Spray Truck bed liner for frame coating?

RJP44 · February 12, 2021

Anyone ever use the spray on truck bed liner on their frames? Got a couple spots where the factory coating has flaked off and was going to clean it then hit it with rustoleom rust reformer and instead of their undercoating I was thinking what about bedliner? your thoughts?

dieselfan1 · February 12, 2021

No. Don't do it.
I had a 2014 H&H cargo trailer. The frame was coated with bed liner coating. It rotted out from the inside out. The water gets trapped under it and rust never sleeps. I couldn't trade that thing in fast enough.
There are better things to use that that stuff. Lot of guys use Fluid film. Even black spray paint is better than nothing.
They also sell something similar to the wax coating it came with by Daubert Chemical.
Best thing to do is stay on top of it. Don't let it get out of hand.
I'm sure the guys will chime in on this.

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dal1980 · March 4, 2021

I second the "No" opinion above. You will get water behind it, and it will rot from the inside out. I did it in my younger days with a 91 Nissan pickup. You couldn't tell the metal was gone until you poked it and the only thing left was the bedliner material. I use Amsoil MP on the frame of my 2014. The OEM wax coating is garbage, and the dealership re-did it twice under the TSB and it failed twice.

Grumpy Bear · March 4, 2021

Yea, I'm going to ride the other horse. I applied Line-X in the rear wheel wells instead of liners. Water will not get between the liner and metal if prepared and applied correctly unlike asphalt type under-coatings.

I can see both sides of the metal and now six years old I could not be happier with the result. I had the Premium sprayed with less texture and seams coated. Could not be easier to care for and nothing that has hit that sheet metal has ever hurt it. Line-X type materials are not like asphalt type undercoating materials and as for those....I would not use any of them in that application.

Spray the inside of closed framework with motor oil. Use plugs.

Lsgun1 · March 5, 2021

I'm on the NO side. Locking moisture in is bad.

Grumpy Bear · March 5, 2021

1 hour ago, Lsgun1 said:

I'm on the NO side. Locking moisture in is bad.

If that were the case then paint serves no purpose, right?

Lsgun1 · March 5, 2021

5 minutes ago, Grumpy Bear said:

If that were the case then paint serves no purpose, right?

I see where you're coming from but frames are boxed now a days so unless it's done in a pristine environment and can't be fully submerged then moisture is likely going to be locked in. The backside of a panel is exposed so it can also dry. Also panels are typically treated in some way in a decent environment or dipped into some type of anti corrosive coating. Nothings perfect and it's all point of view or opinion.

Grumpy Bear · March 5, 2021

4 minutes ago, Lsgun1 said:

I see where you're coming from but frames are boxed now a days so unless it's done in a pristine environment and can't be fully submerged then moisture is likely going to be locked in. The backside of a panel is exposed so it can also dry. Also panels are typically treated in some way in a decent environment or dipped into some type of anti corrosive coating. Nothings perfect and it's all point of view or opinion.

I hear what your saying but the same is true of a door or a rocker panel. Point is that moisture cannot get between a properly prepare Line-X and the steel anymore than it can between a properly prepared door panel and the paint. BOTH need the interior rust proofed to not rust from the inside out. Asphalt undercoating cracks and peels over time and allows moisture to get between the two. The coating and the steel. Mostly a matter of how well something adheres to the surface it is applied to.

JimCost2014 · March 5, 2021

You know, when I was growing up in a small farming community in NW Washington, we had a group/race that would "permanently borrow" the local kids bikes.

Their trick to "hide" the bikes was to spray paint the whole bike, wheels, tires, seat, frame, chain and spokes. The bikes seemed to weather well with a good coat of paint, so I would agree with GB's point.

dal1980 · March 5, 2021

I agree with his point, to a point. I believe common knowledge, and common sense is that any coating is only worth the preparation of the substrate its being applied to. The OP was asking about using it on the frame. I find it hard to believe an in-service frame could ever be prepped sufficiently enough to avoid failure of any bedliner (or paint) product. Too much factory installed undercoating, road grime, wires , fuel and brake lines etc. for any level of success in my opinion.