Did you know that your pickup truck needs protection from thoughtless and uncaring people? Yes, while a bed liner can certainly offer a degree of protection, just saying “no” to people who want to borrow your truck is a good idea too!
You knew it would eventually happen: You lend your truck to a buddy who says he has a “few” pieces of furniture to move, but when he returns the truck the truck bed has fresh scratch marks in it. That would have been all right if he had apologized and offered to make amends, but now you have to deal with unsightly scratches that can only make your truck’s value deteriorate faster. Had you given it some thought beforehand, you would have placed a bed liner in your truck to prevent scratches from happening.
Unfortunately for me, the above account actually happened as I was trying to help a young couple out by offering them my truck. Worse, I was warned in advance by a friend that the couple would take advantage of me and he was, unfortunately, correct. Let’s just say that it was a bitter lesson learned.
Many years have passed and I no longer own that old Ford F-150. My current people mover is an SUV, so I have no open area to deal with. Yet, I hope to eventually get a new pickup truck have looked closely at some of the bed protection products available to owners today, particularly bed liners. Advances in technology have brought new products on the market that either did not exist a few years ago or were too expensive for the average driver.
Some of the bed liners you can purchase include:
Spray on liners. You read that right: you can have super-thick polyurethane sprayed right into the bed of your truck. At one quarter inch thick, you can receive protection from scratches or fluid and it is completely air tight. One manufacturer says this about their product, “It’s scratch-resistant, slip-resistant, and really easy to clean.”
Roll on liners. Similar to spray on liners, are roll on liners. Everything that I have read about roll on liners means a lot of work for the person who does the job, which typically is the truck’s owner. After sweeping and cleaning the bed free of all debris, you will then need to sand the entire truck bed and the sides before applying the rubberized coating. The sanding forces the coating to adhere to the bed area and I must tell you that between the sanding, masking tape, rubbing alcohol, newspapers, and particle masks, this is one nasty job!
Installed liners. Okay, I am biased with my preferences. If it were up to me, this is the product I would purchase. The first option is too expensive; the second option too messy; while the third option -– an installed liner — makes the most sense of all. Still, you need to be careful in this area too as some bed liners are certainly better made than others. Look for those liners that are scratch and dent resistant, waterproof, chemical proof, stain resistant, and durable, i.e. not subject to cracking, chipping, or fading.
In all, a bed liner makes perfect sense for any truck, particularly if you can put one in that covers the sides and the wheel wells. All the decent ones I have seen are nicely padded and can easily be cleaned. Learn all about the products you are considering before making a decision to buy.
Read more on You Can Win The Truck Bed Protection Battle…
