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I like plastic,but spray ins are good also..
Dealers like to see trucks with plastic bedliners so the custormer can take it out if he wants to.....
Spray ins tend to hold cargo better because plastic makes cargo side..
Also plastic can scrape the paint and let water under but you have to remember that spray ins spray on your paint so your paints gone....
All and all they both look good and protect so it's just getting one you like and seeing how you like it
I bought a used '01 F-150 4x4, and the plastic bedliner was already installed. It's pretty slippery back there, and cargo shifts around where if it were a spray-on or just the steel bed I think it might have stayed put. It looks nice, tho.
At what point do you take the bedliner out and go "look how nice the paint in the bed looks?" I think the plastic is going to outlast the truck.
I had a ford plastic bedliner in my 93 F150 4x4 from the day I bought it in 1992 until I dropped it off at my Dad's in March of this year. I hated, HATED, it. It was slick, had to tie everything down to keep it from sliding all over the bed. It warped a month after I bought the truck. It rubbed the paint off in several places. Dad is removing it and after a coat of primer will have a spray in installed.
I just bought an 03 F150 4x4 (see my sig) and had a Line-X installed. Wow! I love it. It looks great, does not hold water (I had to drill several holes in my plastic liner to fix this problem in my old truck), and cargo stays put. I would do a Line-X again without question. I have even considered having my nerf bars sprayed.
I checked Line-X versus Rhino spray in liners in the end after researching it as well. Several plastic drop in owners told me they'd never get another drop in, not one spray in bed liner owner said the same about theirs, most liked theirs very much.
I move a lot, the Line-X had an easier to deal with warranty if I EVER needed it around th country. Even my Line-X dealer said he'd only reccomend the Rhino if the Line-X wasn't what the customer wanted. I got the Line-X and it's been great so far...
The BIG difference it seems, the Rhino liner "Seems" softer, or "cushier", a Computer maintenance guy I know swears by his as he's always toting monitors and systems in the back of his truck and they stay put on the Rhino. Though it looked a bit "chewed up" it still had full coverage.
I don't like those plastic bed liners either because they are
slippery and not really that nice looking ....
and FORGET the idea of spraying some coating on my
BRAND NEW TRUCK!!! what happens if I want to change it
or if I want to sell the truck and the next guy doesn't like it ??
I haven't installed it yet ... but I just bought a BED RUG!!!
They have a website and a nice color brochure and they
will send you a sample of an actual piece of a Bed Rug ...
It's some space age layered foam ... topped off with
Marine Carpet ....
If we ever get a break in the weather here in NJ I will
install this the first chance I get .....
I put a Bed Rug in last year. Love it. After about two months, I covered the bed with a Jackrabbit cover by Pace Edwards. The Bed Rug has no need to be covered, I just like the features of the covered bed for my use. The bed rug says it will withstand anything so I have not held back but then again, I am not hauling the junk all the time. I have trailers to haul the messy junk with and would do that even if I had an old beater truck also.
I would not have a slide in liner as to the problems stated by many above. The spay in would be my second choice.
I say you should evaluate how you will be using the truck bed and then decide.
Be sure to follow the instructions on installation and it should not take but about 30 mins. to do.
Ive got the factory plastic drop-in liner on my '99 F-150. I can see how the plastic ones could rub the paint off and hold water causing rust.
Im all for the spray-on ones but I have one concern. I sometimes haul my snowmobile and I am concerned that the metal carbide runners on the bottom of the skis and the studs in the track (both of which are razor sharp) would dig into the bedliner when loading and unloading and would damage the liner.
Herculiner is something that is considerably less, but you have to do it yourself. I think they run about $40+ for the kit, and you can probably buy the touch up cans for $10+. Only takes a few hours and depending on your intelligence, looks profesionally installed. Not only that but you get the done-it-myself pride.
I have the plastic liner in my truck and would have to say I like it. I don't really have to much problem with things moving around because I have 2x4's in the slots to help minimize movement. I will admit the spray on liners do look like they would do a good job. It's a truck, if you take care of it it will take care of you!