I apologize in advance if I'm bringing up a topic already covered elsewhere. I'm brand new to the forum, a first-time F-150 owner, and already showed off my noob status by asking a question in a 6.0L Diesel thread regarding my 2013 F-150 STX (whoops!)


All that said, I've gotten several quotes from several shops for a spray-in bedliner for my truck, since it appears the first owner never installed any sort of bedliner at all. My quotes are all coming in around $425-$450.


My other option is to purchase the Herculiner kit from Ace Hardware for about $75, and get with my good friend who's been a mechanic for over 30 years. He's quoted me $60 labor if I have him do it, so between materials and labor, I'm looking about $135 to go that route. I have had him do a lot of work for me before on several other vehicles; I've certainly worked with him long enough to be confidence in the work he does, so it's not like I'd be rolling the dice with a shadetree mechanic I barely knew or something like that.


Ultimately, I'm wondering if the difference in quality, if any, is worth tripling the cost of putting a bedliner in my truck. Any of you who have experience with this sort of thing are more than welcome to share your thoughts. Thanks!

 

you might check out bedrug.... I've had mine for years, hauled steel, concrete, etc, and it looks as good as the day I installed it.

 

Thanks....I'll check it out

 

The spray in liners are all about the prep. If the prep isn't done right you might as well not do the spraying. You and your buddy can do the prep as well as the professional shop. A shop with a good reputation might be worth the extra bucks. Proper prep work takes a lot of elbow grease.

 

agree !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I know I already made myself clear in the 09-14 topic (I'm probably the reason for this topic ), but I really think having a professional spray-in or even Bedrug would be much better than Herculiner.

I have used Herculiner before, and after one Wisconsin summer, it had already turned an ugly gray and is getting powdery. Line-X turns a very subtle gray (the base-level stuff) after about 10 years in the elements up here, without any difference in durability.

You're paying $135 for the Herculiner route. Trust me, whether you regularly use your bed or not, it will need to be redone in another year or so. DIY roll-ins just don't hold up at all. If you keep your truck for 4 years, you already have enough into the cheaper product to have paid for the professional spray-in. Plus, many spray-in places like Line-X will fix any damage you cause to their liner for free, no questions asked.
Your friend will also need to prep the entire bed. That means sanding every square inch so the product adheres better. Line-X prep work is included in the cost.

I think you will regret going the cheaper route. It will look okay for the first week or so, but after that, it will start falling apart and fading very fast.

IMHO, it isn't even in the same universe as the professional spray-ins in terms of quality.

 

I think I posted this topic at roughly the same time as I mentioned Herculiner in the aforementioned 09-14 thread, and I'm glad you found your way over here.

The biggest thing that persuaded me not to go the Herculiner route was the picture somebody posted there of how awful one looked after only 6 months. Meanwhile, I made it a point to look at my father-in-law's truck this morning when I dropped my daughters off. He has a '10 Tundra with a bedliner sprayed in by a local body/customization shop who I believe uses Rhino Liner. He had it done right after buying the truck new, and as of this morning his bedliner still looks brand new. I think I'm gonna call the same place and go that route. Kinda hard to argue with seeing how his work has held up 7+ years later

 

I was the guy who posted that picture.

The biggest difference between Rhino Liner and Line-X is that Rhino Liner is more rubbery, while Line-X is harder. Rhino Liner will probably suit your needs much better, as you said you won't really be using your bed for hauling anything damaging (rocks, cinderblocks, gravel, etc) that Line-X is a little less vulnerable to. I also hear that Rhino Liner is much more comfortable to crawl around on, because it's less hard and abrasive.

 

Apologies for not giving proper credit on posting that pic. No disrespect intended, of course In any case, I was happy you posted it and spoke up. Without getting the feedback I received, I could've ended up doing something I'd have regretted.

As for the Rhino Liner (assuming that is in fact what the aforementioned local shop uses), my father in law had them apply it thicker than what most folks ask for, and paid for the extra material to do it. Perhaps that might help offset some of the downside of not having material as hard as Line-X. Best thing of all, though, it's gonna take me a few months to save up for the bedliner, so I have time to keep doing homework

 

Oh, I didn't feel disrespected at all! No problem!

If you don't abuse your bed like some of these landscaping companies do, you will probably never even come close to damaging either Line-X or Rhino Liner.

Yes, definitely do some homework. You might even want to go for a Bed Rug (not my taste, but I can see why people like it).

Here's an interesting read I found for Line-X:
LINE-X Exterior Spraying Myths and Answers

Line-X vs Rhino Liner:
http://www.tundraheadquarters.com/bl...ino-bed-liner/

 

That second article in particular is a great read. My main takeaway is choice of installer is potentially more important than which material to choose between Line-X and Rhino Liner.

 

Update: I called the local shop who did my father-in-law's bedliner and it turns out they use what the previously mentioned article would refer to as "Brand-X," specifically something called Speedliner. The person I spoke to at the shop speaks like he places a high emphasis on the prep work, which appears to be the most important factor to consider above all else. He quoted me $400 to do my bed, which is a sold $50 cheaper than the Line-X quote I'd received. That, combined with the fact I've seen a years-old example of this shop's work is very compelling to me. Gonna start saving my nickels....

 

I have Rhino on my Ford and Line-X on my Dodge. The Rhino faded however it was not covered, the Line-X looks great as it has a hard tonneu cover. Check warranty as $50 is not that much in the grand scheme of things.