OEM Spray-In Bedliner Application Method

[The Critic]

Skip to 3:30.

I learned something new today: Ford appears to only scuff the edges and relies on adhesion promoter for the remainder of the surface. But for most situations, this prep method appears to be adequate and preserves the factory finish. I suppose this could be favorable from a corrosion standpoint.

I am curious why Line-X/Bulletliner have not adopted this method. If the OEM's are doing it with success, why not?

 

[samven]

Just a guess but Line-X has been doing this a long time. I had mine done in 2003 and they were only 1 of 2 that I knew about. All pickup beds were steel and slip in liners tended to rub the paint off the bed and trap water under them and they were real slippery. The bed liners cured the slippery problem and the tough ones like Line-X rust proofed the bed and gave you a lifetime warranty on tears. Now with aluminum the rust problem is not an issue but they still need a way to keep your 60k truck from getting scratched when you throw the groceries in there, but only for 36 mo till the warranty runs out. Who knows what they will look like 20 years from now. Oh and they had to get in on the bed liner profit by only including it in certain appearance packages.

 

[The Critic]

Just a guess but Line-X has been doing this a long time. I had mine done in 2003 and they were only 1 of 2 that I knew about. All pickup beds were steel and slip in liners tended to rub the paint off the bed and trap water under them and they were real slippery. The bed liners cured the slippery problem and the tough ones like Line-X rust proofed the bed and gave you a lifetime warranty on tears. Now with aluminum the rust problem is not an issue but they still need a way to keep your 60k truck from getting scratched when you throw the groceries in there, but only for 36 mo till the warranty runs out. Who knows what they will look like 20 years from now. Oh and they had to get in on the bed liner profit by only including it in certain appearance packages.

I think the warranty on tears (or any wear-related reason) is at the dealer's discretion. My Line-X warranty is fairly clear about only covering failures due to defects in the material or application process (bubbles, peeling, etc.)

 

[diyjake]

How much does a spray in bed liner cost these days?

 

[MrHorspwer]

Line X Platinum, their top-of-the-line polyurea-based product, is the exact same stuff OEMs use in their factory-applied coatings. They're even obtained from the same supplier: PPG and VersaFlex (PPG actually purchased VersaFlex earlier this year).

The talk in the video about thickness makes me chuckle. Polyurea coatings in bedliner applications are typically applied around 60-80 mil. Polyurea coatings are very hard. They don't wear from abrasion and 60-80 mil is what's needed to ensure full impact protection. Applying 120 mil instead of 60-80 offers absolutely no benefits except being able to sell customers on "we apply it thicker and thicker is better" while showing them samples.

I am curious why Line-X/Bulletliner have not adopted this method. If the OEM's are doing it with success, why not?

Because the OEMs are dealing with factory-fresh finishes and aftermarket sprayers aren't. Once the factory finish has seen the environment, an adhesion promoter isn't the best solution. I suppose you could clean it really well and do an adhesion promoter, but it's a heck of a risk if you're an installer and you didn't clean that one section well enough. When you're doing one truck at a time, the labor to scuff a bed is cheap versus the thousands of beds each day done by OEMs, especially if the potential downside is a failed installation.

That goes for the coating itself as well and the thickness. Applying in a factory environment is a lot more precise than by hand. Getting that consistent 60-80 mil coating is easier. By hand, you end up over-applying and using more material to maintain that minimum thickness. Not a big deal if you're doing one or two beds a day, especially if you can spin it as a "benefit" to the customer, but spraying 50+% more material over thousands of beds each day adds up.

 

[dippschtick]

How much does a spray in bed liner cost these days?

Today, not sure.
I had two done (Line-X brand) 3-4 years ago and they were $500 a piece.

 

[The Critic]

How much does a spray in bed liner cost these days?

$6-$650 for Line-X premium.

$8-$850 for Line-X platinum.