Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Opinions wanted on pickup bedliners

lonesomeduvlonesomeduv Member Posts: 50
edited March 2014 in Dodge
Any thoughts on which type are best? The plastic "tub" type? The "spray-in"?

Also, is it better to get a bedliner in the aftermarket or from the dealer when the truck is purchased?
Tagged:

Comments

  • vwracervwracer Member Posts: 90
    I would never put in a plastic bed liner. I have seen many trucks over the years that were all rusted out in the bed because water gets trapped between the bed and bed liner.
  • jaguar0027jaguar0027 Member Posts: 387
    With a little TLC like taking it out and cleaning waxing every so often, you will not get any rust. Don't get me wrong, I think the spray ins are a good idea however they do not stand up to heavy use as a drop in does.

    Just my .02 cents...
  • tomh12tomh12 Member Posts: 240
    I have a Line-X spray liner that is getting close to 2 years old. It has held up VERY well. I do have a rubber mat in the bottom of my bed. Had a drop-in in my previous truck and had a rubber mat in the bottom, also...kept the dogs and other things from sliding around so much. Drop-in will take more abuse from sharp objects, heavy stones/blocks, shovels etc, without damage and add that second layer that some cheap imports don't offer. Some dealers have a discount from spray-in dealers. Drop-ins offered by car manufacturers are usually made by the same companies that market their own brands. It's nice to have "GM" or "Ford" embossed in the drop-in, but not worth the extra they charge for them, IMHO.
    What will you be using your truck bed for? I like the looks of the spray-in but respect the toughness of the drop-in.
    Tom
  • lonesomeduvlonesomeduv Member Posts: 50
    I'll just be using it for light hauling around town. Nothing major for the most part - trips to Home Depot, trash to the dump, occasional furniture - that sort of thing.

    I'm thinking maybe all I need is one of those rubber mats. I've always liked the way you can just roll them in and out when you need to.
  • mjbwrtrmjbwrtr Member Posts: 172
    you can do what i did. i went to auto zone and bought 6 cans of that "spray liner" stuff, it comes in an aerosol. i taped up the bed where i didnt want overspray, and laid it on thick on the sides and wheel wells. then i put a thinner coat on the bottom of the bed and laid a 3/4" thick rubber mat, available at Tractor Supply for about 60 bucks. so for around a hundred bucks, i got a REALLY nice setup that looks nice. its more than enough for light jobs like you describe, and there are several colors of spray, red, white, black, and i think others. check into it. the trickiest part was cutting the rubber to fit the wheel wells, and all you have to do is carefully cut and peel, until it fits. use a razor blade or similar thin blade. good luck, and dont be scared to screw up, i was, and i was then amazed at how easy it was to make it look good.
  • mjbwrtrmjbwrtr Member Posts: 172
    the spray is self-healing, so if you DO eventually scratch through any part of it, buy another can for 6 bucks and fill it in. it works great, no complaints from me!
  • losangelesemtlosangelesemt Member Posts: 279
    I've always liked the drop ins/hard plastic as it was easier to slide things in and out. I know one of the pros of spray in is that is keeps objects a little more stable/less slide. The guy down the street was telling me that its actually kind of a pain sometimes because things dont slide very well at all when you want them to, like rocks, concrete bags, heavy objects etc. . To anyone thats used both, wondering if theres really that much difference ???
  • tomh12tomh12 Member Posts: 240
    There really is a LOT of difference in the COF between the two. I put a rubber mat in my drop-in because everything slid around, including my dogs when we went to the beach. A cooler in the drop-in will slide wildly! I put a piece of plywood down if I want to slide something with my spray-in.
    Tom
  • white250white250 Member Posts: 68
    I,ve had 96' & 99' dodge rams with bedliners at the end of the leases I removed the bedliners and could not believe how much paint was gone off the bed in three years. I did use this trucks for construction and the drop-in liners did hold up well. When I purchased my new F-250, I did some research on spray-in bedliners and found the Rhino liner to be the best.So I had it put in and like it much better than the drop in.It has a lifetime warranty agaist just about anything that happens to it!!. Plus I gained about two more inches in my bed with the spray-in verse the plastic drop-in. As for sliding objects in an out, the Rhino liner is rubber so things do stay put. I have a 6.5 bed and cost me $300. Sometimes they have special coupons at their website...... rhinolinings.com
  • losangelesemtlosangelesemt Member Posts: 279
    but the costs seem pretty close to each other ???
  • pushplaypushplay Member Posts: 52
    going with the BEDRUG as soon as they have one for my 2002 RAM. I think it will be great for what my use will be. I have two dogs that it will give cushion two and my 19 month old son loves to play in it. Somebody had given a web site that was the cheapest that I have found, but I can't remember the site now. Most places want 349 for them, but this site had them for 249.
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    have both

    spray in in my silverado with an open bed and a plastic drop in in my dads S-10 with a cap.

