For those trying to decide between spray or drop in:

I picked up my new F150 about 2 weeks ago and immediately began the task of reseaching bed liners. This forum has been a wonderful resource, it also appears to be a hot topic of debate. I was convienced to go with Rhino, as they are the only one around here (Syracuse NY). One of the things that had me leaning towards a spray in was the nasty picture of a rusted out bed due to a drop in on the spray in's website.

I would like to share the following with those in the deciding phase. This is not intended to start a debate, just presenting 2 experiences I had this past week. In my job I see alot of trucks comming and going in our parking lot. Now that I have the bed liner fever, I go out and check out the various pickup beds (my employees and visitors must think I'm a nut).

A family came in to move their mother into my facility last week and they had a white 1998 f150. They have a drop in liner and no cover (looks like he is a landscaper). I introduced myself and told him of my delema (spray or drop in).
He allowed me to lift the lip of the liner and guess what, NO RUST!, yes there were areas of worn down paint in the area I could see.

Yesterday my Maintenance Director went to pick up our snow blower (8 hp)from being serviced. He has a dodge dakota with a $400.00 Rhino spray in. In transport the blower must have moved because it shaved a 4 inch slice off the bottom of the bed (not all the way to the paint). When they lifted it off the tailgate, it pulled a 2 inch piece back, leaving a flap down to the metal. He'll have to go back to the Rhino dealer for repairs.

I'm going with the drop in for $169.00.

 

If your maint. director had gone with LineX, he wouldn't have had those problems. LineX is sprayed on hot and as it cools (in seconds), it sets up rock hard and almost indestructible. Rino is an asphalt based product so it remains soft even after fully curing. If you get a sample of each you can cut through the Rino with the LineX. Check my gallery (click the camera in the upper right corner), I've got some pics of my LineX that I took about an hour after it was done.

As for the drop in, I don't feel they are worth the money. Even if the bed doesn't rust, damage of some sort is unavoidable.

 

Unfortunatley I have no Line X dealer in my area (unbeliveable in a dense population such as Syracuse). As a result, I cannot compare products. I gather the Line X is harder, like a drop in ?

 

I need to get the financing in place ASAP for a Line X dealership in Syracuse. Anyone in with cash ?

 

I have a 2000 F150 had since new with no bed liner in it I don't haul much just a few trash bags a week to the dumpster at my apartment complex the only problem I have after all these years with no bed liner is the bed bolts have rusted the paint is still fine no scratches or dents in the bed.

 

Such as?

 

Did you watch what they did to your paint before they sprayed in that Line-x liner? I hope you don't think that you can take it out if you are ever unhappy with it. Of course, it does provide excellent protection to the bed, but does not absorb impact as well as a drop-in liner would. I have had drop-in liners and spray-in liners. Spray-in liners look better, especially when they are freshly sprayed. They also hold cargo in better as most drop-in liners tend to allow cargo to slide around.

I currently have a rubber bed mat in my 2005 and if I decide to go with a full bedliner, I will probably go with the bed rug based on reviews here and the free sample that I received from bedrug.

 

There is good and bad to all bedliner systems. Choice is more relative to your usage than what is "best". Rhino is softer than Line-X - your cargo stays in place better, but it tears and peels easier. Drop-ins protect your truck bed from dents, but you will get some scratches in the paint.

Looking at a competitor's website for information about a bedliner is like asking about a church at another church. Our website shows things sliding off of other bedliners - true, but people with those bedliners don't usually run without tying their load down and/or closing their tailgate. Spray-ins show the rotted bed (never saw one as bad as they show) and the drop-ins show a guy with an angle grinder attacking a bed.

What is your usage? Heavy or light? Bags of soft material or engine blocks? Do you take time to tie down or just load & go? Answer these questions and we can get from point A to point B.

Anytime someone says "This IS the best for you." and doesn't know how you use it or tell you why it is better... RUN. No single cure for disease, no single bedliner is best for everyone.

 

Well said Bryndon.

 

I have a drop in in my 2000, and it's showing some rust. Wouldn't it be great to have sprayed, plus a drop in?

 

Looking For A Bedliner For My Lincoln Mark And Want To Use A Drop In. Found Something Called Paint Saver That Fits Under The Liner. Costs $35.00

 

I believe it is the same as the 5.5' F150. For a regular drop-in you will need the paint saver, for a Dualcomp it would be unneeded.

 

Can't find a Dualcomp for my 2002 SCrew. It appears to only be available for the 2004-5 models, or am I missing something?

 

Unfortunately, you are correct. The company is just 2 years old and a decision was made (due to mold costs) to only make current model years. So, when Ford made the F150 all new for 04... well, let's just say it leaves us too tall for the previous models.

Sorry I can't help you out.

 

Well at least now I know. The hunt for the right bedliner (for me) continues.