Drop in vs Spay on bed liners

[rob67]

Since I am going to be using this ladies truck, and it is in such good condition, I was wondering which is cheaper, drop in or spray on.

[Keith Seymore]

I looked for quite a while and couldn't find a drop in liner for our trucks.

I did check with Linex, and it was around $500 for the spray on IIRC.

K

[tucsonjwt]

Drop ins are a lot cheaper - like $120-$180. The debate about which is better will go on until the end of time. You really have at least 3 options:
1. Drop In - Inexpensive, removable, absorbs impacts, But - can wear the
paint off the floor of the bed (unless you install a Paint Saver
pad under it - $30), stuff slides around, unless you get the skid
resistant type (then people complain that they can't slide things
from the back to the front - have to get up into the truck and
"move" the items to the front),
2. Bed Rug - About $300-$400. Soft on your knees when crawling around in
the bed, absorbs some impact due to padding behind the marine
carpet, covers the area between the tailgate and the end of
the bed (one continuous piece of carpet), but - traps bits of
wood fibers if you haul plywwod or osb (must get the pieces out
with tweezers or something bit by bit - vacuum is not enough),
does hold water in the carpet and takes days to dry out fully,
if you transfer it to another truck you must remove the velcro
adhesive strips that are stuck the the original truck ( a lot of
them) and buy a new velcro kit (like $40) to reinstall.
3. LIneX - About $450-$650 depending on extras like UV protectors,etc.,
Like Rhino Liner but finer texture. No scratching of paint, since
the installer scuffs the heck out of it prior to spraying it, can be
touched up by the installer if it does get gouged, but it is
irreversible once sprayed on, so you had better like it a lot,
does not provide impact protection.
4. Roll on DIY - Herculiner and others make a thick paint you can roll on the
bed. I have no experience with this. My neighbor has an F250
with some kind of roll on coating and it is coming off all over
(but its a Ford, so.....)
Here is a link for one drop in for 73-87:
http://www.stkusa.com/lineabed.cfm

[rob67]

I saw some Plastikote (?sp) bedliner in Tractor Supply. It was $45 for a gallon which says it will coat a whole bed. I figure even if I did 2 or 3 coats, thats pretty cheap. Anybody have any experience with this? She really doesn't want to do anything yet (money), but I don't want to screw up the bed. It is still pretty sweet. She should just give me the truck already! She only drives it 40 miles a month. The other option I guess is just to buy some white Rustoleum when I am done since the bed is white already.

[old Rusty C10]

i have had both the roll on kind and the drop in kind and frankly i like the drop in kind better.. i feel its way more protective

[tucsonjwt]

One easy option is to check your local junkyards. Around here, there are plenty of square body drop in liners from junked pickups. The catch is that the junkyards around here think all of their junk is made of gold - and price accordingly. You should be able to find a CL ad for a used bed liner for $50+ if you are patient. If you glob up the bed with paint, then you can't undo it if it does not turn out well. With a bed liner, you can pull it out and you are back to square one. Just make sure you put something like a paint saver pad underneath it - if you go that route. Good Luck.

[Sillyoldman]

Years ago I bought a drop in for my '71. They made a universal one for olter trucks. I didnt like things sliding around, it filled up with water and was toungh on the knees. Very rugged though.

[rob67]

If I paint the bed before I put a drop in one in, it should stop the rust issue correct?

[78 Chevyrado]

I had one in my 87 and it didnt have a rust problem... I had an under the rail bedliner and it had no holes in it at all so it didnt get wet very often underneath. When I had my truck painted, I had them put in the herculiner type liner, either roll on or spray on, i didnt ask... it holds up better than paint, but i have a rubber mat in the floor part. If i ever do haul something super rough on the bed though, I still have my drop in liner in the back yard. Only reason I don't just leave it in the truck is that its really slick to walk on and stuff slides around bad. the rubber mat i have fixes that though.

[nbpro]

Originally Posted by old Rusty C10

i have had both the roll on kind and the drop in kind and frankly i like the drop in kind better.. i feel its way more protective

^^x2^^

[irishman999]

I did my own "spray in liner" 6 years ago, I really liked the finished product. First step was I sand blasted the entire inside of the bed clean, It took a while and i used a large air compressor you tow behind a pickup. I got the sprayer from napa for around 50 bucks if i remember right, it had a hose you dropped into the can of material. I reduced the can of material like 1/3rd reducer and 2/3rd bedliner. All and all i spent the most on sand, If i figured to re use the sand earlier the whole thing would have cost under 100 bucks.

I suspect instead of a sand blaster you could use a wire wheel on a 4 inch grinder to remove the paint inside your bed.

[C-10 simplex]

1) Please comment on these two, apparently new, products:

http://www.bedarmor.com/bedarmor.php

http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=367


2) Would spraying the underside of the truck with any or the above or any other bedliner type product---not reciprocating parts but frame and body and nook and crannies be a good, cheap do-it-yourself way to rustproofing?

[N2TRUX]

It depends on exactly what you are trying to accomplish, but there is another choice. You can buy a bed mat for under 100.00. It will protect the floor and can be removed quickly.

[AceX]

In the spray vs drop-in debate, there's absolutely no contest; Spray-on ftw.

It won't scratch your paint, it won't vibrate, crack, trap moisture, and provides more friction for objects placed in the bed so they won't slide as much by comparison.

Add a mat like Ken said and it's even better.

I LOVE my spray-on liner. My only complaint has been keeping it clean, but a little time with a power washer, soap, and deck brush and its like new. Add some tire shine (some companies sell a specific 'conditioner') and it'll be show ready in no time.

[79'84'chevy]

if money is not a problem then do both. great iimpact resistent and great protection for the paint. if you dont need the drop in but the spray on as if you are hauling something that shouldnt slide around then take the drop in out for a bit. know what i mean

[rob67]

Looks like I can get a bed mat for about $60. That is the route she will probably go since money is an issue at this time. If/when it is mine, I will do a bed liner with a bed mat. It sounds like the spray ons are really hard to keep clean.

[6erWebb]

If you have a pressure washer its not an issue^^^