DIY pickup bed cover that will carry a load.
- Thread starter strantor
- Start date
- Views: 25095
sodamo
Super Star Member
- Joined
- May 20, 2004
- Messages
- 18,487
- Location
- Big Island, HI
- Tractor
- Bobcat CT4545 LS XR4140H (Mine) BX2380 (wife’s)
Probably not DYI, but might be worth getting a quote.
linex.com
Color Matched Spray-On Bedliners | XTRA | LINE-X
LINE-X XTRA combines all the protection of our best-in-class bedliners with unique color customization to stand out from the crowd.
MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
- Messages
- 66,209
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
Thanks, I submitted a RFQ.Probably not DYI, but might be worth getting a quote.
Color Matched Spray-On Bedliners | XTRA | LINE-X
LINE-X XTRA combines all the protection of our best-in-class bedliners with unique color customization to stand out from the crowd.
Line-x quoted me $1,150 to spray the bed cover. That's 2-3 times what I was expecting and 4 times what I am willing to pay. So I'll be doing it myself, as with most things, can't seem break out of that mindset.
I ordered this Raptor tintable spray-in bed liner kit and acid etch primer they recommend for bare aluminum. I'll stop by a local automotive paint store and get them to mix me up some tint for my color code. We will see how it goes....
I ordered this Raptor tintable spray-in bed liner kit and acid etch primer they recommend for bare aluminum. I'll stop by a local automotive paint store and get them to mix me up some tint for my color code. We will see how it goes....
Midniteoyl
Super Member
- Joined
- May 20, 2013
- Messages
- 5,140
- Location
- N. W. Indiana
- Tractor
- Kioti CK3510SE HST, Ford 3400, Gizmow ZTR, Simplicity 7016H
Raptor would be my recommendation as well.
Gem99ultra
Elite Member
While your cover really looks neat, and by the way - SUPER job on the fab work, my knees get weak when I think about you stacking a pallet load of brick on top.
I suspect nobody on here has tried such a project but my guess is that your side rails are going to crumple like a sheet of paper when you drop that kind of load on top. If you've ever seen some of those replacement side panels sold by auto restoration suppliers, you'll see that they're really light weight. Any consideration to adding supports from the lid down to the frame?
Of course, the safety aspect of carrying a 2000# load that high has its many dangers. No doubt you've already considered all that. I truly hope this project works out as you planned. You have many many hours of labor and expense to simply let it fail. Hopefully you'll have addressed all of the above concerns and suggestion by the knowledgeable folks on here. Final report, whether good or bad, and pictures will be appreciated by all.
I suspect nobody on here has tried such a project but my guess is that your side rails are going to crumple like a sheet of paper when you drop that kind of load on top. If you've ever seen some of those replacement side panels sold by auto restoration suppliers, you'll see that they're really light weight. Any consideration to adding supports from the lid down to the frame?
Of course, the safety aspect of carrying a 2000# load that high has its many dangers. No doubt you've already considered all that. I truly hope this project works out as you planned. You have many many hours of labor and expense to simply let it fail. Hopefully you'll have addressed all of the above concerns and suggestion by the knowledgeable folks on here. Final report, whether good or bad, and pictures will be appreciated by all.
Thanks. I brought this up in post #7 and the next 4 pages were mostly on that topic. I won't be loading anything heavy up there until I come up with some kind of internal support that transmits the load from the bed cover down into the frame, instead of the bed walls. It will be something that folds up or comes out when not in use. And the center of gravity issue is something I'm cognizant of. I will have to experiment with different loads of different heights and get a feel for how much is too much.
Got the paint yesterday to tint the bed liner. You have to special order the paint and when you do, you have to specify that it's tint only, no binders or fillers or other stuff they usually put in paint. All that other stuff apparently constitutes most of the volume of the paint, and the tint is the most expensive part. So when I told the lady at Tasco paint what I wanted, she said she would do it but she would have to charge me for a quart ($132) when I was only getting a pint. Frustrated, I just said "OK, do it." I have too much on my plate, didn't feel like dropping it all to shop around for a better price.
