terrible rust issues. (must have been hatched up by some early spray in installer) Maybe this would be the case if you road raced with a bed full of bowling balls daily. I've had plastic liners in every truck I have ever owned and never anything even close to damage. The last Silverado I sold was 6 years old and the paint under the liner barely had any scuffing at all. A little white scuffing of the clear coat, yes... but nothing the least bit shocking.

You'll never catch some idiot with a 40 grit sanding disc "prepping" one of my trucks for a spray in liner. Most of them look like hammered camels**t a year later... My 07 Sierra has a pendaliner in it and there are no screws in the bed portion at all. It simply snaps in. Tailgate has 6 self tapping plastic coated screws that would likely take 20 years to cause any harm.

It's funny to me... Everybody acts like these trucks are some kind of sacred cow... they are just trucks. GM is still making replacements. I see them every day at the GM dealerships with firesale window stickers...

hubbycap · December 3, 2007

I am just surprised that they would devise such a crude system for a nice truck. And I never saw a bedliner before that was designed to drain all water under the liner. Of course I would not buy a truck like this with a dealer installed bedliner. I just wanted to warn others who may want to remove the liner later on and will have to deal with 15 ugly holes.

It IS unbecoming of what I have come to think of as a well engineered vehicle. Point well made.

FREAKENHYE · December 3, 2007

I use a rug type liner. No plastic for me.

nakedicarus · December 3, 2007

My dealer threw in some accessories when I bought my truck, among those was the GM bedliner. It looks good, my only complaint is that it rattles a bit...now I need to go find some sort of big sponge to dampen that d**n rattle.

pm26 · December 3, 2007

My dealer threw in some accessories when I bought my truck, among those was the GM bedliner. It looks good, my only complaint is that it rattles a bit...now I need to go find some sort of big sponge to dampen that d**n rattle.

Here is a suggestion: You can get a paint saver mat that fits under the bedliner to prevent scuffing and rattling. It is a thin mat that can be trimmed to fit and is about $ 30 from any truck accessory dealer (Note: it is not the heavy rubber mat that they sell for truck beds. It is only about 1/8 inch thick) Also, you may want to apply camper foam tape in strategic places under the bedliner. This will keep it from rattling. A very cheap fix and no harm done (=no hole drilling).