DIY bedliner

rae185 · June 21, 2018

So I have been looking at doing my own spray in bedliner or roll in bed liner. I'm just nervous that it wont hold up after 6 months. The few I have been looking at are :

1 u-pol raptor for right around $100

2 dupli-color bed armor for about $80

3 herculiner for about $70

Does anyone have any experience with these or have any better opinions?

Is there any better products out there?

I dont want to pay a shop close to a thousand bucks to do something that i could do with alittle bit of elbow grease and time.

If any one has photos please post them.

Thank you

Sierra706 · June 22, 2018

So I have been looking at doing my own spray in bedliner or roll in bed liner. I'm just nervous that it wont hold up after 6 months. The few I have been looking at are :

1 u-pol raptor for right around $100
2 dupli-color bed armor for about $80
3 herculiner for about $70

Does anyone have any experience with these or have any better opinions?
Is there any better products out there?
I dont want to pay a shop close to a thousand bucks to do something that i could do with alittle bit of elbow grease and time.

If any one has photos please post them.

Thank you

You get what you pay for

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x219c · June 22, 2018

Are they really charging that much by you? Most I’ve heard of near me is $550. That was a line-x. Off brand is at least $100 less...

For the time it would take me, there’s no way I could do it myself.

All of that said, I did see some people on YouTube who did it themselves. They were using rattle cans after sanding it down. I’m assuming the ones you’re quoting may be different because the other stuff was sold by the can.

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rae185 · June 22, 2018

2 hours ago, x219c said:

Are they really charging that much by you? Most I’ve heard of near me is $550. That was a line-x. Off brand is at least $100 less...

For the time it would take me, there’s no way I could do it myself.

All of that said, I did see some people on YouTube who did it themselves. They were using rattle cans after sanding it down. I’m assuming the ones you’re quoting may be different because the other stuff was sold by the can.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Yeah they are charging 600 bucks to do it and they use some stuff called like vortex liner or something. It cant be hard to spray it in your self I would think. Majority of the work would be prep.

rae185 · June 22, 2018

3 hours ago, Bushleaguechew said:

You get what you pay for

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes I do realize that

Penguin VII · June 22, 2018

I would look at another location (http://www.linex.com/find-a-location OR http://liners.rhinolinings.com/en/p/home) and get a few quotes. Assuming you're going standard application on standard size bed you should be sub $600.

In regards to DIY, personally I'd only do DIY on things like a bumper, wheel liners, etc. A lot of the quality of the professionally applied jobs come from prep (sandblasting, masking, etc.) and applicator (paint gun, pressure tank). Any roll on isn't gonna hold up from what I've seen and DIY spray guns just can't seem to lay down a thick enough coat. Perhaps if you had a good gun, large tank and either time to sand down the bed first or a sandblaster it would be good.

Personally I think that it's worth the cost to get it done by a pro. You never have to worry about the bed again and it's got a warranty. I've seen countless threads of DIY flake, peel, etc. You spend over 30k for the truck, don't cheap out on the bed, it's one of the most important parts of the truck if you use it.

aseibel · June 22, 2018

4 hours ago, rae185 said:

Majority of the work would be prep.

This.

Unless you have access to a sand blaster, how do you plan on doing the proper surface preparation?

I attempted to put herculiner in an old truck, I found it peeled up way too easily. I even sent photos of some damage to the company and they sent me a new small can to repair it. But I would never go that route again if I plan on using my truck bed to haul anything more than cardboard boxes.

Save yourself the time and go to your lacal LineX, Rhino, Bullett dealer. You'll be happier with a durable liner than you would be trying to save $300 and ending up with a crappy liner.

Donstar · June 22, 2018

If money is an issue and you only use your truck as a DIY'er then get a gm bed mat for about $60. I use one and a tailgate protector. If the need arises, I can have a bed-liner added at a later date.

wforrest08 · June 22, 2018

A buddy of mine I work with builds cars on the side. Last year he did a 66 alter wheel base Dodge and 2 years ago did a “Golden Eagle” clone Jeep. Both of these he used the the Raptor spray on kits for undercoating (black), wheel wells (black), color matched tub inside the Jeep (white) and color matched lower quarters and inside the trunk on the Dodge (red). He drove the Jeep for awhile before he sold it probably 5k miles or so no problems with peeling, flaking, etc. Dodge has been to the track a couple of times and driven to local/regional car shows again no problems so far. He says the trick is follow the instructions, prep prep prep, right thickness, and clean up. Says it’s like painting a car 95% prep 5% spraying cover everything you don’t want coated, make sure your tape lines are straight/tight, sand every nook and cranny, and everything as dust free/clean as you can get it before you spray. Also do it in a controlled environment not outside where you’re fighting the elements and do your research before you start there’s all kinds of tricks/hints like achieving a smoother finish or more texture and make sure you have the right amount of product to finish the job when you start (he said he used 4 bottles on each undercarriage). He really took his time with both vehicles and they came out really nice IMO most people wouldn’t be able to tell that it wasn’t done by a professional shop. The tintable Raptor matches well but looks “dull” because it won’t ever shine like clear coat obviously but I’d say it’s comparable to the LineX color matched liners I’ve seen. Rhino does color match the best IMO.