The cost of the bed liner kit plus the tint is now equal to what I was expecting to pay someone else to do the job, labor plus materials. So I guess a I had an unrealistic expectation of the fair price of spray-in/on bed liner. I've seen guys paint their whole trucks in the stuff. They must have more money than they know what to do with.
The cost of the bed liner kit plus the tint is now equal to what I was expecting to pay someone else to do the job, labor plus materials. So I guess a I had an unrealistic expectation of the fair price of spray-in/on bed liner. I've seen guys paint their whole trucks in the stuff. They must have more money than they know what to do with.
Life has been getting in the way of my project(s)! Didn't get a chance to do the bed liner application until Independence Day, and then, I didn't get past priming before I had to go take care of other things. Just today got to mix & spray the bed liner.
I am disappointed. More with myself than with the Raptor bedliner kit. If I had done the math it would have been obvious that this kit comes nowhere close to matching the thickness of a professional spray-in bed liner (.100"-.200") and that this stuff is marketed to the "I want my entire jeep sprayed in bed liner" crowd. Those guys get what they want out of it and leave glowing reviews. The pictures posted for these glowing reviews seem a whole lot more relevant now than they did before.
The $1,150 that line-x quoted me was for a .125" thickness. The 4-quart raptor kit is marketed as an adequate solution for entirely coating a typical truck bed (I assumed to a thickness around 1/8") and I figured since my bed cover is that same size, minus sidewalls, I would either end up with 1 quart unused or spray all of it and have something around 150% of typical thickness, or about 3/16" thickness. Nope. Sprayed all 4 quarts and got maybe .050" at the thickest. In retrospect the math indicates I would have needed around 4-5 gallons depending on how much evaporates, to reach that thickness.
I am surprised there aren't more 1-star reviews from guys who bought this bed liner kit with intent to actually line their bed with it, and found it shockingly thin. I hope it‘s at least as durable as a thinly-sprayed professional bed liner would be.
I cannot recommend this Raptor product for anyone who actually wants to use it for its namesake purpose. However if you want your entire jeep sprayed in bed liner, this is probably perfect. Maybe if you bought 5 kits and sprayed them back-to-back-to-back in a truck bed it would be ok, but honestly just take it to Line-x and have them do it. I now realize that what they quoted me was actually a good price.
The color match of the tinted raptor is OK I think, maybe a little dark, will confirm after a few days when I put it on the truck. The metallic flake does not pop out like it does in regular paint; really you can't see it all. they might as well have not even mixed it in.
I've made the conscious decision to just be happy with it. It looks good (enough) (barely), will be durable (at least more durable than bare aluminum) and it seals the seams in the aluminum. I'm approaching the finish line and not going to change course so this will just be something I "live with," no point in being bitter about it.
...but, man, I was really counting on that thick bedliner to hide the gnarly seams in the aluminum. This thin stuff (from certain angles) actually makes it look worse! You can even see the screw heads through it! ... but enough of that, we are staying positive... yes, happy thoughts.... happy thoughts...
I am disappointed. More with myself than with the Raptor bedliner kit. If I had done the math it would have been obvious that this kit comes nowhere close to matching the thickness of a professional spray-in bed liner (.100"-.200") and that this stuff is marketed to the "I want my entire jeep sprayed in bed liner" crowd. Those guys get what they want out of it and leave glowing reviews. The pictures posted for these glowing reviews seem a whole lot more relevant now than they did before.
The $1,150 that line-x quoted me was for a .125" thickness. The 4-quart raptor kit is marketed as an adequate solution for entirely coating a typical truck bed (I assumed to a thickness around 1/8") and I figured since my bed cover is that same size, minus sidewalls, I would either end up with 1 quart unused or spray all of it and have something around 150% of typical thickness, or about 3/16" thickness. Nope. Sprayed all 4 quarts and got maybe .050" at the thickest. In retrospect the math indicates I would have needed around 4-5 gallons depending on how much evaporates, to reach that thickness.
