Bed Liner

[1425956]

My Dad and I opened a new business and we install Gatorhyde spray-in bedliners. Our first truck to do was my 84 GMC SWB. It has had a plastic liner in it since it was new; however, there was no rust anywhere and the drain holes were functioning properly.

The next 2 images are of the prep work. We taped everything off, which took about 30 minutes. Then, we blew out all the debris and started sanding (scuffing) the bed. It took about 30 minutes from start to finish on the sanding.



You can see from the pictures that we are spraying "over the rail." I used tape to cover the holes in the top rail of the bed. So once sprayed, it will be a smooth and hole free, surface. I trimmed the tape to just barely cover the holes in the top rail as to not lose much adhering surface.



This is a picture I took while we were spraying the bed. The material goes on at 155 degrees and at 2500 psi. It goes on smooth and shiny while applying it and the catalyzed material dries in just 7 seconds! We get the desired texture by standing 6 foot or so from the object to be sprayed and lightly dust the surface. The material partially dries in mid air and creates a shine-free, textured surface.



Next 2 pictures of the finished product! I am very pleased with it and highly recommend it to anyone. My 2 chamber Flowmaster mufflers sit right under my bed and I could certainly tell a decrease in noise and resonance.





Feel free to ask any questions about the install process or the finished product.

[mopar346]

That looks pretty sweet, good luck with the venture.

[88Jimmy4x4]

wow that turned out nice, looks like a great product. Does the liner have anything in it to prevent fading or turning chaulky over time?

[1425956]

It appears this thread was quickly mistaken for an advertisement, which it was not. So, continuing along with forum rules just as I initially did, I will not respond to questions, such as pricing, that may lead to this thread being mistaken for an advertisement. This is simply something I chose to do to my truck, which I am proud of, that I wanted to share with the other forum members. I just happen to be a certified installer and own the machine and material to do this.

I may, at some point, pay to be an authorized vendor with this forum. If so, I will post pricing and contact information when and where it is appropriate. So please keep this in mind when responding to this thread. I want to keep this thread open and answer technical questions for those of you who are interested in performing this great upgrade to your project.

Now, to answer the question regarding fading. ANY type of spray-in bed liner WILL eventually fade. However, this particular product is made of a Poly-Urea material which resists fading and turning chalky MUCH longer than other popular Poly-Urethane spray-in liners. Additionally, there is a UV protectant upgrade that can be applied at time of application which will keep the spray-in liner looking as good as new for up to 10 years. I have seen some Line-X and Rhino liners which have turned chalky after only 3 months.

This is not the cheapest modification you can do to your truck, but it will certainly transform the look of your truck better than anything else for the price, IMHO.

[old Rusty C10]

thank you for your response about not giving out prices etc.. how thick do you apply this stuff? i had my truck rhinolined and i was amazed at how thick that is..Also does this stuff have any issues with the color coming off on items placed in the bed? there were several posts here a while ago with some liners that would rub off onto the cargo.. my truck is a not a work horse anymore but i still put stuff in the bed and am afraid of this happening to me

[1425956]

Originally Posted by old Rusty C10

thank you for your response about not giving out prices etc.. how thick do you apply this stuff? i had my truck rhinolined and i was amazed at how thick that is..Also does this stuff have any issues with the color coming off on items placed in the bed? there were several posts here a while ago with some liners that would rub off onto the cargo.. my truck is a not a work horse anymore but i still put stuff in the bed and am afraid of this happening to me

As a general rule, we apply this around 60-70 mils thick . You will see 80-90 mils thick on the floor of the bed, back of the wheel wells and tail gate; as well as on top of the bed rails if being applied "over-the-rail". We spray until the tape line disappears around any taped edge. The tape we use has a metal wire embedded in the tape. After the liner is sprayed in, we expose the wire and pull the wire out of the tape at an angle. This creates a perfectly cut edge. On average, it takes 3 to 4 sprayed gallons to achieve these results.

As for the color rubbing off on the items being carried in the bed? I have not seen this to be an issue yet. This material dries to the touch in 7-10 seconds and the "blackness" is sealed under the Poly-urea layer. Think of it as being very similar to the color part of a base coat/clear coat being locked under the clear. This happens after "Part A & Part B" are mixed together in the air and form a wet-coat that dries quickly. Part A & Part B never actually "mix or touch" each other in the gun.

My bed, the one in the pictures above, has NOT been U.V. treated and I have not noticed any color transfer to my cargo. I hauled a white box spring and mattress last weekend and the mattress looked brand new after riding in the bed for about 30 miles.

To U.V. treat the liner, we mix together another catalyzed chemical and spray it using a regular HVLP paint gun. It is similar to an ordinary clear-coat, but it is pigmented black, not clear. (I guess this is closer to a single stage urethane, actually) This U.V. treatment does not dry as quickly as the actual liner material does. We recommend giving the U.V. treatment 24-36 hours to completely cure before placing cargo in the bed.

I will keep an eye out for any color that rubs off on to cargo from a bed that has been U.V. treated. I may go ahead and treat mine this week sometime just so I can see what the results are. I will post what I find.

Thanks!