Current Spray-In Bedliner Options?

[The Critic]

My friend’s wife bought a new 2500 6.4 last week. The bed came bare but it does have the 5th wheel prep package.

When I purchased my truck last year, the consensus was to opt for a spray-in bedliner over the drop-in. I chose a Line-X premium but have not been impressed by its durability. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I already gouged one area on the tailgate and had to have it repaired under warranty.

Is Line-X still the best option based on the available options today? The truck will be used for horse related duties.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Our trusty old '01 Tundra has the Rhino spray in liner and has held up very well. I under the impression the the Line-X is the best, so who the heck knows?
Perhaps it depends more on the bed use more than anything else.

 

[The Critic]

Our trusty old '01 Tundra has the Rhino spray in liner and has held up very well. I under the impression the the Line-X is the best, so who the heck knows?
Perhaps it depends more on the bed use more than anything else.

Let’s just say I am extra careful with it now. I think I caused this damage by loading a chair that had a sharp edge on one of the legs.

At first I thought Line-X was fairly indestructible. But after this experience, I am inclined to believe it is less durable than a traditional drop-in.

 

[AZjeff]

BITD it was thought that Line-X was harder,smoother, and glossier and Rhino was softer, thicker and had a coarser finish. Prep is really important for a good bond. Does it look like it was sanded under that chip? If you want to be able to toss in firewood and large sharp rocks and generally beat on it hard a drop-in is probably better, but not nicer.

 

[nthach]

Line-X is franchised I think. a friend’s Tundra had Line-X done by the PO in Arizona and it looks like a decent job. It won’t be as tough as some of the OEM-applied options such as Ford’s which I assume PPG supplies.

and as with anything paint-related, prep is as important or more important than the coating itself.

 

[doitmyself]

Our trusty old '01 Tundra has the Rhino spray in liner and has held up very well. I under the impression the the Line-X is the best, so who the heck knows?
Perhaps it depends more on the bed use more than anything else.

Critic's experience proves that no system is perfect. We've discussed the pros and cons ad nauseam.

I have drop in liners in 2 pickups and our Gator at my workplace where the beds are used/abused for real work purposes, not daily drivers occasionally used for truck purposes (sarcastic, old man cloud yelling mood today is showing).

I don't think most here could live with what happens in the dark nether world under a drop in. But in an actual work truck, who cares, as the bed will outlive the vehicle anyway, even in the rust belt.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I had a Pendaliner installed in our '93 Toyota 4wd PU. Like $99 back then. I didn't like the way things slid around, but it was easier to load!
That truck and liner, after 350K miles, is still in service. Pretty beat, but still in service.

Dings give my Tundra character.

 

[atikovi]

View attachment 60958

That wouldn't happen with a drop-in liner. Way more thicker and durable. Cheaper to boot.

 

[The Critic]

That wouldn't happen with a drop-in liner. Way more thicker and durable. Cheaper to boot.

No one even sells them around here. FCA Dealers will not order them because they are forced to order two at a time, supposedly.

 

[RooflessVW]

Leave the bed and Line-X all your cargo.

 

[AZjeff]

This brand of drop in seems like a great idea. If my truck didn't have factory liner I would have tried this. Rubber bottom and plastic sides.

Edit to add they have few 2020 and up models.

DualLiner Truck Bed Liner - Ford, RAM, Chevy, & GMC Bedliners

DualLiner truck bed liners are custom-made for Ford, Chevy, Dodge and GMC trucks. American Made. Easy to Install. Lifetime Warranty. Free Shipping to Continental US!

www.dualliner.com

 

[silvius]

I've had good luck with Bulletliner, but I don't know if it is available where you are.

 

[The Critic]

BITD it was thought that Line-X was harder,smoother, and glossier and Rhino was softer, thicker and had a coarser finish. Prep is really important for a good bond. Does it look like it was sanded under that chip? If you want to be able to toss in firewood and large sharp rocks and generally beat on it hard a drop-in is probably better, but not nicer.

Yes, it looked like it was sanded. It was towards the edge, so maybe I caught a thin spot?

It won’t be as tough as some of the OEM-applied options such as Ford’s which I assume PPG supplies.

Rumor is that OEM uses a 3rd party vendor to spray the trucks after assembly. Instead of scuffing the bed, supposedly they only use adhesion promoter.

I've had good luck with Bulletliner, but I don't know if it is available where you are.

I will check into this. Thanks!

 

[Trav]

This brand of drop in seems like a great idea. If my truck didn't have factory liner I would have tried this. Rubber bottom and plastic sides.
View attachment 60994

Edit to add they have few 2020 and up models.

DualLiner Truck Bed Liner - Ford, RAM, Chevy, & GMC Bedliners

DualLiner truck bed liners are custom-made for Ford, Chevy, Dodge and GMC trucks. American Made. Easy to Install. Lifetime Warranty. Free Shipping to Continental US!

www.dualliner.com

That looks like a great idea! This installed over a spray in will protect the bed from dings and rust under from getting under it, addresses the shortcomings of both systems.

 

[Cujet]

I have Line-X on my 2011 F150 that sits outside in Florida. It's held up for 10 years. It's not perfect, but I'd give it high marks.

Also, for those with aluminum beds, strongly consider a drop in bedliner. The aluminum is easily damaged, even with a spray in bedliner.

 

[The Critic]

Went with Line-X Premium. Same shop that did mine.

$709 including tax. All of the other spray-in options were about the same price. There’s a material shortage on Line-X Platinum so that was not an option. Dual Liner did not make a fitment for this truck.

Does anyone know what the Line-X premium topcoat is composed of? It reminds me of clear paint.

 

[RhondaHonda]

I had Line-X in an 09 Dodge Ram. Had the factory spray-in in my 2019 Raptor and ordered a 2021 Raptor without any liner. I may get a rubber mat for the bed in this one and can always have it Line-x’d if it starts too look like crap. I don’t do a lot of hard hauling with the bed, I’ve got a trailer for that so mine doesn’t get too beat up.

 

[meep]

I used a rolled-on product over the aluminum bed. The aluminum does gouge with sharp heavy items and the liner material breaks off with it, similar to the line-x picture. But, I could easily rattle-liner the gouge if I wanted to, but why bother? I do like that the roll-on surface is grippy for safety when wet. I think I paid $60 for 2 gallons of the stuff and applied it on a lazy morning. Not perfect, but perfectly serviceable.

once I put the cap on, cardboard and old carpet works great for most days.

 

[The Critic]

I used a rolled-on product over the aluminum bed. The aluminum does gouge with sharp heavy items and the liner material breaks off with it, similar to the line-x picture. But, I could easily rattle-liner the gouge if I wanted to, but why bother? I do like that the roll-on surface is grippy for safety when wet. I think I paid $60 for 2 gallons of the stuff and applied it on a lazy morning. Not perfect, but perfectly serviceable.

once I put the cap on, cardboard and old carpet works great for most days.

Did you have to sand the bed? That is the most labor intensive part.

 

[Tim_S]

Had a Rhino installed on a 95 PU. Shoveled many loads of gravel out of that truck with zero issues. The black did fade a little over the years I had it tho. No experience with Line-X, but the ones I've seen look a lot better than the Rhino, and don't seem to fade after years in the sun. The factory spray in liner in my 2017 Ram held up like iron. Likewise the factory spray in liner on my current F150 is also holding up very well.

Now if you plan to toss bricks, cinder blocks and large tree rounds into a spray in lined truck bed, I don't think any will hold up. A drop in will survive that kind of abuse better, but I have seen them split with very hard abuse.