The auto body shop at the local Vocational college is going to spray my bed with spray in liner. I have to buy the stuff. Anyone got any preferance as to what brand? Hurculiner? Hippo? Plastikote?

 

over the years i have had rhino lining and line-x. of the two i prefer line-x. whether these two products can be applied by someone other than a dealer for that product i don't know.

 

Herculiner, from what a friend mentioned is the same stuff they use to cover shop floors, very durable. However Line-X is one of the best ones out there. Another division of Line-X, called Paxcon has come up with a explosive resistant coating (not proof, but resistant).

I picked up a kit at Menards when they had a sale of it for less than half off. I haven't heard of Hippo Bed Liners, till now, and was not aware that Plastikote made one. It appears that only a Line-X shop will spray on the bedliner, not sure if they have that stuff available to purchase to do it yourself. Herculiner does have kits available as well as Gator Guard, Hippo, EZ Liner, Elephant Hide.

 

I was at FleetFarm today and saw the Plastikote bedliner there. For vehicle painting and bedliners, I'm not so sure of them. Plastikote seems to be better if your doing other things like chairs and other small projects than vehicle touch-ups and such.

 

A final word which may be of benefit to others. The plastikote does not spray in as well as some other sprays. The autobody teacher said he thought that Herculiner was pretty almost the same stuff as Hippo (now he tells me). For about $12 more per gallon ($55)go with Herculiner and stay away from Wally World's Plastikote. I can live with it since my bed will be covered anyway.Beds sprayed with Hippo definately look better, but it costs about $120 for only 1/2 gallon. I haven't seen any sprayed with Herculiner but I would wager it would be much better than Plastikote. Serves me right for being such a cheapskate.

 

Herculiner is junk. my uncle had it on his hd and with a lawnmower in the back it rubbed to bare metal. it is extremely thin. go for linex. ive had it on both my trucks and no complaints what so ever. big example of you get what you pay for.

 

I would personally avoid those spray in bedliner. They have to basically remove the paint and galvanizing off the bed with a sanding disc.

Also if you don't like it, SORRY. You are stuck with it. I bought a slide in Pendaliner for $145 and it is nearly indestructible. I have hauled rocks and it washes right out. You can get slide in bedliners with non skid cotaing as well.

 

Yes but the drop in or slide in liners are not very good either for there own reasons. Its down to personal preference. The drop/slide in can get water under them and eat out your bed also. Not to mention if you take it out after a few years your bed wil be like new inside and the rest of the truck will look completely off compared to it and you will wish you had money for a paint job.

But do not get a cheap spray in liner. I work for a tractor company people come in everyday with so many different kinds. The cheaper stuff is not only thin but its brittle and somethign with a sharp corner or a hard hit will just crack it or chip it out to bare metal or dent it all up.

Hippo and Rhino are both very durable compared to most ive seen. They are what I reccomend.

 

I've used Rhino on two trucks (currently on second truck) and it's been nothing but spectacular - especially if you add the UV coating.

I've had friends try to save money or start a fad by going with others, but they're sorry later, because their's don't look as good, last as long, or are as durable and tough as Rhino.

 

stchman, you say they have to take the paint and galvanizing off the bed to spray in a liner? bull, they simply scuff up the paint. and not the entire paint. i have had 4 trucks with spray in bed liners and they were all done this way. no problems with any of them. a slide in liner, now that will f up a bed big time. rocks, dirt, sand, water and anything else can and will get under a slide in liner. over time that messes up a bed big time. but they are way cheaper. ya get what ya pay for.