Bedliners....

[LoneStarLawn]

What do ya'll prefer for your trucks.....a plastic bedliner or a spray-on bedliner and why?

[bob]

I'll take the plastic. I like the idea that things will slid out easy. 2 weeks ago I got 80-football-sized rocks from the quarry. Back up fast, hit the brakes and they slide to the end of the bed.

[landscaper3]

Rhino Liner spray in liner serves more purposes, NEVER have rust holes in your bed agian, rust wont go through this stuff. Things stay put and dont slide everwhere like my shovels,rakes ect. It all depends on your purpose (if you want things to slide around especialy in winter get a plastic liner & if you want things to stay put and longer bed life get a spray liner) both liners serve different purposes.

[morturf]

I have had Rhino liners in 2 trucks one for 7 years and one new. Had a slide in, was not a good deal for me. The biggest advantage to me is that it is permanent, no gaps for junk to get behind and then rot or get wet and rust the box. there is no rub and things stay where you put them. I know they cost more but for me they work best.

[Stinger]

Lone Star, We use the thick heavy duty rubber bed and tailgate mats. We haul alot of heavy materials ie: flagstone, concrete mix, trees, sod, and some palletized stuff. I checked out the spray in liners and they wouldn't
let a pallet slide in the bed too easy. Plus the company said the pallet might have exposed nails that may tear the liner when being pushed in by a forklift. Therefore they wouldn't warranty that type of damage. We had a plastic liner in a 3/4 ton truck and went to turn a corner at normal speed when 3,200 lbs of bagged cement on a pallet slid till it met the front of the bed and back window (not pretty). I prefer the rubber mats because they are easy in and out especially if you want to clean the truck bed. The plastic ones tend to hold water and spray in's are the most expensive. It all depends on what you use your truck for.

[bob]

I also have a pastic bed liner in my JD Gator!

[Sammy]

Rubber mat. I dont like things slideing around and going "BANG" and putting dents in the truck.

[Turfer]

I use a rubber mat but have used plastic in the past. The thing I like about rubber is that it absorbs / dissipates spilled oil,gas, gatorade or whatever liquid allot better than plastic.

[Turf Kutter]

Why not just get a plastic and when you want stuf to slide throw it in.When you don`t put a rubber mat on it then put what you want in.

[Samurai WeedWacker]

of the next truck I get. No more rust, no more scratches! Didja know it comes in a choice of colors?

[Lawnworks]

It seems like the rino liner would not protect your bed from dents like a plastic one would.

Rick
LawnWorks

[greenflag]

I have been doing spray-in liners for about six years, as well as selling plastic liners and bedmats for eight. All the above posts are great, they sound like what I tell my customers when they are contemplating bed protection options. (honesty works for me)If it was me, with a work truck in San Antonio, I would get a plastic liner for when I wanted to slide stuff, and throw a rubber mat on top when I wanted stuff to stay still. Be advised that either a liner or a mat alone WILL damage your paint. You should see some of the pictures I have accumulated where I have pulled liners out of trucks for one reason or another. If someone wants to see them, I will gladly scan them and post same. But, rust isn't really a problem in central Texas.
On spray-ins: Rhino is the best known, but possibly worst quality liner out there. (Don't flame me on this, I know what I am saying.) I saw a "red" one in a '98 Chevy last week that I did some wiring on and the only problem was... it wasn't red anymore. Well, actually the sides were kinda red. The floor, however, was YELLOW. It seems that the intense sun in Texas fades Rhino and other bedliners of similar chemical composition (Toff, Gatorback). I did Toffliners for two years. About a month ago, I saw a black one that was fading to gray. I started to criticize the work until I realized that I HAD SPRAYED IT ONLY A YEAR EARLIER!!! I was embarassed to see that. Maybe Rhino (it is a generally good product, BTW) holds up better up north, but not around here!
Also, don't but into the "up to 1/4" thick B.S. either. Most liners are sprayed at 1/16 - 1/8" thick. Rhino and the others teach their dealers to spray extra around the edges and trim at an angle to make the liners appear thicker. These types of liners tend to blister at that thickness. I know from experience, you ought to try grinding one out to redo it.
The second most important factor in a spray-in is the guy doing the job. So if you go that route, interview the dealer. Small ones like me are best, because the owner does the work. We do this for pride, because there definitely is not wealth potential for a small shop.
If you decide on the drop-in or a bedmat, e-mail me and I might be able to save you some money. There should be some competitive dealers in your area, though, so compare and let me know. We Texas boys have to stick together ;)

my address is dburrow@bestruck.com

Sorry for the long post, but you guys have taught me so much that I thought I would share my expertise as well...

[bob]

What does it cost to have a liner sprayed on your truck bed?

[thelawnguy]

The plastic bedliner I had installed when the truck was new wore the paint off the bottom. I threw it out. IMO bedliners in a work truck are worthless.

[greenflag]

We charge $349.00 for a fs short bed and $399.00 for a fs lb.