Plastic Bedliners... in the South / no road salt

[78Staff]

OK so there are a couple threads going on right now regarding bedliners, Line-X, Bedrug, and the like, but wanted a regional slant...

I've got a Rugged Liner currently, it's what came in the truck when I bought it. There's technically nothing wrong with it, other than the tailgate piece is warped a bit. Due to reported issues with plastic bedliners, I've been considering changing to Line-X, or possibly a bedrug - I had a bedrug in my previous truck and liked it. I had a plastic bedliner in the truck prior to that and for the 4 or 5 years I had it I didn't have any bed rust issues.

Of course there are all the horror stories about plastic bedliners and rusting out truck beds, etc - but is this really an issue in the South? Or only in northern states where they salt roads for winter, etc.

My truck is a 2016, I pulled up the bedliner and while very dusty, and a minor bit of clearcoat scuffing here and there, the bed actually looking in good shape still once I cleaned up the dust. Are we chasing rainbows by pulling out perfectly good bedliners I am starting to wonder...

 

[Hootbro]

I lived in South Texas for close to 20 years and have seen my fair share of rusted beds under plastic liners down there also. Maybe not as swiss cheese looking as Northern salt belt vehicles, they were still nasty none the less. Of course most of them were actual farm used trucks that hauled hay, manure, rocks, dirt and a myriad of other farm stuff.

If a grocery getter or weekend toy puller, maybe not so much. I would say that I have seen guys put down on their bed strips of camper top rail padding on the obvious wear contact points before putting in the drop in liner to minimize wear with good results.

 

[JB1]

The problem with them in Houston is the rain and humidity so it gets damp or moist between the plastic liner and the bed. Then it rubs the paint off and that starts the surface rust. Plastic bed liners came out in the 80’s before spray in bed liners, I’m still surprised some people still use that old technology.

 

[78Staff]

So I yanked out my liner this morning to check out the bed - no rust but plenty of areas worn down to primer. I just made an appt. for Line-X for next week.

 

[KevinInVT]

This is an interesting topic. I live up in Vermont and we see alot of humidity in summer and lots of snow and salt in winter. I just bought a new Ram and am curious myself the best course of action. The dealer gave me a drop in plastic liner for free. It's actually quite nice and has almost a rubber gasket around the tie down points to keep debris out. My last truck I bought used and removed the plastic liner and I had a full 5 gallon bucket of leaves and dirt underneath. It wasn't rusted through anywhere but lots of primer showing.

I know in my last truck removing the liner actually gave me slightly more room in the bed, fairly minor but still gained side to side room and some height. I have a kit for a roll in liner but with a brand new truck I think I would rather pay for the spray in. I was under the impression they were about 1000, not 500 also. 500 is much more acceptable.

 

[KevinInVT]

Line-X seems to be the most recommended. Anyone have experience with ArmorThane? I have a dealer local who has a good reputation and that is the product they use.

 

[TatertotScott]

Any point that will rub off paint will also, by definition rub off rust.

That said, rust will form ovrr time under the paint that is not being contacted, starting at the wear spots. So really, it isn't "surface rust" so much as rust under the paint....splitting hairs to some, but an important delineation.

Drop in will protect from impact and scratching and be easier to slide on than spray in. Spray in will still be fairly impact protective, but chip/scratches do occur easier overall. Most bedliners also fade in the sun pretty badly....some don't, so do your research.

Overall, if you already have the drop in, and are ok with a bit of work, but want to save money, you can take it out, roll on only a thin layer of bedliner, then put the drop in back. Best of both world then....and no fading issue from the roll/spray on or rusting, and you keep the impact protection.

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[KevinInVT]

Any point that will rub off paint will also, by definition rub off rust.

That said, rust will form ovrr time under the paint that is not being contacted, starting at the wear spots. So really, it isn't "surface rust" so much as rust under the paint....splitting hairs to some, but an important delineation.

Drop in will protect from impact and scratching and be easier to slide on than spray in. Spray in will still be fairly impact protective, but chip/scratches do occur easier overall. Most bedliners also fade in the sun pretty badly....some don't, so do your research.

Overall, if you already have the drop in, and are ok with a bit of work, but want to save money, you can take it out, roll on only a thin layer of bedliner, then put the drop in back. Best of both world then....and no fading issue from the roll/spray on or rusting, and you keep the impact protection.

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Interesting idea on doubling up with a thin layer of roll in liner and the drop in.

 

[huntergreen]

Line-X seems to be the most recommended. Anyone have experience with ArmorThane? I have a dealer local who has a good reputation and that is the product they use.

Not familiar with armorthane, but I did use the rhinolinerr and prefer it to the linex.

