Do plastic bed liners really rust bed?

[af2018]

i talked the dealership into installing a Ram brand standard bedliner. on here and other forums i read some posts about peoples beds rusting?
seeing I'm on a lease..

1. has anyone experienced rust? I'm assuming its because water gets trapped under there?

2. ill have to check with my dealership but if it does rust, does that make me have to pay for fixing the rust? the dealership said something about not cracking the bedliner

 

[TRCM]

yes

and cracked or not, if water/moisture gets under the bed liner, it can and will rust the bed

And the bed liner moving will wear the paint off the bed, which further promotes rust


When I got my 97 dually, it had a bedliner in it...I took it out, and there were numerous spots of rust & missing paint from it rubbing against the paint.

I just had it linex'd, and didn't worry about it anymore.




Oh yeah, that's my auxiliary fuel tank I had custom made under the toolbox....60 extra gals of fuel. (~ 1400 mile range per fill up)

 

[BOWERSFJ]

It will take a while depending on where you live, but yes ... Biggest reason the suck is that everything slides around on them like it’s on ice ... When spray-in came out, I figured those plastic things would just disappear


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[Scotts Ram]

I'm leasing and I just put in a rubber bed mat.

 

[TRCM]

I'm leasing and I just put in a rubber bed mat.

I had put a rubber bed mat in that one before I had it linex'd. For some reason, I kept it, and found it in the garage shortly after I got my 2012 Ram.

I did some quick measuring, and was able to cut it down so it fit the shorter bed on my crew cab almost perfectly, and have been using it ever since.

Saved 70 bucks or so.

 

[BOWERSFJ]

I luv the rubber bed mats !!!


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[Ramnewbie]

I've always used the rubber bed mats, but then again I don't haul alot of stuff that rolls around in the bed either. If I was using my truck to haul alot of stuff, tools, equipment, that was beating on the inner side of the bed I'd get a spray in liner.

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[patchelect]

I had a liner in my '01 Dakota for 16 years. It was the over the top version, not the under the lip style. No rust or issues in all the years. Yes, the paint wore in places, but no problems whatsoever. My '14 has the factory spray on liner and I like it. The plastic one was always a PITA when carrying things since they liked to slide around! Had to have a mat or piece of plywood to prevent that problem, but then that piece needed to be anchored if I wasn't carrying anything because it liked to slam against the back of the cab at highway speeds~

 

[R.anderson]

It won’t rust unless the truck is parked for a extended period of time after the paint has been scratched off they do move so likely it would wear through the rust if it ever did
First thing they do for a good spray on is grind the paint off I have put many plastic liners in over the top of spray on because it rusted from the bottom up it’s a very common thing that the used car lots do


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[TatertotScott]

It won’t rust unless the truck is parked for a extended period of time after the paint has been scratched off they do move so likely it would wear through the rust if it ever did
First thing they do for a good spray on is grind the paint off I have put many plastic liners in over the top of spray on because it rusted from the bottom up it’s a very common thing that the used car lots do


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THIS, right here.

Any places that the liner will rub paint off to allow "Rust to start" will also rub off the rust, simple physics.

Now, will a drop in cause some damage? YES. Nowhere near what it protects from though. Spray in gives very little impact protection, especially compared to drop in. Best of both worlds is to use the drop in, save a grip of cash, buy some roll on for cheap, and roll on a couple thin layers under the drop in. Spray in, even with "Proper prep" will chip/peel eventually, is rough as hell on knees, and doesn't provide extra board slots the way drop ins do.

A drop in for $150-$250 + Bed mat (No sliding, easier on knees, extra impact protection) for $90, and you are still WELL below a quality spray-in ($600-1,000) in most locations.

 

[Wahrsuul]

I've thought of doing that - putting a roll on bed liner under the plastic one. Just because it's cheaper. I wouldn't mind a spray in, but they're pricey, and I have other things to use the $ for.

 

[Rainmn]

Just one note on how slippery the drop ins are (or were). I just had a Duraliner drop in installed a couple weeks ago. My truck is leased, so it was between a drop in or a bedrug for me.

Anyway, the place I bought it had 2 choices, the Duraliner and another I can't remember. Both were the same price, the difference was that the Duraliner was supposed to be non-slip. I didn't really have high hopes, but it's turned out to be better than I expected. It's definitely not as grippy as a rubber bed mat, but it's certainly good enough that I'm not planning to put a mat on top of it.