    The plastic one is a PITA cause things slide all over the place. I have never had any problems pushing concrete bags or anything around in the bed.

    also even with the cap under the drop in the bed is slightly rusting in places
  • twowheelertwowheeler Member Posts: 89
    For the people that have had problems with the underside rust - do you live in an area that rains alot or is high humidity? What I'm getting at is that maybe a drop in is more suitable for "desert" type enviros like LA or Nevada where it doesn't rain so often or where you don't wash the truck as much so as not to get water under the drop in liner. Or is the rust in the places were the liner rubbed off the paint? I'm curious because I had a drop in in my former Nissan PU and never checked under the drop in, so I don't know. I like Jaguar's tip on cleaning and waxing the bed periodically. I'll have to try that on my new ride. But I'll still have to accept the wear/scuff spots in the paint where the liner rubs.
  • jdtopperjdtopper Member Posts: 58
    much more convenient for loading/unloading the bed. Slippage isn't much of an issue with the drop-in if you position your load properly. I made two partitions out of 2x4's to drop into pre-molded slots in the walls of my liner. I put the load between the partitions to keep it from moving around. There are several slot locations in the walls of the liner, so the partitions are adjustable.

    Also, I find that drop-ins are easier to clean than the spray-in type, and they don't absorb petroleum products if you happen to have a spill.
  • lariat1lariat1 Member Posts: 461
    What I ended up doing is buying the spray cans from Napa for the spray in bed liner and then I threw my drop in on top of it. I ended up with the best of both worlds.
    Also I found out the hard way that iff you plan to haul 55 gallon berrels of gas put something over a spray in bed liner, my last truck made a trip back in to the dealer to have a section re-sprayed after a berrel scraped about 8" of liner off.
  • akjbmwakjbmw Member Posts: 231
    When I bought my truck (used) the dealer had installed a drop-in liner to hide the existing marred finish of the bed.
    It was about three months before I removed the liner (over the rail) to install a shell. I was very surprised at the amount of paint that had been rubbed off by the liners movement. No rust (dry and dusty Nevada air), just shiny metal. I was not positively impressed. In the SouthEast US, it might well have been rusted.
    I have installed a Bedrug and like it a lot. Very nice on my old knees.
    Perhaps a removal of the drop in once a year to spray the paintless areas with the canned spray-in and a plan to have the whole bed sprayed at the time you sell it for appearance sake would work. Maybe the drop-in will look good enough to leave as is.
    'Course, if someone bends it for you more than it's worth to repair, the issue is no longer an issue... ;-)
  • tomh12tomh12 Member Posts: 240
    My Line-X has had 55 gallon drums slid, pushed, pulled, rolled and spilled without causing the slightest damage. What kind of spray-in did you have in your last truck?
    Tom
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    113,000 miles. No rust under drop in...and I'm surrounded by salt water.
  • lariat1lariat1 Member Posts: 461
    I had the Rhino,at least they filled it in without any hesitation but it was a pain to set the time aside to get it done. One of the other things I did not like was that you couldnt slide snot across the rhino liner I had but other than that I like the Rhino.
  • tomh12tomh12 Member Posts: 240
    That is one of the strong points of the Line-X. It is not a "slick" as a drop-in, but you can slide things on it when you want. Seems to be a "harder" finish than the Rhino. Like the Rhino, it can be touched up if necessary.
    Tom
  • txyank1txyank1 Member Posts: 1,010
    when I bought it with 3250 miles on it. It had a drop-in which I didn't wan't so had them remove it. I was surprised at how scuffed it was in only 3200 miles. No rust, but really scuffed over wheelwells the front bed lip, as well as the floor.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    and amount of paint used in your bed. If the exterior is any indication, the amount of paint GM uses in the bed of their trucks has got to be less than the one coat on the extrior.. hmmm, how do you apply a half a coat? very thinly.

