I bought my 2007 F-150 FX4 Flareside in August 2009 with low miles. It already had a Line-X spray in bed liner with the Line-X ID tag over on the side. There was no paperwork about Line-X with the truck but the ID tag tells me where it was done.
Anyway, they had done a supperb job, much like every Line-X I have seen.

Anyway, I wanted to take care of it but I do occasionally haul a motor block or some rough lumber or stuff. So back last summer I walked into my Tractor Supply and they had some bed mats on sale, though none were marked to fit a Flareside. Figuring it's a 6.5 foot bed, I bought one for a 6.5 Styleside and took it home and took many measurements and carefully cut the front and rear narrower so it would fit in my Flareside. Fits great too!



Pardon the foot prints.

Well, the rubber mat sure stops stuff from sliding around and protects the Line-X bed floor from damage, though I hear it pretty tough stuff itself. Seeing as it's over $400 for the Line-X, I figured the $25 on the roll up was worth while.

When I cut the rubber, I cut it to fit all the way to the sides in front of and behind the fender wells. The rubber mat doesn't hurt and while the drop in is likely to be moved in or out often, the rubber mat is simply not as easy to move in or out so it'll stay in.

Well, a while back a friend bought a Chevy PU to pull his new camper and it had a molded drop in bed liner. My buddy wanted a Line-X in it, he had no use for the drop in and was going to haul it to the dump.

My old '77 still has it's drop in and that thing takes a beating, yet if I have a heavy load like a pallet full of 2000 pounds of wood pellets, it's easy to slide in with a fork lift. I like being able to slide some stuff.

So I took my buddies free to me 6.5 foot line and cut it at the front and along the sides to allow me to slide it in or out of my 6.5 foot Flareside at will, and I cut the front so it would add protection for the front wall.



It's really light and slides in so easy, and I left the wheel well sides to keep plywood sheets from cuttinmg the Line-X. Being a simular length bed, they were in the right place. When not being used, I slide it out and set it insde my utility trailer.



Pretty decent deal for free and some time with a sawxall and tape measure. On this drop in I can slide a 400 block around at will and strap down and never worry about gouging the Line-X. I can slide 7X9 red oak ties in and out, slide my tool box as needed, etc.

Being under a "Undercover" bed cover, she'll hardly ever see rain.

 

Pretty cool that you took the time and effort to protect your investment. With that said, I think it's approaching overkill. I have been pretty rough on my Line-X and I've yet to knock a chip in it. I've hauled gravel, lumber, and cinder blocks just to name a few. When I wash it out, it still looks like it did the day I drove it home from the Line-X dealer. Line-X is some pretty incredible stuff.

 

There's no "approaching" to it ... it is overkill ...
... wife "mentioned" same thing ...
... and if I traded trucks every few years I doubt I would even have the rubber mat in there, the Line-X would suffice and I'ld use a piece of old plywood under engine blocks, etc if worried about serious hits.

But I still have the '77 F-150 I bought in 1986. It wasn't the plan, just how it worked out. So there's no tellings how long I'll have this '07. I don't drive it to work or on the job. So far, I have the sale price of the rubber mat invested in the protection of the Line-X ...
... and the Line-X is there protecting my truck's bed, shrugging off the wear a mat or the drop in can cause a painted bed.

And the cut down drop in is far lighter than plywood sheets, cheaper, has no splinters, is impervious to water, and so easy to pull out at a car wash or back yard for a hosing down.

So ... yes, while I'ld say that it is some overkill, it was cheap overkill.