Bed liner or spray-in for farm truck
11-16-2017, 01:01 PM
#11
Senior Member
I ordered the drop-in for my '18.
Here are my observations:
My last F150 was an '11 - didn't have the boxlink system, or cargo lights.
The drop-in for the '11 was nice - the cargo hooks bolted through the liner and I had a tonneau cover, so appearance was never a concern.
Drop-ins cost less, and arguably protect more.
Spray-ins cost more, but have a better look and "seal" the bed off better.
On our new '18, the cargo hooks remain bolted to the bed, and to access them, you have to pry off an "attached" cover. You would want to keep those covers in place most of the time, as it's a pretty large opening to access the cargo hooks.
If you ever plan to fill the bed with loose material (grain, mulch...etc), it will get in between the bed and liner - a lot. Also, the cut-outs around the boxlink connections are fairly gapped as well, so small stuff can get in between the liner and bed in those 4 spots as well.
Same goes for accessing the bed switch for the bed lights - a cover needs to be removed to access. The hole covers in the liner are fairly easy to remove, but a bit of a pain to put back.
So that's really the most annoying part I can think of.
I would say pay a visit to a dealership - take a good look at both, and based on how you plan to use the bed - go with whatever you feel will do the job. Good luck!
Here are my observations:
My last F150 was an '11 - didn't have the boxlink system, or cargo lights.
The drop-in for the '11 was nice - the cargo hooks bolted through the liner and I had a tonneau cover, so appearance was never a concern.
Drop-ins cost less, and arguably protect more.
Spray-ins cost more, but have a better look and "seal" the bed off better.
On our new '18, the cargo hooks remain bolted to the bed, and to access them, you have to pry off an "attached" cover. You would want to keep those covers in place most of the time, as it's a pretty large opening to access the cargo hooks.
If you ever plan to fill the bed with loose material (grain, mulch...etc), it will get in between the bed and liner - a lot. Also, the cut-outs around the boxlink connections are fairly gapped as well, so small stuff can get in between the liner and bed in those 4 spots as well.
Same goes for accessing the bed switch for the bed lights - a cover needs to be removed to access. The hole covers in the liner are fairly easy to remove, but a bit of a pain to put back.
So that's really the most annoying part I can think of.
I would say pay a visit to a dealership - take a good look at both, and based on how you plan to use the bed - go with whatever you feel will do the job. Good luck!
11-16-2017, 02:57 PM
#12
I put Line-X in my farm truck. I've hauled everything from a pallet of bags of concrete to fence posts to tree limbs to dirt and rocks, to hauling cast iron tubs in it. Its held up to all of it. If you need things to slide easily, you can always throw a tarp or something down and then throw what you want on top of it. I've scraped the hell out of the line-x, but its held up great. Just take a broom now and then and sweep all of the junk out of it. I like not having to ever worry about it.
11-16-2017, 11:19 PM
#14
Senior Member
I have had all three (includes Bedrug), and I prefer a drop in. I have dented the bed with a spray in, and chipped the coating off many times. Major pain in the *** when you have to go back for a touch up. I had a Bedrug for a year before it started to show UV damage. I have NEVER damaged a drop in, and I have probably had of them since the mid 80's. The old argument for drop ins was they scratch and the truck rusts. Aluminium solved that problem.