I am surprised there aren't more 1-star reviews from guys who bought this bed liner kit with intent to actually line their bed with it, and found it shockingly thin. I hope it‘s at least as durable as a thinly-sprayed professional bed liner would be.
I cannot recommend this Raptor product for anyone who actually wants to use it for its namesake purpose. However if you want your entire jeep sprayed in bed liner, this is probably perfect. Maybe if you bought 5 kits and sprayed them back-to-back-to-back in a truck bed it would be ok, but honestly just take it to Line-x and have them do it. I now realize that what they quoted me was actually a good price.
The color match of the tinted raptor is OK I think, maybe a little dark, will confirm after a few days when I put it on the truck. The metallic flake does not pop out like it does in regular paint; really you can't see it all. they might as well have not even mixed it in.
I've made the conscious decision to just be happy with it. It looks good (enough) (barely), will be durable (at least more durable than bare aluminum) and it seals the seams in the aluminum. I'm approaching the finish line and not going to change course so this will just be something I "live with," no point in being bitter about it.
...but, man, I was really counting on that thick bedliner to hide the gnarly seams in the aluminum. This thin stuff (from certain angles) actually makes it look worse! You can even see the screw heads through it! ... but enough of that, we are staying positive... yes, happy thoughts.... happy thoughts...
sodamo
Super Star Member
- Joined
- May 20, 2004
- Messages
- 18,487
- Location
- Big Island, HI
- Tractor
- Bobcat CT4545 LS XR4140H (Mine) BX2380 (wife’s)
Sorry you didn’t get the hoped for results. I do hope it proves to be durable.
Me too, I am optimistic about the durability, haven't read any complaints about that aspect of it, and I put more effort into prep than I ever have on any other project. My painting projects usually turn marginally acceptable because I don't have the patience for meticulous prep, but I forced myself through it on this one because of how much money the materials represented and how publicly visible the results will be. If it doesn't hold up, I'll have all the justification I need to hang the blame squarely on Raptor's shoulders; not that it would be of any consequence, but I would feel better.
I found myself unable to "just live with it" and decided to suck it up and spend the money for some more unreasonably expensive automotive paint tint and a couple more gallons of the Raptor bed liner, and spray over what I sprayed last week for a thicker coating. I had the Raptor stuff in my Amazon cart but before clicking "place order" I called U-Pol tech support to inquire if there is anything that needs to be done to prep the surface of the liner I already sprayed before spraying more on top of it, as they sell several other products including "adhesion promoter" and other prep products which I might need, and wanted to order everything at once. What they said is that it's not the same stuff as the bed liners you get sprayed 1/8"-1/4" thick, and wasn't ever meant to be sprayed that thick, and if you do spray it that thick, it will crack. So, bittersweet; they saved me the money I was about to spend, but delivered me the bad news that I am in fact committed to what I have right now, which is not what I wanted. This is what I get for being a cheapskate and a too-ambitious DIYer who doesn't fully research things before pulling triggers.
jonsstihl
Veteran Member
Your honesty is much appreciated. It is sometimes hard to admit when we screw up but If it saves one person from making the same mistake it will have been worth it.
Nice fab work though it will definitely keep your stuff more secure in the bed.
Nice fab work though it will definitely keep your stuff more secure in the bed.
sodamo
Super Star Member
- Joined
- May 20, 2004
- Messages
- 18,487
- Location
- Big Island, HI
- Tractor
- Bobcat CT4545 LS XR4140H (Mine) BX2380 (wife’s)
Enjoy it for what it is.
Was in town the other day and a Gen 1 Ridgeline was alongside, totally covered in black Line X, even a Line X emblem on fender.
Was admiring the attention to detail. Like various pieces must have been removed and painted. No place did a seam appear filled in.
