Drivers want their vehicles to last tens of thousands of miles. Any way they can find to protect their vehicle, they'll jump on board. One accessory that's common with many truck buyers has to do with the lining of the bed. You must preserve the bed of your truck if you plan on hauling cargo. You'll find a couple of truck bedliner products on the market that provides that needed protection.
One deals with spraying on a special coating to act as your liner. The other is a simple, one-piece accessory you place in the back of your truck. Both items have their positive points and drawbacks when it comes to protecting your vehicle so that you can keep it around for as long as possible. Here, we'll explore the good and bad of both, so you can decide which one wins you over.
Spray-on bedliner
Drivers buy pick-ups mostly for the hauling capabilities. Sometimes, moving things around in and out of the back, scratches, gauges, and dents transpire. To avoid getting them, owners search for some liner application for the bed of their truck. One option is the spray-on lining.
A spray-on bedliner is essentially a painted truck bed. First off, they strip the paint from the back where you place your cargo. The original coating is ground down to the bare metal. Then they will prepare the surface and paint the special bedliner material onto the bed of the truck. The sprayed-on material has a textured surface that helps preserve the back from getting scuffed up and scratched by the cargo you're placing in and out of the truck. It also prevents your cargo from sliding around.
Keep in mind. However, it does require highly-skilled technicians to apply it. Someone who isn't knowledgeable about the application could perform a poor quality job, leaving you with a botched truck bedliner. Since spray-in bedliners can be costly, you don't want to waste your money on a bad spray job.
Drop-in bedliner
A drop-in bedliner is a hard plastic or rubber lining that you can drop into the bed of your vehicle. It's very affordable because you can install it yourself, without the need for any specialists.
It protects the bed from dents and dings since the liner itself takes the brunt of the blows that the back of the truck would ordinarily take. You can easily transfer it to another vehicle, provided it's the same size as the current one.
The problem, though, is that it must fit the bed of the truck perfectly. If you buy one that professes to be universal, you risk the liner not sitting right. If it's not quite big enough, it will move around in the back with the cargo, causing dents and dings on the sides of the bed.
Also, the covering of these liners are usually smooth, which will cause your items to slide around in the back of the vehicle. The key to these types of truck bedliners is to do your research and purchase the right one for you.
Which truck bedliner is best?
Both types of bedliners are excellent choices, but there will be a few things to keep in mind. If you go with a spray-on, make sure you hire someone who has experience spraying the coating. It will cost a lot of money, but you will get professional results. Items won't slide around, and you'll see less damage to your truck.
Drop-in bedliners will do a great job if you have yours customized to fit your truck bed. Go to a shop that will make the liner to fit the bed correctly. Choose one that has a rough texture to it to prevent your cargo from sliding around. Once yours is installed correctly, you can protect the paint underneath without voiding the corrosion warranty your truck may have.
No matter which type of truck bedliner you decide to go with, you will have sufficient protection for many years to come. Provided, of course, you choose the highest quality product for your vehicle, no matter if it's used or brands new.
Remember, spray-on bedliners need to be done by professionals, while drop-in liners can be installed all by yourself. Decide which one suits your circumstances and find a shop that will hook you up the best bedliner for your vehicle's bed. If you decide to go with a spray-in bedliner, we recommend going with a well-established name such as ArmorThane. They have been around for over 30 years and have the best name and reputation in the industry.
