Bedliner Comparison

miken69 · November 1999

I recently purchased a Nissan Frontier SE-V6 King
Cab. It comes with an underrail bedliner, but now
I am thinking I might want the overrail liner. Any
advice on which way to go.

mictro · November 1999

Spray in liners are the only way to go. You can get them over the rail and they look great. I am partial to the Line-X brand. Have it in my full size Dodge.

kjtg · November 1999

Don't go with over the rail if you plan on a topper. overrail dropin will mess up your rail also..

mgdvhman · November 1999

Drop-ins trash the top rails do to the fact the rail caps are attatched to the massive bed liner that is being shaken around constantly.

Get an under the rail with some kind of seperate rail caps...metal or plastic.

That way the caps won't move around as much...or at all!

Spray-ins are a great idea...but they are not quite there for protection yet.

Rhino is way too rubbery...and Line X...while being the better choice....still won't handle the abuse of a shovel or hard blows like a drop in will.

I have yet to hear anyone tell me an actual work story of a spray in getting used hard. Just stories of how they Look pretty...(I'm sure this is going to flare some people up!)

Good Luck

- Tim

rrichf · November 1999

miken69,
I've had all three. The drop in style expand and contract with temperature changes. They also bounce around. The over the rail type mess up the paint on the top of the rail and in the bed. The under the rail only mess up the paint in the bed. USUALLY (20 people will call me a liar but...) the paint only takes a beating where the edges of the liner rub the paint. In SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, the drop in liner move enough to keep rust from forming where the paint has rusted away. I can not speak for harsh winter areas of the country. I'm close to the "Salt Air" and neither truck rusted where the bed liner rubbed the paint off.

This time I went with the Line-X spray in. If you work at it, the liner will chip. I had to bounce a 100# lawn mower over the gap between tail gate and bed to chip mine. (Just after getting it sharpened.)

I prefer the spray in to the drop in type in all areas except friction. There is too much friction between the liner and load for my taste. Now when I toss a box in the bed, I can't slide it to the front of the bed without climbing in to the bed. A minor irritation.

If I had to do it over again, I would still go with the spray in.

Rich

mgdvhman · November 1999

Drop ins expand and contract enough to notice.

Good ones like a Duraliner...or a GM Liner (made by Duraliner)...don't change at all as far as the eye can tell.

it's all up to each his own i guess.

I've almost had myself convinced to go with both type of spray ins for the new truck....but still ended up with a Duraliner.

..Good old reliable I guess?

Can't teach an old dog.....

- Tim

shawnagren · November 1999

At work we had a '98 F-250 with a Line-X spray on. It was pretty though, but whenever somebody threw a pick axe or a shovel or something in, it would take a chip out of the liner. I personally think that a drop in liner would hold up much better to serious abuse (although stuff would slide around more). After about 6 month's the truck's body looked all pitted and scratched up. There were many spots where it was right down to the metal. However, most people won't abuse their truck like we did our work truck and the spray in would be fine for them. I personally am getting a Duraliner for my Dakota. Just my opinion. Shawn

RichinKs · November 1999

I only have experience with a factory drop-in liner my 97 Chevy. Its an under the rail and fits fine. No shifting that I can tell and what does it look like underneath? I don't know or care. And I doubt if the next buyer will check either. Only problem I have with it is its rough on old knees. I bought a 1/2 inch fitted rubber mat to put over it. So the liner has been protected too. I understand Duraliner makes the factory Chevy liners. I have visited with a aftermarket truck Parts Store and they sell Duraliner and Pentaliner. They claim quality of the duraliners is going downhill and reccomended the Pentaliner. Under the rail will be my choice again as I plan to install A Roll-N-Lock cover on my next truck. It has worked great on my Chevy and I will get another and it won't work with an over the rail liner. ...... Rich

mgdvhman · November 1999

you Duraliner is going down hill cuz they can make more money on an off brand.

The new one I just got is one nice piece of work Rich.

Off brands don't put enough time into them to make them fit the bed good. You end up losing space also.

Spray ins are a great idea....but more for the person who wants it for looks and light work.

I'm not a construction worker...but do abuse it often with shovels and large rocks from time to time.
Spray ins are more of a disco type....Drop ins are the true work hogs.

Good choice Shawn.

