I am getting ready to custom order a 2015 Super Duty F-350 Diesel King Ranch. I am wondering what bed liners folks recommend and why. I was planning on the spray in bed liner. Like many of you, this will be a "truck" and used for rugged work but at the same time, I want to do what I can to protect the 60+K investment. Thanks!

 

I use a drop in and have been happy with it. Others will be along to tell you how spray in is best and that the drop in will rust your bed, blah blah blah.

My bed looks perfect under the drop in liner.

 

Aside from cost, are there downsides to the spray in liner?

Is the "drop in" liner from the factory or aftermarket? I'm just trying to learn the pros and cons of the options.

Thanks!

 

In my opinion the only real downside to a spray in besides cost is that stuff doesn't slide on it as easily. For example, if you were so inclined to dump a load of mulch or dirt directly in your bed, it's harder to get out with a spray in versus a hard plastic drop in. Another example is pushing large heavy objects into the bed is tougher too, as it doesn't slide on the coarse spray in liner. My solution is to just get a bed mat to go over the spray in liner. Stuff slides on it just fine and it protects the bed floor doubly as much as the spray-in underneath it.

 

I couldn't agree more! To be honest, that is what is currently quoted in my specs for ordering this truck! The guy at the Ford dealership looked at me like I had 3 eyes when I said I wanted 2 liners but my rationale was nearly word for word what you just said. Thanks!

 

The spray in liners can fade, chip and peel.

I don't know about the durability of them as far as dropping heavy things but I know my drop in doesn't have a problem.

 

You know, I have heard this as well about spray-in liners but I think it must have to do with the brand of the liner. I have what I believe to be the OEM Ford spray-in (It was in the truck when I bought it and it has no markings/badging to indicate the brand) and it truly looks brand new, it's not a super coarse liner like a Line-X but it is a beefy spray in. Still unfaded black with no scrapes or dings or peeling or chipping, so there's something to be said for that considering my truck is an '06.

I can speak to the durability of dropping heavy things in it; as I said I've got a thick rubber bed mat on top of the spray-in, and it absorbs impact very well. I've had a stove that was being loaded (not by me, mind you) into my truck on a pallet. Stove fell off the pallet and landed on edge in my bed from roughly three feet up, no dents of any kind under the rubber mat. I've got to think it takes those hits and saves the metal of the bed...

Again, these are just my opinions from my own experiences, so take it as you will!

 

I'd advise LineX. I have the factory spray in, and messed it up the first time we went camping. A year later and the dealer still can't tell me who can fix it. I touched up the damage with black touch up paint, and from the looks of it, it'll be that way forever. LineX can be fixed by any LineX dealer, that's a bonus that the Ford liner doesn't offer.

As far as denting the bed goes, I have a rubber mat over the spray in, and my bed is dented up under it after only a year and a half. Wheelwells are dented too. The sheetmetal in the bed is just too damn thin.

 

Thanks for the responses. I am not familiar with the Line X...is that an aftermarket spray in liner? Are the costs reasonable? Thanks again!

 

Line-X is a very good quality aftermarket spray in liner. There are shops all over the place and all the shops will warrantee and repair a Line-X liner regardless of where or when it was installed. I remember they quoted my SD short bed as costing around 500 bucks for the high quality black finish. Line-X CAN do custom colors too, which is neat. They charge more though if they have to grind down an existing spray-in liner first though...

 

From what I've read, for the most part everybody is satisfied with the bed liner option they have chosen - so no matter what you do it probably won't be a bad choice

fwiw these are my observations and experiences with truck beds since the late 70"s:

- when I got my first pickup one of my dad's wise truck friends told me to go get a load of rock and shovel it back out so I would get the dings and scratches out of the way because that's what a truck bed is made for.

- except in extreme cases, the inside of most truck beds (even in commercial use) don't really affect how the outside looks (what matters the most). Usually an "unprotected" bed is not easily destroyed.

- My experience in using other people's trucks with plastic liners is that they are great when loading but nothing stays where you put it when driving due to the slippery surface. One of the best things about a drop-in liner is that you can remove it when you sell the truck and potential buyers see a truck bed that seems to have been used very little

What has worked for me, your mileage may vary:
In my first truck, I put good exterior plywood coated well with oil-based paint to match truck color in the bottom, which served my purposes at the time excellently.

My Super Dutys since 2000 have all had a rubber floor mat on the bed (which aids greatly in keeping things where I put them) and a plastic bed liner piece on the tailgate which is a fantastic help when loading. The sides of the bed are exposed to very little, so lining them is not worth the effort/expense to me, and to pay $$$ for spray-in liner only to cover it with a mat doesn't make sense for my purposes or wallet.

 

I have both ... spray in & a Ford drop in. I like the drop in because 1) it's easier to clean, 2) stuff slides in/out easily, & 3) it protects the bed from impacts.

The spray in was there when I bought the truck ... I suspect it just protect from rust caused by the drop-in moving around & wearing the finish. I didn't like it for the reason's mentioned above ... plus, it was starting to fade & look chalky.

 

I can't speak for other brands, but after 10 years my rhino liner still looks brand new and it has had just about everything thrown at it. My mother in law got the do it yourself kind from wal mart and it scratched off the first time she used it. My dad has a drop in liner in his f150 and he hasn't had any rust issues with his either. Both work just fine in my opinion.

 

It all boils down to get what you want. Both options will work just fine.

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A properly installed spray in will last a long time. My 96 F350 has a Rhino Liner in it and other than color loss/fading has held up very well. I ordered the factory spray in on my new one and it looks very good. Time will tell how well it holds up.