Drop-in Vs Spray-in

drop in will trap some moisture under the liner, leading to long-term rust. I pulled the drop-in on my dakota after five years, was light rust everywhere.

I've had several drop ins over the years....never had a problem with rust.....one is still holding up in a 1991 pick up....no rust....go figure.

I’ve had both and without a doubt would never have a drop in again. For all the same reasons already listed...1) they warp 2) traps dirt and water underneath 3) scratches the paint in the bed 4) #2 and #3 lead to rust. My F150 looked like sh**t when I pulled it out. I’d rather have nothing than a drop in. My first Ram had a spray in that made the bed bomber. so when I was shopping for a new truck I found the perfect one but it didn’t have a bed liner. Told the dealer that was a deal breaker, so they had a spray in applied before I bought it. Not to mention how much cleaner and more “expensive” a spray in looks compared to the plastic liners.

Jerrybob said:

I've had several drop ins over the years....never had a problem with rust.....one is still holding up in a 1991 pick up....no rust....go figure.

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My current one has been in for 4 years, both in Colorado and Georgia so plenty of snow, rain and moisture and not even the slightest sign of rust starting

I think the guys that complain about rust are in the "rust belt" up north and their trucks are going to rust no matter what.

Like I said, I've had them both and like them both. I think they serve slightly different purposes so get what works best for each individual.
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For a DIY project, look at Raptor Liner by Upol.

Always had a liner, this is my first spray in liner, Line-X.
Yes, I know I can take it in and get it fixed but doubt I ever buy another spray in liner.

None of my Drop In Liners ever gave me an bit of trouble, truck beds always looked
brand spanking new when I traded them in. Transfered liners form one truck to another, once.
Gave one away to a friend, another time.

Spray in liners will get wrecked, if you use you bed.
My Tailgate has 2 inch hunks of it. bed has one inch hunks missing. COvered them p with a Dee Zee Mat.
Spray in looks terrific, if you never ever use your turck for anything othan than boxes,

Use shovels or other stuff, that liner is going to get nicks, which turn into hunks, over time and more work.
Not a fan, at all.
Looks great though, when new and clean.

PS
Live in Iowa, head to North Dakota a lot.
Not sure there are more gravel roads, anywhere.
Pretty sure there is not anywhere near as much Black Dirt, anywhere else.
WE also got tree's and lots of them.
Snow and ice too.

Bed always looked great when i took out my drop ins. Dman thing looks liek **** under the spray in where it comes up.

I had a drop in in my 2000 Dodge and have it in my currently owned Tacoma. Pros - They are easy to slide stuff in and out of and protect pretty good. Cons - I did have to pull it out my 2000 and found where gravel had got under it and ground the paint off down to metal and it was rusting. That was some work to get it cleaned up.l

I had a spray in in my 2010 Titan and have it in my currently owned 18 Ram. Pros - The Line-X is super durable. I had the less than good forklift operators at Home Depot set a pallet of retaining wall blocks (+/- 1900 lbs) on the bed and then slide it in (8 total times) and there is zero damage. It also looks much cleaner to me. Cons - It is harder to clean out, it will allow dents and probably cuts (though I haven't had any) and things just don't slide easily across it.

I had nothing in my 2014 Ram 2500 and it was scratched to hell with rust and stains and looked like chit. Don't do that.

I specifically had my Ram sprayed before I picked it up because of the amount of work that was necessary to repair on the 2000's drop in. That being said, any time I have to move something fairly small but heavy, I gravitate to the Tacoma because I can slide stuff into it with the slick drop in. Regardless, no matter what way you go, it will be an improvement over an exposed bed.

Spray in, spray in... spray in... line x lifetime warranty!!!


The same can’t be said for a drop in if it does damage your bed underneath it’s on your dime.


Who the hell throws sholves in the back of their bed simply placing it down would solve that problem. I drag toolboxes in and out of my bed l, pallet somethings both before the Dee Zee mat and after never any issues it’s been damn durable.


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I currently have a spray in on my 2015. but I needed the 'slippery' surface of a drop in for loading and unloading ease of firewood, rocks, etc. so I put a drop in on top of my spray in. 5 years and no warp, crack, fade, etc. Before that, my Tundra had a drop in for 7 years with no issues of rust, warp, crack, fade, etc. by the time my tundra left me, some paint was worn off the bed where the drop in rubbed but not terrible. the scratches I put into the bed before the drop in were way worse.

if my next truck doesn't have a spray in, I'll probably go drop in. I like the Dualliner but that's getting into spray in cost territory and the floor might be too grippy for me.