    My Nissan showed no scuffs, nor had any indications of the paint wearing through to the metal with over 11 years of service with a drop in liner. The bed does have a couple of holes though where I had previously mounted equipment.
  • whatsachevywhatsachevy Member Posts: 136
    I had a drop-in liner in my '91 Ford F-150. I have a Line-X spray-in liner in my '01 Chevy 2500HD. In my opinion, there is no comparison. I will never have another drop-in liner. It was pretty tough, but too slick and looks like crap after a while (sun makes them warp and it is hell keeping the tailgate screws in tact). It is also difficult to tie things up as the drop-in I had did not allow very good access to the postrail holes. The Line-X will allow things to slide but not nearly as bad as the drop-in. They are a little pricey ($439 over-the-rail shortbed), but they are warrantied for life. So far, no problem with tearing or staining (mine is black). I have hauled chunks of broken concrete that had to be loaded with a bobcat. It took two people to scoot them out the back. There was not a single marred place in the liner. I like the looks of the Line-X liner much better than the Rhino, but I do not have any experience with the Rhino. If you get the Line-X, you won't be disappointed.
  • losangelesemtlosangelesemt Member Posts: 279
    $450 or so for a Line-X, for some of us that use the back of our trucks a lot, it's more than worth it. I'll have to keep Line-X in mind for upcoming truck. I like being able to beat the heck out of the drop ins and how well things slide, big things at least. Was kind of worried the Rhino wouldn't allow for much movement at all, thinking the Line-X might make a good compromise.
  • txyank1txyank1 Member Posts: 1,010
    (wooden bed floor) I bought a fiberglass Cartop carrier and bolted it to the floor of the bed. Viola..instant trunk. Although I never did, it could be locked with a padlock.
  • warfishwarfish Member Posts: 117
    I have seen a truck with a sprayed in Ultimate liner and it looks and feels very good. The owner is very pleased with it. Has anyone out there had any experience with this product? It's about the only spray in that I can get done within 50 miles of my house.
  • mdb176mdb176 Member Posts: 5
    the Paintsaver mats from paintsaver.net with their drop-in liner? I may give this a try in my new truck or go with a spray in.
  • hernahernahernaherna Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2001 Silverado and had the Line-X spray in process. I was at the California State Fair last summer and one merchant was selling Line-X. He had a tail gate with half Rhino and half Line-X.

    Rhino: Shiny, soft looking and feel
    Line-X: Non-shiny look, hard look and feel.

    I have a friend in town who does the Line-X and he told me Line-X is applied with a process using heat and a higher psi application, while Rhino is applied using a cold process and a lower psi application. He also mentioned Line-X has a better mix of polymers and other additives so it sticks better and lasts longer to the wear and tear. So far, he's right.

    I went with Line-X and have beat the snot out of it and it keeps taking the hits. I had a 1998 Nissan trucka nd it had the regular drop in liner.
    I need all of the room I can get in the back, and the Line-X gives me up to 4 inches more room on each side because it's form fitting. The drop in is concave and takes up more room on the bottom of the bed.

    If you can afford it, go with Line-X
  • losangelesemtlosangelesemt Member Posts: 279
    Hey I kind of shyed away from the Rhino because I was worried things wouldn't slide much at all. I know having a non slide surface is an advantage for lots of things, but I'm wondering if the Line-X surface is a little more slideable than Rhino. I like the traditional hard drop ins because things will move around easier, i.e. heavy appliances or loads of lumber, rocks, etc. Wouldn't mind getting a good compromise between the drop ins and Rhino, maybe line-X ???
  • wcaspersonwcasperson Member Posts: 2
    I just got rid of my last truck after owning it for seven years. I had Rhino put in it when it was new. It did need some retouching on the sides of the bed before I traded it in. It withstood several years of Houston heat, and then several years of whatever you want to call this stuff in Seattle. I had Line-X put in my new truck. It is quite a bit thicker than the Rhino. It is also easier to slide stuff on it.
  • dch0300dch0300 Member Posts: 472
    wcasperson,
    We call that weather here in Seattle liquid sunshine, unless it is during the last week in August and first week September when it IS actually sunshine.

