I'm a LINE-X dealer. I'll won't contribute my opinion, but I will correct a few things that are incorrect and offer some of the requested information.

If a bedliner product is applied correctly, it should not peel up, no matter what the brand. However, Superliner and Speedliner do not have the superior adhesion properties of most of the other bedliners because they do not contain any polyurethane (which has very good adhesion properties). As a matter of fact, Superliner and Speedliner must first apply an adhesive primer in order to get their bedliner to stick to the bed.

If LINE-X needs a repair, it does not take one or two days to fix. Fixes can seamlessly be finished in about an hour. If the repair is done correctly, the new will NOT peel off of the old. Maybe other brands do this, but LINE-X should not.

LINE-X (and Rhino) are supposed to be applied up to 1/4" on the bed and up to 1/8" on the sides. Most LINE-X applications will be thinner than Rhino. Rhino has less than half the tear strength of LINE-X so it has to be thicker. Would you rather have one inch of aluminum or one-half inch of titanium. Just trying to make a point here about thickness.

 

Goldielox,

BedRugs, like most bedliners, come down to what you use your truck for. When I had a BedRug, the guy that sold it to me (swearing it was heavy duty) bought it back inside of three months. I'm probably tougher on bedliners than most.

Water does get under BedRugs, but it runs out the factory drain holes (like Dualcomp) and doesn't really "trap" any water. The key is to protect your factory paint - your truck was designed to have water come and go through the bed... think about the outside of your truck, water gets on it and runs away, your bed does the same thing.

There is a myth, started and perpetuated by the spray-in guys - that water should never get into your truck bed. The factories have spent a ton of money on properly sealing the bed. Who do you trust to seal your bed better, the people that designed it or the $12 kid that wants to push your truck through?

Let me know how you use your truck and I'll be happy to help point you in a direction that makes sense. For some people, that may even be a plastic drop-in - but only if you slide lots of things in and out of the truck and always tie them down.

Bryndon

 

If your going to work your truck (gravel, dirt, mulch, heavy metal things like appliances) get line-x I did and I love it. If your going to baby your truck and use it like a commuter car get a bed rug. The drop in liners and other spray liners are crap.

 

I plan on using my truck ('05 Supercrew) occasionally for hauling dirt or other hard-core stuff. Most of the time the most drastic thing I'll be hauling is baseball equipment and trips to the local home improvement store. I'm trying to decide on a hard cap, to be able to lock the equipment up when I'm away from the truck and some type of bed protector. Since so many of you guys have been a truck user longer than me, my first "BIG" truck, I'd be interested in what you recommend and a educated guess as to what it'd cost.

 

Sorry to say, my personal experiences with Line-X, Rhino, and several other spray-ins would differ dramatically. For regular sand, gravel, and mulch hauling, the best bet is a plastic drop-in - especially if you get loaded with a front end loader. If you haul rock and heavy sharp metal parts, the Dualcomp beats them all. BedRug for light duty only, is my experience. Most of the spray-ins are pretty, for a while - be very careful that you don't bang up your wheel tubs - they typically are the first thing to take a beating.

Look past all the hype and look at what you do with your truck. I use mine heavily and the wheel wells are the first thing to take a beating. As soon as I get some time, I'll get a gallery set up and show off some pictures that make the spray-in guys cringe... 24 20# landscaping blocks dropped 5' out of a front end loader, dropped them about 20 times to get really good pictures.

Oh yeah, the drops were made into the new company F150 - she had 600 miles on her at that time. And that exact truck with that exact liner were my SEMA show truck... unless I pointed out the 3" scratch in the left wheel well you couldn't tell it had been used for anything.

 

WHat is occasionally? Once a year? Five times? Once a month?

That becomes important as you think about additional hassles - for instance, if you haul dirt or other hard-core stuff once or twice a year, throwing a blue tarp down then hauling is an OK solution.

With baseball equipment - an equipment bag? Bases?
What do you typically pick up at the home improvement store? Wood? Cement? Lawn tractors?

WIll you end up helping lots of friends move with your truck?

All these things will help with determining what will be best for you.

 

I don't think Bryndon mentioned that he works for Dualcomp.