I do like the toughness of the spray in but for my loading and unloading needs, a drop in works just fine. BTW, its slippery but not too much. I've loaded my motorcycles into the bed and no issues with slipping.

I did a spray in Scorpion liner and had them apply it double thick. Then I added a bed rug because it’s removable and nicer to kneel on. I have a topper and mostly haul camping and backpacking gear in the bed. But for fall when I’m hauling dead deer or hogs, I will pull the bed rug out.

spray in then bedrug bed mat to keep the knees from hurting when in the bed kneeling down...

I did spray in with the Mopar mat with the RAM logo on it. Expensive but I love the look and the mat is super heavy. Comes with a mat that can be attached to the tailgate as well.

I have not, will not have any spray in. Have my sixth (I think) pickup since '99. First came raw. Put a rubber mat. Dented the wheel tub when I carelessly tossed a fiberglass step ladder in. Had to look at that dent on the shiny new paint until I traded it. Next three or so trucks came with dealer drop ins. They were indestructible, but rough on the knees, but I wasn't kneeling with all the stuff in there. Then I retired. No tools anymore. Left room for kneeling. So I got a bedrug. Now, my current truck which came raw, I put a Dualliner. It comes with a rubber mat, good on knees, looks the best, better than bedrug. Costs $400, shipped. And best of all, I did not have to deal with any dealer torture, which costs more for their drop ins and spray in.

I had a drop in from the factory in my 1990 Toyota Hilux 4x4, while it protected the bed nicely, now, after 30 years of hard work, it seems a little sloppy.
Factory spray in for my 2005 Ram 2500, wore very well and looked a tad faded, but other that than, like new when I sold it last December. Oh, I did back into the goose neck hitch for my warm blood horse trailer, nice dent in the top of the tailgate, the spray in did chip, crack or do anything other than stay on the dented metal like it had never been punched in.
Put LineX in 2018 Ram 2500. Can't give anyone an opinion as it hasn't been put to hard use to date. Still, I would much prefer to have LineX on the top of the bed rails and tailgate rail. The plastic crap they put on the new truck looks cheesy and I've been told cracks and shatters super easy. Should I break one, I will pull them all have put LineX as a replacement.

I'm not a fan of either the drop in or the sprayed on liner. I do love my BedRug though. In my prior 1998 Ram 1500 and my current 2011 2500, I had BedRug and the ACCESS tonneau cover. The BedRug is custom molded to fit within the groves of the truck's bed and that makes the bed flat and cushioned - very easy on my knobby knees! I've even camped in the bed without having to use an air-mattress - and the tonneau cover did a great job of keeping me dry when it rained later that night.

Tahoebronco said:

I'm not a fan of either the drop in or the sprayed on liner. I do love my BedRug though. In my prior 1998 Ram 1500 and my current 2011 2500, I had BedRug and the ACCESS tonneau cover. The BedRug is custom molded to fit within the groves of the truck's bed and that makes the bed flat and cushioned - very easy on my knobby knees! I've even camped in the bed without having to use an air-mattress - and the tonneau cover did a great job of keeping me dry when it rained later that night.

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While these look great, I put way too much dirty, nasty, greasy crap in the back of my truck to do this. If I had a cap and did some camping, I'd give her a go, but as it is now, I'd ruin that thing within a month and then kick myself in the **** for not taking better care of it....or more likely, my wife would kick me in the ****.

JohnnyMac said:

While these look great, I put way too much dirty, nasty, greasy crap in the back of my truck to do this. If I had a cap and did some camping, I'd give her a go, but as it is now, I'd ruin that thing within a month and then kick myself in the **** for not taking better care of it....or more likely, my wife would kick me in the ****.

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Yeah, I couldn't imagine dumping a loader bucket full of top soil, gravel, or mulch on that bed rug. What a mess that would be! They sure look nice but just not practical for anyone that hauls stuff like that.


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Kinda leaning toward Dualliner.
https://www.dualliner.com/2016-2017-dodge-ram-2500-standard-6ft-4in-bed

Are the 4th gens beds the exact same as 5th gen (2500)

Diy roll on I tried posting a picture but it won't let me. Did it on my last 3 trucks I would say medium use never had an issue

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I've used both with mixed results. Drop-ins do seem to protect the bed better, but I don't like the cut-outs for the anchor points in the bed. They allow whatever you're hauling (dirt, sand, gravel, etc...) to get between the liner and the bed. They can start to warp and not sit flat after a few years. And they show wear and look bad after rough use. In case that might be a problem. Spray in liners vary, and can be very good or not so good. It really depends on the type/brand, how it's installed, and how thick it's applied. If it's professionally installed you'll likely not have any problems with it. For resale value, spray-in is definitely the way to go.