DIY Truck Bed Liners

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Feb 26, 2011
Messages
1,232
Location
N. Georgia Mtns
I need help. I’m planning installing a DIY bed liner in the Sierra 1500. I plan on using the Herculiner bed liner system by Peak. Has anyone ever used this system or know of someone who has? Or, has anyone used, or know of anyone who has used, any other brand and their outcomes? Pros or cons of this DIY system would be a big help. The closest professional bed liner installer, Line-X, is over two hours away from me and they want $500 for their basic spray on liner. I can get the Herculiner bed liner kit from Lowes for $69.95. Most reviews and videos I’ve been able to find are pretty positive. Any thoughts?
 
I've used Herculiner and most every DIY spray on looking for something to hold up on different outside metal projects that see light use compared to a truck bed and nothing is as tough as the commercial liners. If you use your truck easy it might do OK. Prep is everything.
 
Chevys bolt in from the bottom. On a Ford you chisel the bedliner off the bolt heads, then break all your torx bits anyway
smile.gif
 
You get what you pay for. I have had Rhino and Line-X. Both expensive, both last and are very durable.
I have also had DIY kits, cheaper, but no where near the quality as the professional.

For the DIY kits, prep is key, and even then most are marginal at best unless it is just for looks.
For best results, over prep. De-wax, scuff, sand, clean, scuff again, clean again, then apply in multiple layers. Follow the directions exactly. Keep it out of the sun. Do it at the correct temp (not too hot, not too cold). Do it indoors (very well ventilated though) if possible to keep dust and dirt, bird poop out of it while drying. Some say the roll on kits are better, other say spray on. I have seen no real difference except texture is a little different (spray on tends to be smoother than roll on).
 
My truck is my daily driver. It gets very little use as far as hauling. I put a nice thick truck mat in it just aftet I bought the truck. The reason I'd like some type of coating is last week I had to help a neighbor that was moving some belongings to his new home up here. He was using a large Uhaul trailer that was loaded to the max. He tried to come up the somewhat steep hill leading to both our homes. He lost traction and his Tahoe and trailer starting sliding back down the hill (it was wet from rain). Trailer ended up off the road and his Tahoe ended up across the road itself, still connected to the trailer. We used my truck to make several trips to his house empyting the trailer of his belongings so we could lighten it enough to pull it out. Another neigbor and his son pitched in. They scratched my bed up pretty good, especially loading and unloading some concrete yard ornaments. Long story short, my bed is now scatched up pretty good and I'd like to protect it to keep it from rusting. Thanks for all the input and suggestions.
 
Originally Posted By: Sierra048
... Long story short, my bed is now scatched up pretty good and I'd like to protect it to keep it from rusting. Thanks for all the input and suggestions.

So your truck bed now looks like a truck bed?
smile.gif
 
Well, it is a bed. You could just spot it with some paint and call it a day. How good does it have to look? How many years are you going to keep it?

IIRC to do the bedliner they have to scuff up the paint anyhow. You're just getting ahead of the curve.
 
Originally Posted By: supton
Well, it is a bed. You could just spot it with some paint and call it a day. How good does it have to look? How many years are you going to keep How good does it have to look?

IIRC to do the bedliner they have to scuff up the paint anyhow. You're just getting ahead of the curve.


Given my age and health, our two trucks will probably still be running after I'm long gone. I would like to keep them in the best shape posible. They're washed and spray waxed weekly and get a thorough detailing every three months. Maintenance on them is a religion to me. Barring an accident, the chances of me ever owning another vehicle are slim and none. Hence the reason for my applying, or having someone apply, a bed liner. I'd help my neighbor again in a heartbeat, but I'd like to have some protection for my truck bed given the chance. Since starting this thread I've changed my mind and I'm leaning towards going the Line-X route instead of me doing it myself. Thanks for all your input.
 
Last edited:
Good luck in whatever you do.

Just had a thought. I like the LineX in my bed, but you know what? It's a pretty rough surface. It's fine as long as I crawl in, but some stuff does not slide very well. That's good and bad, I guess. Used a friends truck to move stuff, and it had a plastic liner, and we were able to slide some heavy objects on it--I doubt we could have in my truck.
 
The plastic liner does allow stuff to slide out easier, but also allows it to slide around in the bed easier as well. Some have issues with the plastic liners trapping moisture and causing rust.

My current truck has no liner (spray or plastic) and the bed looks like, well, a truck bed.

I had a '01 Ram I had Rhino lined, a little smoother than Line-x, but not as slick as plastic. I had it for about 4 years and the bed still looked great when I got rid of it.
 
I found that the black in the Rhino lining faded over time. But it was $150 cheaper than Line-X at that time, 2003-ish.
 
Originally Posted By: Brons2
I found that the black in the Rhino lining faded over time. But it was $150 cheaper than Line-X at that time, 2003-ish.

Yup, when I had mine done in late '01 they had a UV protector that they said they could add for an extra $100 or so that would keep it from fading.
I did not get it, and it did get lighter over time, but not bad (but again, was only 4 years that I had it).
 
Since NO MANUFACTURERS after 120 years has figured out how to keep pick ups truck from rusting out rockers, cab corner, and rear wheel wells, I've totally have given up on trying to preserve the truck bed for the next owner!
 
Originally Posted By: Traction
Since NO MANUFACTURERS after 120 years has figured out how to keep pick ups truck from rusting out rockers, cab corner, and rear wheel wells, I've totally have given up on trying to preserve the truck bed for the next owner!


Composite truck beds?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top