It's actually kind of the perfect balance between grippy enough so that things don't slide all over, but yet still easy enough to slide things in and out of the bed. Turned out to be better than I expected.

 

[Blackdodge2010]

I used to work as a sprayer for a spray in liner company here in Alberta. You would be amazed how much damage one of those plastic bedliners will do to the box floor of your truck, caked in mud and dirt etc. The only thing worse than the plastic liners are the plywood screw in types, in that case you get all the dirt held in, wet wood sitting on it all the time, and a bunch of screw holes to go along with it. Spray in is the way to go for maximum corrosion control and minimal dent resistance, if you want extra dent protection then add the plastic liner over the spray in.

 

[TatertotScott]

I used to work as a sprayer for a spray in liner company here in Alberta. You would be amazed how much damage one of those plastic bedliners will do to the box floor of your truck, caked in mud and dirt etc. The only thing worse than the plastic liners are the plywood screw in types, in that case you get all the dirt held in, wet wood sitting on it all the time, and a bunch of screw holes to go along with it. Spray in is the way to go for maximum corrosion control and minimal dent resistance, if you want extra dent protection then add the plastic liner over the spray in.

Spray in with proper prep is, by definition, damage too. Stripping/scuffing paint of the entire bed rather than spots.

Cheap Roll on over paint with a drop in will provide best of both worlds. Bed mat will provide grip, or get a slip resistant liner as mentioned above.

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[Blackdodge2010]

Spray in with proper prep is, by definition, damage too. Stripping/scuffing paint of the entire bed rather than spots.

Cheap Roll on over paint with a drop in will provide best of both worlds. Bed mat will provide grip, or get a slip resistant liner as mentioned above.

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We typically didn't strip paint to prep for a liner, this would have only been the case if the truck came in with the bed already damaged, such as those who want the plastic or wood liners removed and a spray in applied or those that have been using it without a liner and have the bed floor all scratched up and want a new clean look. There were specialty fiberglass bristle brushes used to scuff the paint before the liner was applied, but this is obviously so that the liner material will stick. No matter what, its an upgrade.

 

[PoMansRam]

Depends on how you use your truck IMO. I had a truck Line-X'd years ago. Looks pretty and is a grippy surface, but dent resistance? No way. You can drop a 50lb log onto a drop in plastic liner and it will absorb the shock. Spray in will not.

My 2017 Ram came with a weathertech mat in the bed and on the tailgate when I bought the truck used. That's how it's going to stay.

 

[TatertotScott]

Depends on how you use your truck IMO. I had a truck Line-X'd years ago. Looks pretty and is a grippy surface, but dent resistance? No way. You can drop a 50lb log onto a drop in plastic liner and it will absorb the shock. Spray in will not.

My 2017 Ram came with a weathertech mat in the bed and on the tailgate when I bought the truck used. That's how it's going to stay.

Very good point. If you don't drop heavy stuff in your bed often, and are concerned with the appearance of your bed, the spray in is your best friend.

If you are looking to used the ruggedness of the bedliner, then put a drop in over cheap roll-on.

No judgments from me either way, so long as you don't do Carolina squat except while carrying a cord+ of wood/ 2 yards of dirt.

It is very much a personal choice based on your priorities. My priority was the ability to split logs, haul gravel.

If stuff under your liner concerns you. They take 5-10 minutes to remove, clean, reinstall.


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[Dave F]

i talked the dealership into installing a Ram brand standard bedliner. on here and other forums i read some posts about peoples beds rusting?
seeing I'm on a lease..

1. has anyone experienced rust? I'm assuming its because water gets trapped under there?

2. ill have to check with my dealership but if it does rust, does that make me have to pay for fixing the rust? the dealership said something about not cracking the bedliner

Spoke to my dealer when leasing my truck and truck bed damage does not count against lease wear and tear.

 

[22hemi13]

Spoke to my dealer when leasing my truck and truck bed damage does not count against lease wear and tear.

I’ve never been dinged for trade in value on the inside of the bed lol. And I’ve beat some up.

 

[Ocelot]

I have a drop in that came with the truck, but they are very slippery. I added one of those thick bed rugs and it's been great. When I bring firewood while towing our camper, I put it in three big tubs and the bed rug is much nicer on the knees when crawling around back there loading or unloading camping gear.

Ray