Pick Up Bed Liners

[herefromthere]

Good call on the Line-X, OP. My general observation from owning two Rhino lined trucks is that Rhino Liner was a little softer and grippier, but it gouged easier and UV faded/got chalkier more than the Line-X that an ex-gf had. From what I've seen, OEM liners seem to be sprayed thinner than the aftermarket applications.

I also had a horrible, runny/drippy application done by Rhino, and Rhino corporate said that they couldn't do anything, because it was an independent franchise. Any company that benefits from a franchise arrangement, but uses it as an excuse to not back up the product or service doesn't get another penny from me...ever.

I have an older truck now with some bed damage already, so I am considering buying a drop in liner that I'll just throw my rubber bed mat on top of to lessen the ice rink effect.

 

[oosik]

I've had Line-X spray in bed liners in two vehicles. My Ford F150 and now the Ram Power Wagon. The entire underside of the Power Wagon - except for the drive shafts & exhaust system - has been spray coated with Line-X.

The bed liner in the PW have a VERY rough, heavy pebble grain finish. Hurts your knees to bare kneel on it.

 

[mike5511]

^^^ Yeah, I use my bed for tools and building materials, usually with the tailgate down with longer materials so my no slide rubber mat is important for me. Dings and scratches in the box are minor if you're the owner/operator.
All that said the type of "liner" has more to do with your use of the truck.
My use is drastically different than a brick Mason, firewood or concrete guy where it's hard to beat the old drop in plastic type. Heck we were satisfied for years with a sheet of 3/4" plywood for years!
I'd pull out the mat once or twice a year to sweep the bed out and clear the drain holes and never witnessed any corrosion from the topside and never owned a drop on but have heard more than once that it had worn off the paint in places.
That 1 mat I bought lived in 4 consecutive pickups, for something like $70 about 25+ years ago.

Good point about how you use the bed. I do like the plastic drop in if you haul sand, gravel, dirt etc, but I'd still put a mat in it for the same reasons you mentioned. The spray-on have their draw backs as well. Stuff like red clay will embed in them and stain them. My cousin was a GMC dealer for years, a well used bed won't hurt the value of a well taken care of, low miles pickup, if everything else is not beat up. That is when you drop a liner in!

 

[CaseyinAL]

New Nissan truck - first thing I did was have a LineX liner installed, by a LineX dealer. Matter of fact my truck dealer recommenced a spray-in liner! I don't think anything can tear it. Really like it

 

[ruffdog]

Good call on the Line-X, OP. My general observation from owning two Rhino lined trucks is that Rhino Liner was a little softer and grippier, but it gouged easier and UV faded/got chalkier more than the Line-X that an ex-gf had. From what I've seen, OEM liners seem to be sprayed thinner than the aftermarket applications.

I also had a horrible, runny/drippy application done by Rhino, and Rhino corporate said that they couldn't do anything, because it was an independent franchise. Any company that benefits from a franchise arrangement, but uses it as an excuse to not back up the product or service doesn't get another penny from me...ever.

I have an older truck now with some bed damage already, so I am considering buying a drop in liner that I'll just throw my rubber bed mat on top of to lessen the ice rink effect.

Here is a really good comparison between Rhino and Line-x spray in liners. This article explains the issues and feelings you had with Rhino.

Rhino vs Linex: What is the Superior Bedliner | WeAirDown

 

[abco]

I have had both. Although both good at protecting your bed, I found the Rino lining to be more slip resistant. My dogs would jump up into the bed with the Rino lining and be fine. They slip around (as I do with wet shoes) with the line x

 

[JethroB]

I have had both. Although both good at protecting your bed, I found the Rino lining to be more slip resistant. My dogs would jump up into the bed with the Rino lining and be fine. They slip around (as I do with wet shoes) with the line x

Line X installer asked me what texture I wanted sprayed in. He said he could vary it from pebbly to coarse for slip resistance. Long time ago though.

 

[sklunk]

Edit: I've started keeping a manhole hook in the truck to reach stuff that always seems to slide to the front...

Not exactly related to the OP's bedliner question, but I bought one of these and LOVE it:

Grab Handle for Trucks | Handle for Trucks & Jeep

Make life easier with the Grab Handle by HitchMate. The heavy-duty steel Grab Handle attaches to the tailgate latch pin and hinge to allow a convenient step up into your truck bed.

www.heininger.biz

Back to bedliners --
Another vote for the BedRug. I hate the name they gave this, because people think it's cheap carpet, when it's really plastic like outdoor carpet. I had one in my '94 for over 15 years (open bed all the time), then put another in my 2015 (now going on 8 years, about half with a tonneau). These things are great! They don't stain, don't hold water, nothing slides around, and if you haul something like rocks or mulch you just pressure wash or shop-vac it afterward. The only thing you really need to be careful of is sharp objects like a lawn aerator (the spray-in companies actually have a warning against hauling sharp objects as well). When I haul one of the those things I just throw a cheap rubber stall mat on top of the BedRug.

If you don't like the idea of the "carpet" they also make one called the BedTred that has a top kind of like a spray-in liner:

https://bedrug.com/bedtred-impact-bed-mats

 

[John0829]

I have a Bedrug in my Tundra under a tonneau cover and just love it.

I am thinking about getting the deck on my flat bed sprayed with bed liner, the surface rust drives me crazy where the paint has worn off from tool boxes and fuel cans.

 

[Sgt Slag]

Last October, I picked up a new-to-me 2019 Silverado (naked bed, but whole undercarriage spray coating was included in the price), to replace my 2000 Silverado (plastic fitted liner). I was considering a spray-on liner, but after reading everyone's comments, I am going to look into rubber mats, cut-to-fit by me, from the local DIY store. They have rubber mats on a large roll, cut to the length requested. It really seems like I could save hundreds of US Dollars going that route.

The rubber on the rolls comes with molded ridge lines on one side, and smooth on the flip side. I think I will put the ridges up, to allow the most surface area contact, beneath, to get the best grip; the ridges will also channel water/etc. to flow to the gate. I like the idea that I can roll them up, to use bare steel bed, as needed.

My bed is already scratched up, with dings. Not looking to keep it pristine, but I want to protect it, and I want to avoid having cargo slide around, too easily (the old plastic liner was notorious for this, and so, too, is the naked bed, currently). The rubber mats seem like the least expensive, most effective option. If I hate it, I can remove it, easily, and try something else! Thank you, Gentlemen, for your posts. Cheers!