It sure held the dirt though, lot of mud splatter.
Was in town the other day and a Gen 1 Ridgeline was alongside, totally covered in black Line X, even a Line X emblem on fender.
Was admiring the attention to detail. Like various pieces must have been removed and painted. No place did a seam appear filled in.
It sure held the dirt though, lot of mud splatter.
That's the idea. I don't enjoy publicly making a fool of myself, but my mistake is an easy one to make. There is not a lot of this kind of information out there. If you Google Raptor liner you'll find all kinds of instructional posts and videos on how to mix it, spray it, prep, etc, all the technical stuff, but for some reason all these resources start at step 2, when step 1 is understanding exactly what you're buying. Prior to purchasing, I never saw anything to indicate that it was only going to be paper (business card stock) thin. Even afterwards, going back to see what it was I had skimmed past, I only saw hints in a couple of poor reviews that weren't well worded. And not a whisper of not being able to spray it thick even if you want to. Like you said, I hope this saves someone else the trouble.
Thanks!
Disappointment over the bed liner dampened my enthusiasm to get the bed cover put back on so it sat there for over a week while I flushed out all my feeling sorry for myself. Here it is installed:
The color match isn't great; it's too dark, but from certain angles it's less obvious. And (BONUS!) it turns out that from the angle that your average person will be viewing it, you can't really see the gnarly aluminum seams. It actually doesn't look that bad IMO.
Another BONUS, while the metallic flake in the tint doesn't lend it any observable glimmer (or whatever right word is for how it looks when mixed with paint) I think it is actually doing something to reflect sunlight. I just drank one of those waters you see in the picture after the truck has sat all morning in direct sunlight and the water wasn't even warm. Water from inside the passenger compartment was much warmer, not pleasant to drink. Water from the bed was like water that had been sitting in tree shade, just ambient temperature. This is great news for all my test equipment that will call the bed home. I have not installed any sealing gaskets yet, so I'm curious if that will make the bed get hotter than it does now.
Still on the TO DO list:
-install D-rings for lashing down loads on the bed cover
-re-do lift struts for load now that aluminum is installed.
The color match isn't great; it's too dark, but from certain angles it's less obvious. And (BONUS!) it turns out that from the angle that your average person will be viewing it, you can't really see the gnarly aluminum seams. It actually doesn't look that bad IMO.
Another BONUS, while the metallic flake in the tint doesn't lend it any observable glimmer (or whatever right word is for how it looks when mixed with paint) I think it is actually doing something to reflect sunlight. I just drank one of those waters you see in the picture after the truck has sat all morning in direct sunlight and the water wasn't even warm. Water from inside the passenger compartment was much warmer, not pleasant to drink. Water from the bed was like water that had been sitting in tree shade, just ambient temperature. This is great news for all my test equipment that will call the bed home. I have not installed any sealing gaskets yet, so I'm curious if that will make the bed get hotter than it does now.
Still on the TO DO list:
-install D-rings for lashing down loads on the bed cover
-re-do lift struts for load now that aluminum is installed.
Midniteoyl
Super Member
- Joined
- May 20, 2013
- Messages
- 5,140
- Location
- N. W. Indiana
- Tractor
- Kioti CK3510SE HST, Ford 3400, Gizmow ZTR, Simplicity 7016H
Would paint not stick if you resprayed? Not the lining material, just top coat with paint.
Midniteoyl
Super Member
- Joined
- May 20, 2013
- Messages
- 5,140
- Location
- N. W. Indiana
- Tractor
- Kioti CK3510SE HST, Ford 3400, Gizmow ZTR, Simplicity 7016H
Speaking of spray liners, this just popped up. Haven't watched it yet
I have no idea. It has a slippery surface like plastic which makes me think it wouldn't stick, but it's also textured, so .. maybe? Sounds like a question for Raptor Tech support. I'll let you know. But I have a feeling their answer will be "if it was paintable we wouldn't make it tintable."
