Bed Liner

[MarkG]

I spent some time this weekend looking into bed liners.  When I started out I thought it was a simple decision but now I am confused and need some advise.  First I was looking into the typical drop in style.  Well I was informed that the protect worked well but it will rub all of the paint off the bed.  Then I looked into some of the spray on/roll on liners.  Rhino liner looked like a great product but my god, ? bucks is a little more than I wanted to spend.  Herculiner seemed like a good product as well, much more in my range, ? bucks and you do it yourself.  However they tried to steer me away from that saying they did not have alot of luck with Herculiner.  Apprently you have to do alot of prep work to the bed to get the liner to stick once you roll it on.  I am certainly not opposed to devoting what ever time I need to my truck, but if Herculiner is just a crappy product then I don't want to waste my time.  I guess I am looking for advise on which product everyone else has had luck with?

[DigUout]

I also went round and round trying to chose between a drop in or spray on. Like anything, there are pros and cons to both as you mentioned.  Drop ins can scratch paint, warp and fade without a topper and you lose a little space.  Spray ons can bubble, fade and chip too.  Plus if you don't like it, you're looking at serious labor to have them removed.

 I finally made a choice based on what would be most appealing to me now and easiest to repair/replace when I sell my truck down the road. I bought a simple rubber bed mat (?) which protects the floor for now.  I tow more often than I haul, so I don't expect the rest of the bed to get scratched up.  But if it does get severely scratched, I'll probably buy a new drop in before I list it.

 I know it's confusing, but if you're set on one of the two,  I'd say for working, a drop in.  For showing, a spray on.

[Guest Friz]

Ah, my favorite subject..

I put a Herculiner in my bed three years ago. I love it. It has shown some wear and needs to be touched up in places, due to the fact that I am very abusive to my bed. The prep work takes time. Plan on spending the entire day on this project.

1) I scuffed the bed with a wire brush and a drill instead of scotchbrite. It made more sense to me.

2) get a lot of MEK. The directions call for a pint. I used a quart and a half.

3) Paint the stuff on in FULL SUN! A garage is way too dark. I did my second coat inside due to rain and missed some spots. This stuff is dark!

4) Use all the Herculiner you buy. It won't keep. If you've painted everything twice, do the bed floor again with the leftover.

I ended up investing a total of ?.00 for an eight foot bed.

I need to do mine again due to wear, but I am really happy with it. Nothing will slide in your bed. If you fall, it will take skin off.

If you are nice to your truck bed, it will last forever.

[RyanbabZ71]

I think the rhino was well worth the ? i paid.  I really like it takes alot of abuse also

Check out my site for pics of it

 

[Jpshostr]

I second the bed mat that was said above.  Works quite well in ours.  If you do go that route be sure to get the tailgate protector too.

Stay clear away from the dropin.  Those things are way to slick to haul anything in.  Every time you turn a corner whatever you have in the bed will slide around and slam into the side of the bed.  The bed mat or spray on coating at least have some grip to them, so things will stay put better.

[The Beav]

Call me the odd man out, but I like my Penda drop-in.  I like the fact that things slide, it makes it easier to get things in and out.  I just lash everything down once I get it in.  Also, my Penda has slots that I stick 2x6's in to section off the bed for smaller stuff that doesn't tie down well, yet I don't want sliding all over.  Everything in life is a compromise, and I'm willing to deal with some rubbed paint for this liner.  That's my $.02...

[MountaineerTom]

Welcome to the site Beav.  

[The Beav]

Thanks Mountaineer.  Happy to be here.  Nice site.  Good info exchange.

[brax71]

Your choice should be based on what you're using the truck for.  Many times, i've heard the expression "you don't put mink on a skunk."  if you're going to use the truck as a truck, don't waste the money to have someone spray the stuff in, it'll just get scratched off eventually anyway and you'll be out that much more.  i don't like the idea of a drop in.  it's too easy for water, leaves and other assorted junk to work its way up under there and do all kinds of nasty, rusty work.  I'm a strong proponent of Herculiner -- not only is it a great product, you get the pride of doing it yourself instead of paying someone else to mess with your truck.  I've never heard anyone with a negative experience with herculiner.  

heard a rumor that Sam's club had the stuff on sale for like ?...  makes it even more attractive, huh??

if you chose the herculiner...

1.  TAKE YOUR TIME!!!!!  The devil is in the details, so to speak.  Tape off anything that you don't want lined -- tie downs, bed rails, etc. (preferably double tape it to be sure)  it's a personal choice, but make the choice yourself instead of having it made for you by accident!

2.  wear long sleeves and rubber gloves.  the stuff is a beast to get off of your skin.

3.  Allow the first coat to dry COMPLETELY before putting the second one on.  if it's still wet, it won't bond as well.

4.  I've heard that more than 2 coats and it starts having a difficult time adhering, but that's hear-say.

5.  Do the prep work carefully.  make sure any rust is gone and that the area to be lined is extra-clean!

6.  "They" tried to steer you away from hercliner so as to sell you something more expensive.

[Sierra Sam]

I personally prefer the spray-in type.  I have the Rhino, which I bought on sale for ?.  If you go with the drop-in type, they make a product that goes underneath it to keep it from scratching the paint, but I can't remember what its called.  

The BedRug is also a very nice looking product installed, but its longevity might be suspect if you haul a lot of dirt, gravel, etc.