Do-it-Yourself Bedliners??

[tonydago]

Anybody here have any luck with a do-it-yourself bedliner kit? I have seen various ones from Herculiner and Duplicolor, but am a bit nervous to test myself....any feedback would be great. These kits look like they are between $70- 100 for everything. I just can't see spending the $499 that the local Line-X dealer wants to do this.

Any feedback from those with experiences would be greatly appreciated. Also, I notice that some are roll on and others are spray on.

Thanks for your feedback,
Dago

[WildmanNP]

You pay for what you get,the spray is alot better for wear and the dealer gets the bed fixed right for the Line-X or Rhino too stay on for years.the do-it-yourself bedliner kit may look good,but it may not hold up on the heavy loads you drag in and out at times.The dealer can spray it on alot thicker then you can roll it on.Go with a bed rug then the roll on if it's the money,alot of members have them and like them alot.What year is your Ford ?

[Raoul]

Originally Posted by tonydago

... but am a bit nervous to test myself....

As well you should be.
Do you have any any idea what would happen if you got that on your hootus?

[tonydago]

99 F150 Supercab-shortbox

[ZAXJAX]

I walked into Pep Boys one day and they had one of those how-to videos playing. It was for Herculiner, I stayed and watched. The prep seems to be key, good prep and take your time. You have to do multiple coats to make it look good. It was worth the money to drop it off and pick my truck up later! What warranty do you get from Herculiner? If my Line-X gets gauged, ripped or whatever, they do it!

Bottom line is you get what you pay for---- paint your truck yourself, Maaco, or by a professional piant shop! How much do you like your truck?

[SSCULLY]

I put the Herculiner on my basement stairs about 7 years ago, and it is still holding up alright.

I did the tread section of the 2x12, first patching with flash floor leveler ( like you would use for under lineolium floors ) to get the thread smooth, prior to putting on the Herculiner.

I will say with the foam roller, you can really lay it on thick, so I don't know if I would believe that you can spray it thicker then roll it on statement.
I have one heck of a build up on the tread, where it stands up noticably higher then the white paint around it ( put the paint on with a 1" nap roller ).

The treads are not as grainy as they used to be day one, but they still work fine. I spilled coffee on 2 of the steps on night, and I had to go upstairs to get a towel, stepped right in some coffee I did not see, and guess what...no slip

Thing is, if it is a DIY or a spray in version, once they wear down, to re do them you have to use an angle grinder to take it out, before re coating. That is what the Line-X dealer at the Chicago auto show told a friend of mine ( his is really old, brand unknown, and needs to be redone ).

When is comes down to it, are you looking for this to cover damage already done ?

If not, get a rubber bed mat. You can abuse the snot out of them, and they stand up for it. 100% no slip load securing, and if it gets damaged, it is like another 80.00 to pull it out and replace it, if you can get it that bad. Given the rubber bed mat does not cover the side walls, but WTF it is a truck, it is going to get dinged up a bit from actual use

Either way you go, good luck

[gnc103]

I put one of the duplicolors in my self 6 years ago. I posted a reply with my experience in another thread. Check it out.

I put in my own spray in bedliner Today!!!

Hope this helps!

[ConcordLine-x]

I'm going to try to say this as un-biasedly as I can.. I am however, biased, so note this right now.

Yes, you can surely buy any of the DIY kits for about $70-$100 and do it yourself. However, you will not get it nearly as thick, and the product is not nearly as strong.

Ok, reasoning.

With the DIY kits, you are buying a gallon of product for (avg) $85.00. On a standard box truck, I will but close to 6 gallons of product on. So, $85.00*6 = $510. $510 DIY vs $450 (or so) for Line-X/Rhino/etc. No bargain there.....

Also, with the DIY kit, you are buying a single part-solvent based urethane. Since there is solvent, you don't have a 100% solids product.. Means you are getting less than 1 gallon.

It takes abotu 5.5-6 gallons to make .125" thick liner (1/8"). if you are putting 1 gallon on, you will not get over 22-25 mills.

Look at the tensile strength of the DIY product (if you can find it). I'll be it's less than 1/2 of a good Line-X/Rhino.

I suggest that before you proceed, go visit a Line-X and or Rhino dealer. Talk to them about equipment, product, etc. I can tell you that the Line-X product simply CANNOT be applied by hand. It needs a high temperature/high pressure/impingement system. The chemical composition demands it. It is also this chemical makeup that makes it superior. Call Herculiner as ask them about industrial applications, military applications, etc. They simply don't have the strength to stand up to this kind of abuse.

Whether you choose Rhino/Arma/Line-X/Vortex, please.. do your research... choose the best one for your needs... and enjoy years of good service.

Look, I could fill my own cavities with JBweld for alot less than going to the dentist.. Would I though??