Rust on pickup bed

[Donald]

@Donald , thanks for posting that retail customers are only ten percent of this shops business. My life experience is a lot of volume makes good experience and practice for the installer

I was thinking these independent spray lining shops might be on life support, with manufacturers now offering factory spray in bed liners. Your post made my concern erroneous.

I don't have $80K for a new F250 so not sure how they come from the factory. I would have thought the spray bedliner would be a dealer add-on where the dealer paid $400 for the spray bedliner and marked it up to $800 on the sticker.

 

[GON]

I don't have $80K for a new F250 so not sure how they come from the factory. I would have thought the spray bedliner would be a dealer add-on where the dealer paid $400 for the spray bedliner and marked it up to $800 on the sticker.

From a reddit post:
Ford’s factory spray-in bedliner is a durable, robotically applied polyurethane coating offered as an OEM option, known for a perfect, consistent finish and convenience, though it is generally thinner and less prepped than premium aftermarket options like Line-X. It provides solid, life-of-the-truck protection but may cover hardware.

This four minute video shares Ford's process for factory installed spray in bedliner. Of note, if Ford installs the spray liner during the production process, the spray in bed liner is covered under the ford 3 year/ 36,000 mile manufacturer warranty.

 

[oilboy123]

I had a drop in liner that is OE Ford. So I am trying to fix rust under the liner. I also pulled the bed caps. At first glance it did not seem like much rust under the bed caps. But dirt/Northwest moisture said otherwise.

I prepped the bed cap holes with primer/paint. Then I'll be doing the same on the bed. Prepping the holes under the bed cap is a pain. Because of no access underneath. When I pulled the drop in liner in the fall there was about 8 lbs of sand/gravel/bark etc. So literally a couple of hundred bare metal spots to deal with on the bed.

When done, I'll be having a spray in liner. I'm open to Rhino, Line X etc.

Edit: I saw the above post after posting this. I thought Ford did them in the factory.

 

[Donald]

I had a drop in liner that is OE Ford. So I am trying to fix rust under the liner. I also pulled the bed caps. At first glance it did not seem like much rust under the bed caps. But dirt/Northwest moisture said otherwise.

I prepped the bed cap holes with primer/paint. Then I'll be doing the same on the bed. Prepping the holes under the bed cap is a pain. Because of no access underneath. When I pulled the drop in liner in the fall there was about 8 lbs of sand/gravel/bark etc. So literally a couple of hundred bare metal spots to deal with on the bed.

When done, I'll be having a spray in liner. I'm open to Rhino, Line X etc.

Edit: I saw the above post after posting this. I thought Ford did them in the factory.

Ford could very well do the spray bedliner at the factory. I just don't have $80K to go shopping for a new truck. So I don't know..

I had pine needles and leaves under my plastic drop-in liner. I think sand and gravel would be worse and act as an abrasive sanding off the paint (and rust).

OP - were the bed caps held on by push on clips? Will you be able to reuse them?

 

[oilboy123]

I pulled all 2 of the bed caps on my 2012 F150. The tailgate was OK. The 2 side rails had a fair amount of rust around the holes. The caps were a beach to get off. I made a tool out of an interior removal tool. I cut it so I could slide it under the caps. It was fairly difficult. I did it in the summer sun so the caps were warm and flexible. I watched someone doing it on youtube.

But it is worth it if you have rust to address under them. I broke a couple of tangs on the bed caps. But glued them back. If the fail I don't think I'll ever know. I have not installed the caps yet.

 

[Donald]

I pulled all 2 of the bed caps on my 2012 F150. The tailgate was OK. The 2 side rails had a fair amount of rust around the holes. The caps were a beach to get off. I made a tool out of an interior removal tool. I cut it so I could slide it under the caps. It was fairly difficult. I did it in the summer sun so the caps were warm and flexible. I watched someone doing it on youtube.

But it is worth it if you have rust to address under them. I broke a couple of tangs on the bed caps. But glued them back. If the fail I don't think I'll ever know. I have not installed the caps yet.

But until you remove them you don't know about the rust, correct? It did not look like a fun thing do work on. Almost better to break off what is holding them on and buy new bed rail caps.

 

[zzyzzx]

It's a pickup bed. The sheet metal is only so thick. I would think an angle grinder might go through the sheet metal pretty easily.

Angle grinder with brush attachment.

 

[zzyzzx]

I have never been able to prevent rust from returning on a automotive body part.

Is buying a replacement bed from the south/ southwest a course of action worth looking into?

At the OP's age, I would think that the existing truck bed might outlast him even if he did nothing.

 

[Donald]

At the OP's age, I would think that the existing truck bed might outlast him even if he did nothing.

I am planning on living to be a centurian.