If you place certain products on top of the truck's bed, dirt, sand, leaves, trash and moisture will eventually makes its way between the product and the bed. If the product is not static, the debris will eventually grind down the clearcoat and paint which could lead to the development of rust. Drop-in plastic bedliners are the worst for grinding down the paint. I personally have seen rust spots with these conditions. Does rust always develop? No, of course not, but it does happen.

Each bedliner product has its pros and cons. Spray-ons offer a static water-tight protective coating. They are not for everyone, but will perform just right for most consumers. LINE-X alone has almost 2 million bedliners on the road.

 

TruckDaddy is right, I forgot to mention that I work for Dualcomp. My error, as I usually do mention that and did in another post this morning.

That is the first time I've heard anyone claim that debris causes the damage. Debris actually drops to the lowest point in the bed where a drop-in doesn't touch.

The plastic liners scratch because they do not fit tight and the wind makes them vibrate. I have heard many stories about rusted out beds because of them, never seen one - rust yes, rusted out no. The bigger problem that they have is the surface is slippery - the only spray-in that is not almost as slippery is Rhino - IMHO, Rhino is one of the ugliest and easiest to damage.

I'll give you an honest opinion of what makes sense for you to use. The opinion is based on having used most of the available products over a 28 years time span. I joined Dualcomp because it is the only bedliner that has been able to survive my usage.

TruckDaddy - 2 million bedliners is nothing next to the number that the plastic drop-ins have delivered and installed - does that make them better than Line-X? Following the "my company did this many..." logic, we would all be driving Model T's.

Volume will never be my prime mover in what is the best product. You know the old saying, "you can fool some of the people... " Not saying that Line-X isn't a good product, just that it has some flaws for certain usages. As an example, if you drop something heavy, it offers little dent protection. It is almost as slippery as a drop-in... you don't have to believe me, the video is on my website - what you see is 3 cinder blocks in a tilt bed trailer. The first to slide is a Penda Skid Resistor, followed closely by the Line-X. Last one to move is ours - the block jitters a few inches and stops. I use the trailer at shows and it is a very graphic demonstration.

I will be happy to help anyone find what fits their personal needs best because I have used them, abused them, and spit them out. But I also know that not everyone is as aggressive as I am.

One last note, "static" in TruckDaddy's post means stationary. "Static" when referring to bedliners is usually followed by the word ELECTRICITY. The drop-ins, most of the spray-ins, and BedRug will all carry a static charge. The rubber floor mat of the Dualcomp liner cannot support (read that as insulates) a static charge. Safety for carrying fuel cans is something most people ignore completely.

 

WHat is occasionally? Once a year? Five times? Once a month?

A COUPLE TIMES A YEAR, SAY FIVE LOADS OR LESS

That becomes important as you think about additional hassles - for instance, if you haul dirt or other hard-core stuff once or twice a year, throwing a blue tarp down then hauling is an OK solution.

With baseball equipment - an equipment bag? Bases?

EQUIPMENT BAGS, BALL BUCKETS, FIELD WORK EQUIPMENT

What do you typically pick up at the home improvement store? Wood? Cement? Lawn tractors?

LUMBER, LAWN SUPPLIES, DECORATING ITEMS, FURNITURE ETC

WIll you end up helping lots of friends move with your truck?

IT ALWAYS HAPPENS

All these things will help with determining what will be best for you.

 

Debris: Oh yes, the sand/dirt that's between the bed and the drop-in just accelerates the wearing down of the paint by grinding away at it.

Static electicity: I don't know of any spray-ons that cause static electicity. Federal law requires a warning sticker if they do (like you see on some drop-ins). I've never seen one on a spray-on bedliner.

Drop-ins are cheap and they will aways be around. Truck manufacturers are realizing that spray-ons are a better. Nissan offers a factory spray-on and Ford's going be next (sometime in 2006). Don't believe me? You'll see!

 

i'm working on my 1st spray in and it is a linex. i've always have used drop ins manely because thats what has always came in my truck. they have always served me well untell my 05 fx4. a 3' x 6" c channel piece of steel tore my drop in. i'd only had my truck for like 8 months. when they pulled it out the paint was already to the metal in alot of places. i do have pictures. my linex is not slippery. matter of fact i have a tackle box and a cooler back there and have'nt moved.
note that i dont claim 1 better than the other as that everything has its place. if you use the bedrug and haul sand or rock or bags of fertilizer i suggest taking the rug out and cleaning the bed.

