What about bed liners. Spray on or Rubber mat?

JoeJoe1993 · May 25, 2023

Which one of these does everyone prefer? Don't think I want to go plastic on a new paint job.

Erik the Awful · May 25, 2023

Mats and plastic inserts capture moisture underneath them. I prefer spray-on. Done right it increases the value of your truck.

95burban · May 25, 2023

I prefer perfect painted beds with a rubber mat.

Caman96 · May 25, 2023

Let’s see that new paint job. :drool:

Either, with a tonneau cover.

someotherguy · May 25, 2023

Ask yourself what your goal is and how you think you'll use the truck over the coming years. I find myself moving a variety of things and sometimes a spray-in bedliner is helpful, other times a big pain. Say for example if I need to move something large, heavy, and to a degree fragile - furniture or an old arcade game/pinball machine, slide that across spray-in bedliner and it beats up your item. Got to put something else down on top of the bedliner first.

I like the rubber bed mats, and I had one in my '94 C2500LD. Didn't have any trouble with it collecting moisture as it has a whole ocean of raised dimples underneath so there was some separation between the bed floor and the underside of the mat. The few times I lifted it up, never saw any damage.. EXCEPT.. those dimples beat into the paint over the years. So, freshly painted (or nice original paint) bed? Not sure I'd put a bed mat in there. Paint already beat up from use? No worries.

And plastic bedliners are pretty much useless "dress-up" items, IMO. You can't put anything back there without going to extra steps to secure it, because stuff slides all over the place. The bedliner beats up the paint...and they don't even look good, just cheap.

Richard

JoeJoe1993 · May 25, 2023

Caman96 said:
Let’s see that new paint job.
Either, with a tonneau cover.

Supposed to get it back from the shop tuesday.. Then I will take some picks and post them.

johnckhall · May 25, 2023

I chose rubber mat. Bedliner will wear your paint underneath after years of use and are slippery to items placed in the bed. Rubber mat can be removed easily for a wash, they have textured/rubber surface for friction, and a quick buff will remove any of the little "rubber bumpy marks" left on the paint underneath when removed.

PS: Experts may chime in with better knowledge, but I'd wait a period of time before I put anything over the new paint in the bed. How long? Maybe someone else has a good answer to that.

Edit: I just saw that @someotherguy and I said pretty much the same thing.

95burban · May 25, 2023

I personally think bed liners in older trucks that have been repainted is just an ez way out for the body shop not to prep and paint the bed since it’s a huge pain in the ***.

Drunkcanuk · May 25, 2023

3/4" plywood...in when you need it, out when you don't

m1970 · May 25, 2023

I had a rubber mat in mine for years but about 2 years ago had it sprayed. I like it so much better! Trash would get under the rubber mat and it was harder to sweep out the bed. After the mat gets a little age on it you end up with black marks on everything you put back there. My vote goes to the liner.

What about bed liners. Spray on or Rubber mat?

JoeJoe1993

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Erik the Awful

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95burban

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Caman96

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someotherguy

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JoeJoe1993

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johnckhall

GO DAWGS!!!

95burban

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Drunkcanuk

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m1970

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