- Tim

RichinKs · November 1999

Tim I still havn't picked my liner (no rush), but why do you call pentaliner an off brand? It has received a few good comments on the privous bedliner list and some good reviews in mags. But I'll reserve my judgement until I see the two side by side. I've seen too many good products go down the tubes by management trying to make a killing off a good name. So I'm interested in how good these liners are now and not 3 years ago. But I'll count you as one vote for the current duraliner. How did you rate the two side by side? ..... Rich

mgdvhman · November 1999

Not that pentaliner is an "off" brand so to speak...but it's just not the king - Duraliner!

..Kinda like Kleenix and ordinary facial tissues..

The new duraliner I got is like an exact match of the metal bed...that fits perfectly.
Some off brands "angle" in from the inside/top bed rail towards the center of the bed...creating a narrower bed. Some just go straight from the bed rail inside...down to the floor...and sacrifice width.
I have strong feelings about some things....and this is one of them.
I'm sure off brands may hold up as well....I know...I have had one....but it sure didn't fit like a Duraliner...(or GM liner..same thing)

Yeah...it's $300 instead of $125...and they probably make more on the $125 than they do the $300....but I have always felt..you get what you pay for.

I don't mean to preach...Just trying to help.

Another thing....some under the rails are screwed to the sides to keep it in....The Duraliner is made to fit so exact...it has some "high" spots that "snap" into the bed under the rails ..so to speak. No screws..(except for the tailgate piece)

..Does that make sense?

If you like..I can take some pics and you can see the fit quality for yourself.

Good luck

- Tim

jepsonfam · December 1999

I have an '85 Ford F150 with a Duraliner in it. I put it in shortly after I bought the truck new. Still going strong after TONS of firewood, gravel, horse manure, hay, equipment and Lord knows what else. It is overthe rail and has scratched/rubbed off some paint but no big deal to me at this point. It's paid for!! I used to live in MD and had the salt treatment around. But to the best of my knowledge the bed is still there, it hasn't rusted away. I haven't pulled the liner out for about 14 years. The tailgate is starting to go with rust but hey it's 15 years old. I'm buying a new truck (F350 SD) and it won't get the rough treatment like the 150 which I'm keeping, so I'm thinking about the Line-X and possibly the BedRug instead.

white6 · December 1999

I purchased a Pendaliner SR for my 2K Sierra SLE after comparing side-by-side (my dealer also sells factory GMC liners to a GMC dealer across the street). The dealer wanted $225 for the "factory" liner and I paid $160 for the Pendaliner. It looked indentical except for the lack of a GMC logo embossed in it. You might visit Penda's web site (www.pendacorp.com) and read about them before you decide.

vince4 · December 1999

I put in a Tuffliner because it is shaped like the bottom of the bed, it doesn't have those little ridges like all the others.

Unfortunately it sucks. It is bowed up in the center rear and won't sit flat. I kept a 6x6 on it for a month and that didn't do it. I glued it down with silicon glue and it pulled loose due to movement with temperature. This thing grows and shrinks by easily 1/4 inch in length just from moderate nights to sunny days. Makes me so sick I'll probably end up with a Line-X.

mgdvhman · December 1999

....Duraliner or No liner...

(For drop ins..)

- Tim

bmckenzie · December 1999

I had factory Under Rail Bedliners installed in both my Dodge Rams, neither one warped and we have extreme weather in Missouri at times. I don't have to worry about throwing my 3 ton Floor jack or a 4" Drop Hitch in the back of my truck, with a Spray in Liner I would have to worry about chipping. I had Rhino Liners installed in my (2) 1 ton GMC's at work, and both have been chipped and dented. I have had some serious gouges taken out of my Drop in Liners from tools or sharp metal objects, if you haul dirt or sand it pays to pull out the liner about twice a year and clean the bed and possibly touch up the paint.......Bill

z71bill · January 2000

If you have a new style GM truck and you want to add the POP LOCK tail gate lock do it before you get the liner sprayed on. You have to remove the middle inside bolt on the tail gate when you install the lock. The kit comes with a replacement bolt (longer that original I think). I had the Spray on liner put on the first week of ownership and now wish I had put the lock on first.

I like the spray on liner - If it gives me any problem I will just put a drop in over it.. A cheap drop in is only $99 and I do not think the extra 1/4 inch of space the spray on takes up would cause any clearance problems.

Has any one tried this?

meredith · February 2000

After 30 or more days of inactivity....

this topic is being "frozen". It will be archived or deleted in the next 10 days or so.

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