Can’t comment on how well it holds up to UV but a lot of off road guys do their whole body in Raptor so maybe check on some of the off road forums if your not using a tonneau cover.

I see Amazon has “deals” on Raptor from time to time but I’ve never checked into if they are a authorized retailer or if it matters or if there is any kind of warranty on the Raptor. One of these days I need to do the header on my utility trailer.

I had my 15 done in Oct of 15 at LineX locally. Drove a extra 40 miles to a different dealer because they had better reviews than the one closest to me. I went with LineX because of the lifetime warranty that is nationwide and price was about the same as everybody eles anyway. Paid 600ish for my short bed with the UV protection since I don’t have a cover. Truck sits in the sun 8-12 hours a day 5 days a week and all weekend sometimes and liner shows 0 fade so far. I did the DeeZee tie downs in the corners same time and they faded from shiny black to a dull grey already. The LineX holds stuff in place and is ez to clean up. For me it was the right decision.

I know a couple guys that have done the Hercucrap liner and seen the results first hand. I would only use that crap on a Furd truck I was selling/trading in the next week. Every one I’ve seen has peeled and faded in a relatively short time (couple years at the most) after installing. I’m sure there’s a application for this stuff somewhere but it’s NOT in the bed of a truck...

Donstar has the right idea. This is all I have in my 01 2500HD in fact I used a old mat out of a C/K I have that’s at least 20 years old. Bought it 010 said “I just use this mat for now” till I get it sprayed 8 years later I still haven’t found the need to go get it sprayed just take the extra couple minutes to make sure whatever I’m hauling is strapped down or covered with the tonneau. Pull the mat out every fall and give it and bed a good scrubbing. The bed in that truck still looks nicer than a lot of 2 year old truck beds I’ve seen on lots.

15BlueSilverado · June 22, 2018

Personally, I wouldn't use the "roll-on" type of bedliner. I've seen those on other trucks and they seem to peel easily and don't look too good. I used to work at a shop that did spray in bedliners and yeah, a good 80% of the work is in the prep of the bed. You have to really scuff it up so it adhere's to the bed really good and you have to tape off what you don't want to spray. That stuff doesn't come off easy. But a $1k for a shop to do it, that does seem kind of high to me. I got mine done for $300, cause the dealership wanted like $700 for them to do it, and it still looks good after almost 3 years.

bc-chris · June 22, 2018

i used the raptor liner on my old truck. i have linex on my 2014. the linex is definitely better, but the raptor has held up fairly well on my old truck. there are a couple spots where the raptor liner has chipped, but over all i'm still quite happy with it. i don't haul crazy heavy/sharp edged stuff though. mostly just boxes, goalie (hockey) gear, bass guitar gear, groceries.

as others have mentioned - prep is key. i sprayed mine outside, and while that's wasn't too bad, the wind kicked up for a couple minutes and blew some little things into the box - not the end of the world, but a controlled environment for spraying would be ideal.

i can't speak to how 'uv-proof' it is as my '89 has a tonneau cover

rae185 · June 23, 2018

12 hours ago, wforrest08 said:

A buddy of mine I work with builds cars on the side. Last year he did a 66 alter wheel base Dodge and 2 years ago did a “Golden Eagle” clone Jeep. Both of these he used the the Raptor spray on kits for undercoating (black), wheel wells (black), color matched tub inside the Jeep (white) and color matched lower quarters and inside the trunk on the Dodge (red). He drove the Jeep for awhile before he sold it probably 5k miles or so no problems with peeling, flaking, etc. Dodge has been to the track a couple of times and driven to local/regional car shows again no problems so far. He says the trick is follow the instructions, prep prep prep, right thickness, and clean up. Says it’s like painting a car 95% prep 5% spraying cover everything you don’t want coated, make sure your tape lines are straight/tight, sand every nook and cranny, and everything as dust free/clean as you can get it before you spray. Also do it in a controlled environment not outside where you’re fighting the elements and do your research before you start there’s all kinds of tricks/hints like achieving a smoother finish or more texture and make sure you have the right amount of product to finish the job when you start (he said he used 4 bottles on each undercarriage). He really took his time with both vehicles and they came out really nice IMO most people wouldn’t be able to tell that it wasn’t done by a professional shop. The tintable Raptor matches well but looks “dull” because it won’t ever shine like clear coat obviously but I’d say it’s comparable to the LineX color matched liners I’ve seen. Rhino does color match the best IMO.

Can’t comment on how well it holds up to UV but a lot of off road guys do their whole body in Raptor so maybe check on some of the off road forums if your not using a tonneau cover.

I see Amazon has “deals” on Raptor from time to time but I’ve never checked into if they are a authorized retailer or if it matters or if there is any kind of warranty on the Raptor. One of these days I need to do the header on my utility trailer.