 

Obrady, you - like most truck owners - fall into what I call a medium duty usage. At that point, here would be my suggestions:

Drop-ins - they would give you no advantage and lots of disadvantage for your style usage.

BedRug - if you are a cautious guy when loading/unload and drive carefully when loaded. It is easy on the knees for climbing up in the bed and getting things that slid forward.

Spray-in - again, caution when loading/unloading and driving. Spray-ins will not do much to protect from dents, so dents can occur and will always show. To get their best product, plan on upgrading form the basic. Knees go unprotected if you have to crawl in the bed, but much better than the plastic drop-ins. If you are cautious and want the best look - IMHO Line-X would be the way to go.

Dualcomp - Caution is not nearly as necessary because what you load/throw/slam into the bed will stay where it lands and dents are not an issue. If you have to crawl in the bed, the rubber mat is easy on the knees. You can put your equipment at the back of the bed and remove is from the same spot, even if you drive hard. The weak spot is if you unload lumber by slamming on the brakes - I have several carpenter friends that do this (with drop-ins). The mat is skid resistant enough to stop the bottom layer from moving.

At the last Jamboree, I had a construction guy try to test me. He grabbed one of the cinder blocks out of our display trailer and held it above his head. He then asked if he could see how dent resistant the bedliner was... figured I'd back off. Told him to give it his best shot. He slammed the block down with all the force a guy that's 6'4" 250# and throws block all day could muster. He was shocked that he left almost no mark in the wheel tub - and after 2 hours of sunshine, that was gone too.

When you move your friends - I know about this one from many personal experiences - make sure they are as careful as you are. That was the first tear in the BedRug I had, someone slid something with a sharp edge. Smae thing with a couple different brands of spray-ins including Rhino.

 

Sand and dirt migrate to the lowest point, away from the bedliner - unless gravity no longer pulls things towards the center of the planet.

The spray-ins are not required to have the sticker, because years ago the feds mandated fuel pumps to have warning signs. Even at that, BedRug still has a warning on the rug. You can test the static theory very easily. Take a pair of pantyhose and rub them on the liner. The touch the end of a small camping lantern bulb (4-watt looks like a little fluorescent is easiest) to the liner. Other than a rubber floor mat, I have never seen one that wouldn't light the bulb.

Nissan is learning their lesson about spray-in liners. This is news with Ford, haven't seen the press release. It would be a huge surprise if they actually did that because it definitely won't be standard equipment - every dealer would have to get set up... pretty hush-hush for a 2006 launch.

The OSHA notice that I had mentioned in a different post is directive number CPL 04-00 (LEP 003) Subject: Isocyanate Local Emphasis Program. With Ford spending a lot of money on clean environment objectives, Isocyanates are not likely to be a chemical they would want to play with themselves.

Just my two cents worth, we could go on for days.

Curious though - why would a Line-X dealer be happy if Ford put spray-ins in... effectively reducing the dealer's market?

 

Well, I've removed a bunch drop-ins, I'm reporting what I've seen. I do have some pics (somewhere). I'll have to scan them, they're not digital. I bet there some folks here you can report what they've found underneath their drop-in.

Nissan invited one of the owners of LINE-X (Claudio Burtin) and a Dupont rep to the Nissan factory where their bedliner (made by PPG, a paint company with NO bedliner experience) is sprayed in to help troubleshoot the problem. Long story short, Nissan is changing equipment and product in late 2006.

I know a little bit about what Ford is up to . I'll most likely know more once I attend LINE-X's first world-wide convention which is in February in Dallas. The current consensus among LINE-X dealers is that if Ford sprays a factory bedliner, it will help more than it will hurt.

This isocyanates issue is old news. Isocyanates have been used since at least the early 1980's. OSHA has addressed the health issues just like all other potentially harmful industrial chemicals. Nissan is using iso and resin, it's not a problem.

 

Just to add my $.02, I bought the rubber bed mat from Ford when I bought the truck, and it has served me well. It is quite heavy and stays in place very well. My bed doesn't get a lot of abuse, but my tailgate is a bit scrated up. I'll get the spray liner one day, but even then I'll put that rubber bed mat on top of it for cushion.