bedliners

[Newfie]

Picking up a new pick-up tommorrow and was wondering if anyone had advice on bedliners. My existing truck had an insert which worked but I wasn't all that thrilled with (but it lasted nine years). It was slippery and difficult to clean material out of the grooves.I had a good installation and didn't have trouble with warping and shifting like I've seen on other guys trucks.
I'm leaning towards a spray on liner like rhino lining. Any anecdotal evidence on durabilty or other issues. Any other suggestions?

 

[skwerl]

Line-X has a much better reputation than Rhino liner. I've never had either, although I've seen lots of trucks with them. Mostly desk jockeys or other white collar types that only use their pickup for play and/or looks. Anybody with a work truck uses a real bedliner. The spray in liner does nothing to cushion impacts and distribute loads to prevent dents and dings. If you drop a big chunk of wood on a spray in liner, it will still tear the liner and dent your truck.

What kinda truck you getting?

 

[CaseyForrest]

I have a Rhino in my Colorado. Not bad, but if I had it to do over, I would have gotten Line-x. The Rhino is somewhat soft, it can( and has) scraped of in some spots. The Line-X is a harder coating, and they cover more of the bed in the price.

Skwerl, I would agree with you to a point. If you drop something heavy, yes it may dent the bed. But it wont tear, and if it does, all spray in liner companies have a lifetime guarante. And denting the bed as opposed to the bed rusting from the drop in holding moisture and rubbing the paint off.....Ill take a dent over rust any day.

 

[TreeJunkie]

I have viper liner which from what i can tell is alomost identical to the Line x product. I 'm very happy w/ it so far and but do agree w/ the denting thing.

 

[skwerl]

Rust has never been an issue in my experience. GM used crappy steel in the 70's and early 80's but all pickup beds are all made out of galvanized steel. I've owned 6 pickups with bedliners and I've never had any rust issues. Might be different up North with the snow, ice, slush and road salt (but I wouldn't know anythnig about that).

 

[chowdozer]

Line-X has a much better reputation than Rhino liner. I've never had either, although I've seen lots of trucks with them. Mostly desk jockeys or other white collar types that only use their pickup for play and/or looks. Anybody with a work truck uses a real bedliner. The spray in liner does nothing to cushion impacts and distribute loads to prevent dents and dings. If you drop a big chunk of wood on a spray in liner, it will still tear the liner and dent your truck.

What kinda truck you getting?

I've had a Rhino liner in my truck for 14 years. When someone finds a Line-X 14 years old to compare it to, let me know. I had it done when Rhino had 1 store in Washington and it was a 1 man shop. My truck has never been garaged and 2 months ago it got a canopy for the first time in it's life. It has been exposed to the elements for it's existence.

I've hauled engine blocks, rear axles, scrap steel, gravel, firewood, 300# chunks of granite, etc. in it. It gets garfed once in awhile. I keep a tube of polyurethane in the garage and smear some on when I find a garf. I don't have any complaints. Drill out your drain holes before you do it and have them take the tailgate off and spray below the gate.

If you think I'm easy on this bedliner, I've included a few pictures of something I do in my spare time.

 

[DanManofStihl]

I had a lineex in my Toyota tacoma it worked very well when my mom wrecked it they striped it out and the bed was like new. THey put in a combat spray in bed liner and I didn't like it as much it was alot courser and I scraped the crap out of my legs and hands when getting stuff out of the bed. I would not think twice about going back to line x they were really nice and were competively priced.

 

[tractorbrad]

I have had both and I'll stick with the sprayed liners for durability. On the issue of items sliding with a bed liner and not with the sprayed liner it could be a toss up but I like not having smaller items sliding around in my bed.

 

[xander9727]

I personally like line-x better than rhino lining. I really don't like the drop in liners. Up here in the rust belt they tend to aid in the decay.......in other areas I'm sure they'd be fine.

 

[Newfie]

What kinda truck you getting?

2006 GMC 2500HD extended cab.

Thanks for all the info so far, keep it coming.

 

[Newfie]

I personally like line-x better than rhino lining. I really don't like the drop in liners. Up here in the rust belt they tend to aid in the decay.......in other areas I'm sure they'd be fine.

When I got the first truck I knew sh!t about bedliners, now I know enough to know that I have other options. I'm concerned about the rust factor as well. Don't even know what my bed looks like under the liner on the old truck but tomorrow morning it won't be my problem.

 

[skwerl]

When I got the first truck I knew sh!t about bedliners, now I know enough to know that I have other options. I'm concerned about the rust factor as well. Don't even know what my bed looks like under the liner on the old truck but tomorrow morning it won't be my problem.

This one basic fact makes me question why so many spray liner customers are so bent-out-of-shape worried about what the bed looks like under the liner. I guess if you're the type of person to remove the bed liner once a week to look under it then a spray-in might be best for you. In 20 years I've never pulled a liner out of a truck bed

 

[CaseyForrest]

I dont think its a matter of what it LOOKS like under the liner. For me anyway, it was a matter of whats still remaining under the liner.

 

[treeman82]

This is just a thought, but could you do the spray in liner and then add a pad to the top? A friend of mine has this pad on the back of 2 of his trucks which cushions any hits that the bed may take. Obviously it doesn't cover the entire bed, but for what you need it may be the icing on the cake.

 

[sedanman]

I've got a line-x liner and like it better than the rhino liners I have seen. My truck has had 2,400 lbs of firewood in the bet at once. I have hauled all sorts of heavy car parts and done several scrap metal runs with it, no damage. I bent the front of the bed with some tires (on rims) that slammed into the front edge and the liner stayed intact even when I straightened the bed. I dented one of the wheel wells and straightened it with the liner staying in place as well.

 

[Newfie]

Rust/rot from salt was my concern, not physical appearance.

 

[Freakingstang]

2006 GMC 2500HD extended cab.

Thanks for all the info so far, keep it coming.

Gas or Diesel? I've got an 05 that I've had a year about a week ago. It has 60K on it!! I love it, except the gas milelage is about 12-14 at best unloaded. (6.0L with 4.10's) It pulls 8500lbs pretty well for what it is, but it also has a 3000lb utility bed on it, which contributes to the milelage. I will tell you that the reohstats in the heater/blower system have gone out twice (about 30 bucks a pop and the plug is in the 150+ range if it gets melted).


Personally, I've always preferred a drop in bedliner. Every truck I had, and I'm in the rust belt, has NOT had a problem with rust under the bedliner. I use my truck as a truck, and things get thrown/dropped/fallen into the bed. A spray in liner doesn't protect against high force collisions.

 

[sedanman]

I don't like having things get hung up on the lip of the drop in liner when loading the bed.

 

[Lawn Masters]

I've got a drop in plastic liner in my ranger, and its wearing through in places on the bed so dont bother with that.

The biggest problem I can see with a plastic liner, is that it will move around some with the vibrations while driving, wearing paint away, which will cause rust to form, especially up in the rust belt.

Spray in is the route I'd go on this.

 

[tawilson]

Get both.