 

[PaulTGarrett]

The problem with them in Houston is the rain and humidity so it gets damp or moist between the plastic liner and the bed. Then it rubs the paint off and that starts the surface rust. Plastic bed liners came out in the 80’s before spray in bed liners, I’m still surprised some people still use that old technology.

We use it because it just simply works.

I've had a spray in bedliner in my '98 2500 that looked like $#!t after a year of -real- truck use. Why keep spraying and spraying and spraying liner in just to find you have rust bubbles under it and a dented and beat to crap bed. I put a Mopar plastic liner in my '98 and never looked back. In my current truck, I put in a DuraLiner and never looked back.

I wouldn't spray in a bedliner in a real truck. Grocery getters, who cares...

 

[sandawilliams]

We use it because it just simply works.

I've had a spray in bedliner in my '98 2500 that looked like $#!t after a year of -real- truck use. Why keep spraying and spraying and spraying liner in just to find you have rust bubbles under it and a dented and beat to crap bed. I put a Mopar plastic liner in my '98 and never looked back. In my current truck, I put in a DuraLiner and never looked back.

I wouldn't spray in a bedliner in a real truck. Grocery getters, who cares...

I've seen many work trucks with spray ins just beat to ****. I prefer the drop ins and have had them on the last 3 trucks with no problems

 

[22hemi13]

I’ve had both. Rust is not a real concern for me. But neither is a dented up scratched up bed. I haven’t paid for bed protection ever. It’s either had bed liner, spray in or nothing. I really feel the plastic liner held up the best to real abuse. But crap slides sooooo much. That’s my only real gripe. Current truck has spray in and it’s used. It had some wear and tear in bed when I got it and I’ve added some more. I’ve never traded a truck in and had them say 0h man your bed is scratched up we’re gonna deduct that from price lol. But I darn sure done hold it against anybody who wants to protect their bed on a 60k+ Truck. I think it really boils down to what you want and how you use your bed.

 

[OCDTech]

I had a thick rubber mat once, loved it great protection heavy enough not to blow up and nothing slid around, think i paid 80$ Now i have a spray in in my Ram, came with it, careful how and what i slide in it.

 

[TatertotScott]

I put a bed mat in my drop in for sliding....still in it less than $250 and don't have ANY worries about dents from falling stones, lumber, or big red heavy gauge steel toolboxes....

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[Random_Walk]

Query: How much does it cost to do a typical truck bed with Line-X or Rhinoliner (which is the one I remember)?

 

[Random_Walk]

I had a thick rubber mat once, loved it great protection heavy enough not to blow up and nothing slid around, think i paid 80$ Now i have a spray in in my Ram, came with it, careful how and what i slide in it.

What size was the mat? I know 3'x4' horse stall mats are fairly inexpensive, but that would look like crap no matter how well they were pieced together...

 

[OCDTech]

What size was the mat? I know 3'x4' horse stall mats are fairly inexpensive, but that would look like crap no matter how well they were pieced together...

It was one that exact fit my 2011 f150 RC i had at the time, don't know what brand. I think the cost of rhinoliners are 400-750 depending on where you go around here.

 

[Random_Walk]

I'm just thinking about my own setup at the moment. Here's why:

I currently have a TrailFX Bedliner which came with the truck. Now it holds up quite nicely to the abuse I've thrown at it so far, but? Well, welcome to Oregon, where it rains near-constantly from October to May.

So we're looking at three options:

1) keep the liner (it works, it costs me nothing to change, etc), but worry about water pooling and hanging out long-term under the liner (not just rust, but mold... seriously, mold!)

2) Get a spray-in, pay for it, but have to touch it up at least once every year or two as parts wear off from use.

3) Get a big ol' stall mat (6x8) and cut it down to fit the bed floor, but have no protection for the sides and railing.

 

[dalton2425Texas]

I might not be adding any real value here, but I have to say.. I’ve had all types of bed liners.. bed rug, drop in, no liner, spray liner..

My favorite setup thus far is a spray in bed liner with a Westin Rubber Bed mat.

Having the bed mat on top of the liner protected it from getting scratched/dented and also it made it to where none of my equipment slid around while driving.

My current truck came with a bed-rug installed, but if/when the time comes that I’ve had enough of the carpet.. spray in and rubber bed mat is what I will do.


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[TatertotScott]

I might not be adding any real value here, but I have to say.. I’ve had all types of bed liners.. bed rug, drop in, no liner, spray liner..

My favorite setup thus far is a spray in bed liner with a Westin Rubber Bed mat.

Having the bed mat on top of the liner protected it from getting scratched/dented and also it made it to where none of my equipment slid around while driving.

My current truck came with a bed-rug installed, but if/when the time comes that I’ve had enough of the carpet.. spray in and rubber bed mat is what I will do.


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This is my absolute preference if money were no object and I was doing it all again.



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