I had my 15 done in Oct of 15 at LineX locally. Drove a extra 40 miles to a different dealer because they had better reviews than the one closest to me. I went with LineX because of the lifetime warranty that is nationwide and price was about the same as everybody eles anyway. Paid 600ish for my short bed with the UV protection since I don’t have a cover. Truck sits in the sun 8-12 hours a day 5 days a week and all weekend sometimes and liner shows 0 fade so far. I did the DeeZee tie downs in the corners same time and they faded from shiny black to a dull grey already. The LineX holds stuff in place and is ez to clean up. For me it was the right decision.

I know a couple guys that have done the Hercucrap liner and seen the results first hand. I would only use that crap on a Furd truck I was selling/trading in the next week. Every one I’ve seen has peeled and faded in a relatively short time (couple years at the most) after installing. I’m sure there’s a application for this stuff somewhere but it’s NOT in the bed of a truck...

Donstar has the right idea. This is all I have in my 01 2500HD in fact I used a old mat out of a C/K I have that’s at least 20 years old. Bought it 010 said “I just use this mat for now” till I get it sprayed 8 years later I still haven’t found the need to go get it sprayed just take the extra couple minutes to make sure whatever I’m hauling is strapped down or covered with the tonneau. Pull the mat out every fall and give it and bed a good scrubbing. The bed in that truck still looks nicer than a lot of 2 year old truck beds I’ve seen on lots.

Yeah i dont think I would do the herculiner. Thanks for all the good information. I think i may get some quotes from a few towns around me and see who can give me the best offer. The shop in my town uses vortex liner and not line-x. I'll have to keep looking and just wait to have a shop do it rather than I do it.

Thank you again for the info

rae185 · June 23, 2018

11 hours ago, bc-chris said:

i used the raptor liner on my old truck. i have linex on my 2014. the linex is definitely better, but the raptor has held up fairly well on my old truck. there are a couple spots where the raptor liner has chipped, but over all i'm still quite happy with it. i don't haul crazy heavy/sharp edged stuff though. mostly just boxes, goalie (hockey) gear, bass guitar gear, groceries.

as others have mentioned - prep is key. i sprayed mine outside, and while that's wasn't too bad, the wind kicked up for a couple minutes and blew some little things into the box - not the end of the world, but a controlled environment for spraying would be ideal.

i can't speak to how 'uv-proof' it is as my '89 has a tonneau cover

It looks like it has turned out pretty well. I would he spraying mine outside in the middle of an arizona summer. I dont think I'll use herculiner or the dupli-color one if I were to do it I would use the u-pol raptor. How was the quality of the material and provided sprayer?

bc-chris · June 23, 2018

22 minutes ago, rae185 said:

It looks like it has turned out pretty well. I would he spraying mine outside in the middle of an arizona summer. I dont think I'll use herculiner or the dupli-color one if I were to do it I would use the u-pol raptor. How was the quality of the material and provided sprayer?

it did turn out really well - i was/still am really happy with it... but again, i'm putting mostly 'light weight' loads only in the box

the sprayer worked fine (did the job). it's nothing fancy. if i recall, you can change the texture by adjusting the air pressure. i think it was lower pressure = chunkier and higher pressure = smoother (but don't quote me on that).

one thing i will recommend is make sure your compressor has a large enough tank. mine has a 25 gallon tank and it worked great.

also - this stuff stinks!! one really good thing about spraying it outside is that it helps dissipate the smell. i think the box really stunk for a few days - maybe a week, then it was fine.

and finally.... wear shoes that you don't mind throwing away becuz if you get some on your shoes it's not coming off.... and absolutely wear gloves! i didn't get much on my fingers at all, but man that stuff was sticky!

Doublebase · June 23, 2018

Well I think the job bc-chris did looks awesome, but I've seen others that didn't look so good. A friend of mine tried to convince to to do a roll on liner like his...said it works great, great stuff! Real easy! But he says that about everything. You could be talking about performing brain surgery and he'd tell you it's a piece of cake! It's wicked easy! Anyone personally know anyone like that?? And of course what always happens is it seems not easy for him, he just perceives it as easy. Meanwhile he's without his truck for weeks. Right now he's been without one of his trucks since September because "its real easy to buy a used bed and replace it".

Back to the subject; the roll on Bedliner he used looks like garbage and it has come off in several places. But he says, "I just need to touch it up".

I bought a drop in Bedliner for $180 online. Shipping was $40. It was EASY to install. It looks good, no problems...I don't know?? I mean I know some people don't like them, but it's a bed liner. It works. Of course my buddy hates it. It's going to blow right out of the back of your truck! I see them all over the highway! Wait till you take the Bedliner out! It'll be scratched! Things will slide around in there. I have had ZERO issues. Zero. And why would I take it out?? Who cares if it gets "scratched"? Oh and he says it'll be noisy. Noisy? Haven't heard a thing. And this guy runs straight pipes, now he cares about noise. Lol.