I've had both...best option varies.
My 2002 Ranger was sprayed with Line-X in 2007. It has held up well and has been used hard with no maintenance. It does have some small damaged spots where the liner got nicked, but unless you are looking at it up close you wouldn't notice them. It has faded some, but is still a nice dark gray, not chalky or bad looking in any way, especially for being exposed to the elements for over a decade. It has served its purpose...the bed looks better than most of the rest of the truck, and it would have looked like a bomb went off without it. All I have to do is hose it off and it still looks pretty good.
As far as spray ins, texture varies by brand. I like the hard, grainy texture of Line-X. Things will slide, but not as much as a drop in or bed with no liner. It's good if you are standing in the bed of the truck in wet/slippery conditions. Rhino is more of a rubbery, "chunky" texture. Not really familiar with other brands.
My 1994 Ranger had an aftermarket over the rail plastic drop in installed when it was new, and it was in the truck for 20 years until I took it out in 2014. The installer had signed and dated the underside of the liner with a paint pen, so I know it was installed in 1994. I was surprised at how well it protected the bed. After cleaning, the paint was in very good shape overall and the metal only had a couple dings. It is important to note though that the truck has seen little salt and has been in the South for most of its life. I removed the drop in because it was warping along the rails and just didn't look good. Even brand new, I don't think over the rail plastic liners look good, but most are under the rail these days anyway. They have good dent resistance and are obviously removable. Things slide on them easily, which depending on what you are hauling could be an advantage or disadvantage. In areas where roads are salted heavily, they could potentially trap salt and moisture, but by the time it rots the bed out the rest of the truck is probably pretty crusty anyway. One nice thing is if the liner starts to look rough, you can just get a new one. I didn't get a new one because I don't haul much in this truck and I think it looks better without.
My 2002 Ranger was sprayed with Line-X in 2007. It has held up well and has been used hard with no maintenance. It does have some small damaged spots where the liner got nicked, but unless you are looking at it up close you wouldn't notice them. It has faded some, but is still a nice dark gray, not chalky or bad looking in any way, especially for being exposed to the elements for over a decade. It has served its purpose...the bed looks better than most of the rest of the truck, and it would have looked like a bomb went off without it. All I have to do is hose it off and it still looks pretty good.
As far as spray ins, texture varies by brand. I like the hard, grainy texture of Line-X. Things will slide, but not as much as a drop in or bed with no liner. It's good if you are standing in the bed of the truck in wet/slippery conditions. Rhino is more of a rubbery, "chunky" texture. Not really familiar with other brands.
My 1994 Ranger had an aftermarket over the rail plastic drop in installed when it was new, and it was in the truck for 20 years until I took it out in 2014. The installer had signed and dated the underside of the liner with a paint pen, so I know it was installed in 1994. I was surprised at how well it protected the bed. After cleaning, the paint was in very good shape overall and the metal only had a couple dings. It is important to note though that the truck has seen little salt and has been in the South for most of its life. I removed the drop in because it was warping along the rails and just didn't look good. Even brand new, I don't think over the rail plastic liners look good, but most are under the rail these days anyway. They have good dent resistance and are obviously removable. Things slide on them easily, which depending on what you are hauling could be an advantage or disadvantage. In areas where roads are salted heavily, they could potentially trap salt and moisture, but by the time it rots the bed out the rest of the truck is probably pretty crusty anyway. One nice thing is if the liner starts to look rough, you can just get a new one. I didn't get a new one because I don't haul much in this truck and I think it looks better without.
