Help with bedliners, tonneaus and stuff

ToBNamedL8r · March 23, 2005

I just picked up my new (26 miles) 2500HD DuraMax LS 4 x 4 crew cab long bed.

I am considering rolling a Herculiner bedliner myself and am also looking at finding a tonneau I can install myself. Any advice.

Whooo hoooo!!!!! Humma Humma

kb

bobby5 · March 23, 2005

Id go with a drop in bed liner under the rail. I think they look the best and protect the best from dents. I saw numerous trucks with a spray in with big dents in the side of the and most of the trucks i saw with it the lining is peeling. Theres no way id do a spray in on a brand new truck. If your worried about it scrating your bed underneath you gonna have to sand all of it down to get a spray in. If your worried about rust the tonneau will keep the water from underneath it.

soccermom · March 23, 2005

My Line-X still looks mint 3 years on. There are some minor dents in the bed from tossing in heavy objects and a small, repairable cut from an idiot forklift driver. It has also held up to hauling my snowmobile which has a studded track and is ridden directly into/out of the bed without any sign of wear while the plastic tailgate cap is mauled.

lazer · March 23, 2005

When I bought my 02 HD I wanted a spray in bedliner. But there wasn't a dealer of any brand within 80 miles. I went with the drop in. Right after that a Rhino dealer opened just 2 miles from here. I said I would get the Rhino with this new truck. Ofcourse he went out of business a month before I bought this truck. The dealer sold me a Patriot bedliner for $150 and I'm real happy with it. Drop in or spray in can be a long continuous discussion both for and against. I think spray in's are as good as the person doing the job.

Shawn T · March 23, 2005

Get it sprayed on professionally. The roll-on applications look tacky. Especially on a brand new truck. You paid that much for the truck, what is another $450 to do it right. As for drop-ins. They are OK but make a bunch of noise, trap dirt and moisture between the bed and the liner, too slick, and they, in my opinion do not protect near as well as the spray-in. I can attest to that because I have had both.

tvandevelde · March 23, 2005

I prefer drop in liners because of dents. I have an Access tonneau and I love it. The supports roll up with the cover.

ToBNamedL8r · March 24, 2005

Okay, I'm convinced about commercial liner application of the liner (thanks) -- what about the tonnaeu. I'm looking at Access. Anyone else have a recommendation?

kb

MS3DALE · March 24, 2005

I love my EXTANG "Full-Tilt" I had the one with snaps and just recently got there new snapless one because it looks much cleaner on my truck.

If you've never seen one they look just like a regular cover and you can still "roll" it up if need be but it tilts at the very front of the bed so you get great access to anything in the bed,plus you can take the whole cover off in one piece in just a few seconds if need be.

Its the best thing I ever bought for my truck.

sxmax · March 24, 2005

Access Cover here. Just had my 4th one installed yesterday. I would not use anything different.

whitesnake01 · March 25, 2005

I put a Rhino liner into my 05. Looks great. No signs of peeling. Went over the sides and then dropped a cap over it the day after it cured. Would do it again.

Mattt · March 25, 2005

Get it sprayed on professionally. The roll-on applications look tacky. Especially on a brand new truck. You paid that much for the truck, what is another $450 to do it right. As for drop-ins. They are OK but make a bunch of noise, trap dirt and moisture between the bed and the liner, too slick, and they, in my opinion do not protect near as well as the spray-in. I can attest to that because I have had both.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ive never understood this, maybe because Ive never looked into spray in liners.......how does a spray in liner protect the bed from damage?

If I drop a heavy item in the back of the truck, will it not dent the bed with spray in liner? I dont see how spray in anything would protect from metal(crush) damage?

Or, how about if I pick up an axle for my 69 Bronco and slide it into the bed, will it peel up the sprayed in liner? Axle being heavy its not going to glide over the rough surface of the spray in liner.

Thanks

MS3DALE · March 25, 2005

Spray in liners do not protect from dents from heavy objects,I have seen a few trucks that we have sold here that the customers had spray in liners put in them and noticed dents in them and when I asked the customers about them they all said the same thing "The spray in didn't protect from dents" and yes one guy even said that he scraped his off a little when he was removing a piece of sheetmetal out of his bed.(And it was a Rhino Liner)

My solution...get a spray in to protect the paint from getting scuffed then put a drop in on top to protect from dents if you plan on hauling heavy stuff,I know its a bit pricey put I think its worth the extra protection.

And personally I don't like the way spray ons look,I think they look cheap.(Which at $400.00 to $450.00 there certainly not)

whitesnake01 · March 26, 2005

Ive never understood this, maybe because Ive never looked into spray in liners.......how does a spray in liner protect the bed from damage?

A spray in liner does not prevent dents or damage. It just increases the threshold. I have two friends who own and operate heavy machinery, which they service with full size pick ups. They throw all sorts of junk into their beds and they look fine to me. Both have tried drop in liners and would not go back again. They move around, shave paint off underneath and objects slide in the bed (as in flying forward at stop lights).

Not all spray in liners are the same. And not all dealers of a particular spray in liner are the same. It takes good prep work to lay them down. It is definitely a good idea to ask around for recommendations if you are planning a spray in.

oldredhat6 · March 26, 2005

Since you want a toneau cover, do you plan to use this as a work truck. I do not use mine for work and chose a bed rug. I am really impressed with this item, but I do not know if I wuld use it for work. My nephew works at a truck and trailer shop and they have one in their work truck. He says whenever it gets dirty they just high pressure wash it out and it still looks like new after 4 years. This option will not prevent from dents, if you want to haul heavy items though.

just a thought.....

r8rs4lf · March 26, 2005

I have my bed Line-X'ed over the rails with a Snugtop SL tonneau cover and love it. I don't really put anything too, too heavy back there, but I still wanted some protection. I went over the rails because just in case I had to put something in there that wouldn't fit in the bed, I could let it hang over the rail with no worries. Also, I know some people don't like the looks of "over the rails", but since I have the Snugtop SL, you don't even see it.

The Sungtop SL lid IMHO is the best hard tonneau cover out there currently. As you may or may not know, my Silverado SS has a different tailgate cap and the Snugtop SL lid fit right over the cap. I also have a remote control to open my lid from anywhere and I also had the place install a switched light under the cover for when I have to go in my bed at night. The remote is an option Snugtop offers, no one else has this.

Here is the remote for the lid.

Here is the light installed under the lid.

Late- Alex