I recently ordered a new F-150 -- standard cab, style side, 6-1/2' box.
Since this vehicle won't really be used for hauling anything, I've been thinking about just waxing the interior sides of the truck bed, and laying one of those heavy rubber mats in the bed of the truck.
For any of you guys who have had these mats in the past, are there any pro's or con's? The only things I can think of off the top of my head is whether you might get some "wind flap" in an open and unloaded bed, how tough those mats might be to keep looking good, and whether I might get a build-up of grit underneath the mat that will start to cause problems with the paint of the bed floor (?).
Since it won't be a hauler, might I be better off to just go with nothing at all in the bed?
If you park in a covered space, you might be okay with stuff accumulating under the mat. I had one for about 2 years and when the bed finally got scratched to the point where I was tired of it, I took it to get a line-x spray in liner. I now run the bed mat on top of the line-x liner for extra protection to the bed.
I've been using a mat (now a Dualcomp bedliner) for over 20 years. Unless you haul dirt (or something like that) you won't get enough grit under it to matter. If you do haul something gritty, roll the mat out and wash it all off.
Mats offer the best skid and impact resistance available and keep the bed floor looking great. They require no maintainence and don't fade like the spray-ins.
Check Dualcomp.com for complete bed protection including the mat.
Hi ddellwo - I concur with Bryndon on the rubber mat. I did exactly what your thinking about with my 91 Ranger, for its first wash/wax I waxed the entire bed (took some time even on a small truck) & installed the rubber bed mat. I dont remember the brand but it was a high quality one made specifically for the truck. When I sold the truck before moving cross country (otherwise I would have kept it) the bed was still in fantastic shape sans some minor scuffing in the front corners & I did on several ocassions haul dirt & gravel along with several moves etc. The mat itself was faded after the years but the truck was always outside uncovered so no biggy. The only thing we did was when my wife would wash the truck we would pull out the mat & hose it off & wash the bed. I never experienced any "flapping" problems as the mat was quite heavy. The only drawback to the mat VS. a drop in liner or Line-X, etc. is you dont have any protection for the bed sides. I think the choice comes down to how youre going to use the vehicle.
The only drawback to the mat VS. a drop in liner or Line-X, etc. is you dont have any protection for the bed sides.
That's where the Dualcomp takes over, hard Polyethylene sides engineered to fit your truck and interlock with the mat - sides are protected as well as the floor!
Only bad spot is that we only have full-size applications so far.
Thanks for the input guys -- I'll probably go with the rubber mat and just wax the sides of the bed!
If the truck were a daily driver, I'd probably go the spray-in route, but since it will be a "garage queen" I thought that would kind of be overkill. Plus, I haven't been all that impressed with how the spray-in's look after a few years -- they all look kind of "dingy" to me after they loose that "just sprayed" appearance.
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