Pickup Bed Liner: Spray-on or Drop-in?

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I like the spray-on in my Tundra. It's held up very well to big, heavy, rough loads. Zero maintenance. Water won't get trapped under it.
 
The drop-in in my Chevy lets stuff slide all over the place, but if I ever want it gone I can just lift it out. The factory spray-in on my Titan is just the opposite: it's almost impossible to scoot anything in the bed. You have to lift heavy loads instead of sliding them.

All depends on which factors you value more.
 
In my next one I might do a drop on with a rubber mat. Or maybe a bed rug. I have a spray in now and don't like how there is so much friction.
 
Had the factory drop in on my Tundra up until last year. Removed it and had a Line-X installed. The drop in had rubbed the paint down to the primer in several places but no rust. The Line-X does have a lot of grip and I think it looks better.
 
When I owned trucks I always had a spray in. Always did well.
 
Drop-ins protect the metal from dents but is slippery. I was looking at the different options and came across DualLiner, a rubber mat bottom with fitted plastic sides. I really liked the rubber mat I had in a previous truck and like the idea of the wheel wells and sides being protected. Was all ready to buy one for the Silverado then changed up and the Titan came with factory spray-in. I think if I were brutal on a truck bed I'd have a drop-in with a rubber mat.

Worth a look.

Ford DualLiner
 
Neither. Seriously. What's so bad about scratching the paint in the bed? I've never understood this
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If you use a drop in, they collect water like crazy and rust out the bed.

If you use a spray in/roll-on, you completely and effectively ruined the paint anyway. Do you know what's involved getting spray-in bedliners removed? The paint has to be scraped beyond any recognition. So why not just leave it alone, save the cash, and roll around with a few scratches here and there? Think of it as a badge of honor. It shows you ACTUALLY use a truck AS a truck.

Spray-in bedliners are for Raptors that haul around car seats, where the biggest payload they'll ever see is the Power Wheels version of said Raptor.
 
I had a factory spray in on my old Frontier. I just opted for a rubber mat on my Silverado. Did the GM rubber mat and the plastic tailgate protector (from the drop in) and I've been happy so far. Granted I really don't haul a lot, but the rubber mat really keeps stuff from sliding around.
 
Originally Posted by tony1679
Neither. Seriously. What's so bad about scratching the paint in the bed? I've never understood this
21.gif


If you use a drop in, they collect water like crazy and rust out the bed.

If you use a spray in/roll-on, you completely and effectively ruined the paint anyway. Do you know what's involved getting spray-in bedliners removed? The paint has to be scraped beyond any recognition. So why not just leave it alone, save the cash, and roll around with a few scratches here and there? Think of it as a badge of honor. It shows you ACTUALLY use a truck AS a truck.

Spray-in bedliners are for Raptors that haul around car seats, where the biggest payload they'll ever see is the Power Wheels version of said Raptor.

agree. What's the point of a truck if you don't want to scratch the bed? Never understood the baby hauler truck.
 
Originally Posted by tony1679
Neither. Seriously. What's so bad about scratching the paint in the bed? I've never understood this
21.gif


If you use a drop in, they collect water like crazy and rust out the bed.

If you use a spray in/roll-on, you completely and effectively ruined the paint anyway. Do you know what's involved getting spray-in bedliners removed? The paint has to be scraped beyond any recognition. So why not just leave it alone, save the cash, and roll around with a few scratches here and there? Think of it as a badge of honor. It shows you ACTUALLY use a truck AS a truck.

Spray-in bedliners are for Raptors that haul around car seats, where the biggest payload they'll ever see is the Power Wheels version of said Raptor.


I always thought the right time to install a drop-in bedliner was after the metal had rusted through.
 
Originally Posted by philipp10
Originally Posted by tony1679
Neither. Seriously. What's so bad about scratching the paint in the bed? I've never understood this
21.gif


If you use a drop in, they collect water like crazy and rust out the bed.

If you use a spray in/roll-on, you completely and effectively ruined the paint anyway. Do you know what's involved getting spray-in bedliners removed? The paint has to be scraped beyond any recognition. So why not just leave it alone, save the cash, and roll around with a few scratches here and there? Think of it as a badge of honor. It shows you ACTUALLY use a truck AS a truck.

Spray-in bedliners are for Raptors that haul around car seats, where the biggest payload they'll ever see is the Power Wheels version of said Raptor.

agree. What's the point of a truck if you don't want to scratch the bed? Never understood the baby hauler truck.


The point may be that some people just like to take care of their stuff. I haul lumber and gravel and metal and bikes and camping gear in my trucks without beating the crap out of them. Plus, at some point REAL MEN who scratch their trucks get to buy nice used ones. My neighbor has a Raptor like described...so what? You should be happy.
 
Drop-ins wreck the bed, spray ins are hard to sweep out and can possibly block the bed drains.

Work truck = no bedliner, possibly bed mat/ horse stall mat (cowboy mode engaged).
Soccer mom mobile = spray in.
 
My Z71 came with a spray in bed liner - it is well applied. However, it did not show up on the paperwork at all ?
I put an industrial rubber mat in there so things don't slide around ...
 
Originally Posted by AZjeff
Originally Posted by philipp10
Originally Posted by tony1679
Neither. Seriously. What's so bad about scratching the paint in the bed? I've never understood this
21.gif


If you use a drop in, they collect water like crazy and rust out the bed.

If you use a spray in/roll-on, you completely and effectively ruined the paint anyway. Do you know what's involved getting spray-in bedliners removed? The paint has to be scraped beyond any recognition. So why not just leave it alone, save the cash, and roll around with a few scratches here and there? Think of it as a badge of honor. It shows you ACTUALLY use a truck AS a truck.

Spray-in bedliners are for Raptors that haul around car seats, where the biggest payload they'll ever see is the Power Wheels version of said Raptor.

agree. What's the point of a truck if you don't want to scratch the bed? Never understood the baby hauler truck.


The point may be that some people just like to take care of their stuff. I haul lumber and gravel and metal and bikes and camping gear in my trucks without beating the crap out of them. Plus, at some point REAL MEN who scratch their trucks get to buy nice used ones. My neighbor has a Raptor like described...so what? You should be happy.
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IT'S A TRUCK!!! No matter what, it's going to get beat up if it is used AS a truck. Whether you scratch the paint, rust it out/unevenly fade the paint with a drop-in, or fubar the bed with a spray-in, the end result is the same. The paint (which is the main attraction of the argument here) is still screwed. Just save your cash. With said saved cash, use it to buy an extra car wash, higher quality oil, oil filter, air filter, and/or tires. That's the best way to take care of your stuff.
 
LoneRanger
During my lifetime, I've owned 3 pickups and driven them on the job. I prefer the rubber drop in mats. If you choose the rubber mat, take time to remove it and clean your bed periodically. Make sure the bed drain holes remain open and free of trash. There are several makers to choose from.
 
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