    I got black Line-X put in my truck over 1 year ago for $495 (short bed over the rail), and I've not been disappointed nor have any regrets at all. It has held up really well under loads of lumber, gravel, and abuse that my 5 year old son can inflict. It seems to be durable enough to withstand most impacts, abrasive enough to prevent any significant sliding of items, and smooth enough to allow some sliding of items when needed. I also did not encounter any problems when I installed my Adrian Steel single lid cross-over aluminum box over it.

    Over the long term, I'll have wait and see just how well it handles moss build up from living here in the Pacific Northwest. :)
  • losangelesemtlosangelesemt Member Posts: 279
    also consistently rated one of the top healthiest cities in US every year. Things considered being general lifestyles, air, water, traffic, availability of medical services, unemployment, etc etc ... the people seem to like that place ... never been there but I'm thinking a visit is in order. I know down here in LA the sun is always supposed to be shining right ?? Well maybe so, but its just so hard to see it through all that smog !!!

    Definitely thinking of trying the Line X now, thanks for the input fellas.
  • dch0300dch0300 Member Posts: 472
    I've been living here (Everett WA) for almost 12 years now. Moved up here after living in Oxnard CA for 2 years. The biggest immediate change for me was learning how to drive up here after living in southern CA. When the traffic is moving, it is very common here for people to stay in the left lane on the freeway and drive 55-60 mph. So I had to learn to SLOW IT DOWN A BIT and learn to pass on the right.

    Here in Everett the water is extremely good tasting, and because of massing water reservoirs we never have a water shortage in the summer. I can ski, scuba dive, go fishing (fresh & salt water), crabbing, rock climbing, hiking, etc all within 60 miles of here.

    My house will be paid off in 13 years, so I'll probably just stay here and retire in 24 years and live here the rest of my life.

    http://www.everettwa.org/
  • jcave1jcave1 Member Posts: 137
    No stop that. You're giving away our Northwest secrets. Remember now, it rains all the time, it's cold, and the people are anything but friendly.

    Truth be told the Northwest is great. While we don't have many beaches, the coast is gourgeous and about an hour away. Mountains are also an hour away. Now I'm doing it. Did I mention micro breweries? Dang.

    All the best and welcome to the great Northwest.

    Jerry
  • dch0300dch0300 Member Posts: 472
    Hi neighbor!!
    What are your License to Carry Concealed Pistol laws in OR?
    In WA we can carry them, so that is another secret.....extremely hard to do it legally in CA.
    What Portland needs is a major league baseball team.
    I lost interest in basketball years ago, so the only I-5 rivalry I'm currently interested in is the Western Hockey League (Thunderbirds vs. Winter Hawks). It would be cool to have a MLB rivalry.

    I probably should try to stick to this sites topic................still like my Line-X.
  • jcave1jcave1 Member Posts: 137
    Unfortuneatly I can't speak to the concealed weapons permit to any degree. Lots of folks have them though. From what I hear, it doesn't take much, a class, and a reason such as carrying lots of cash. Lots of buddies have them but so far I've not needed one. That could be changing though.

    I certainly agree, Portland needs baseball. We've got a decent facility, it houses a minor league team. While I'm not a big baseball follower, all the BS within basketball has taken a toll. Not sure where the biggest problem is with basketball here, think it's lousy management. Once in a while a vendor will offer game tickets, I always pass anymore, it's that bad. Western hockey is affordable and very entertaining. Something you can take your entire family too and still have a few bucks in your pocket. Those kids can play, man o man.

    If we get out of line with improper postings, the admins will straighten us up. PF_Flyer is out there watching.

    By the way, my family moved from the Texas panhandle in 1957, I was five. Except for an eight year stint in uncles Air Force, Oregon has been my home. Wife is rare, she's an Oregon native.

    Jerry
  • slorenzenslorenzen Member Posts: 694
    I have a Line-X that i've beat up pretty well, with no residual marking.

    I also have a conceal permit. Oregon is a "shall issue" state, in other words, unless you have a felony conviction in your past, you qualify for the permit. You can take the handgun safety course, then apply at your local sheriff's office. Permit is $65 every 4 years..
  • markbuckmarkbuck Member Posts: 1,021
    I use Penda Bed Mat, big ol rubber mat. $70 or so, Cabelas.
This discussion has been closed.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles