Short answer is YES, I would skip the Line-X in my position. I guess I do prefer the drop in's for my use.

I bought the truck in 2009, it was then 2 years old, the original owner whom I knew (but did not then know I knew) did the Line-X and roll up cover. I worked then as a state LEO, ... but after I retired in 2010, I continued to requalify at our range yearly for to carry nationwide. I drove the truck to the range this one day and this one other retiree kept looking it over, then he approached me. I had known him for well over 20 years, but we just never worked the same area at the same time so I had no idea he ever had the truck, as he never left his name in any papers or owner book that I ever found. When I had seen him, it was in-service school or at HQ or somewhere job related ... he was the original owner of my truck and I had bought it at a dealer where he traded it in on a new 2009.

But to answer the question ... I like the Line-X look, but truthfully for my purposes ... I'd have to say "NO, I would not have Line-Xed it". My '07 never gets wet in the bed unless I'm washing a spill out and then the truck is parked pointing up hill, If I were starting from scratch, if using a bed top cover like a rollup or hinged hard cover, I'd have kept the rubber bed mat and just done the same thing with this cast off drop in and used it on top of the rubber. As I read your described uses, it would be far easier to pull the drop in floor out when desiring a non slip floor like rubber. With the drop in floor, I can replace it if ever it gets unsightly. I can remove it at will or at whim.

I have a '77 that I'm redoing in steps, now mostly waiting for my painter to get a open time slot to paint. I've had it since 1986, it had bed rust in the front wall to floor seam when I bought it, I replated the whole floor and entire width of the front wall with some steel sheet, it is 3/32" thick. I made the front wall in two pieces with a 3" lip at the bottom, welded that to the new floor. I also then reinforced the rear of the bed, when the tailgate is open, NO loose floppy sides on it. I did all that in 1986, then after pouring in and spreading a gallon of old blue paint I had left over from 10-15 years earlier, I put a under the lip drop in bed liner in. I pulled that bed liner this past Fall to have a myself a "looksee", I found minimal rust, was mostly just surface rust, was no new holes. I did find an old mouse nest too. I added some 5/8" drain holes around the edges where water might pool under my drop-in as even with under lip type, water will get under it, then I used a gallon of Iron Armor from H-F (~$50) and a throw away bristle brush to slather it all over after wire brushing the little rust. After I get the bed sides and tailgate on and truck painted, the drop in is going back in. I thought once of doing it in Line-X, my wife even suggested it ... but it'd be a waste. I can throw limbs, even pieces of tree trunk, scrap metal, the trash cans, tires to get mounted on wheels, etc &, etc in that drop in and just avoid the bed side tops and a broom cleans it out fast. I can pressure wash it really fast. If it gets some damaged, well, it's not permanently in there, it can be replaced.

Line-X doubtless adds to value some at trade in or sale, either in just being there ... or in value preserved through reduced damage or even an undamaged bed floor or sides ... but I figure I'll have these trucks from here on out, if ever a repair is needed that I can't do, I'll hire it done. I just like them both enough to about always look back when I walk away after parking either one ... and I don't pull a 8500 pound camper so I have no need of a bigger truck. If the 5.4 gives up, I'll just hire that job out as well. So resale or trade in value doesn't enter into the future with me like it might have in 1978.

Since I cut the one for my '07, I was visiting a local garage one morning delivering parts and noticed a pile of old tree debris, pieces of wood, trash, etc ...with a few bed liners laying out beside it in a field beside the shop. I asked the shop owner what that was about, he said that at 4:00 o'clock he was gonna light it. I asked about the bed liners, he said he was gonna burn them too if they were still there. I got them on lunch break as I had my '77 there at work (was after I retired), so I have spares to cut. I even cut and fabbed a floor with front wall for my "just a little bit heavy" single axle trailer. My torch helped to heat and bend the lip over the front.

I know, long reply, was watching a good movie too.




Two couplers, one is for a removable & pivoted drop hitch extension. I have fenders for it now too, just need to put them on it.

 

I did a somewhat more primitive version. The board there is very useful to keep things right there at the tailgate. And the box easily keeps my weights right over the rear axle for the winter months.

 

I did that with my '77 when building my house, but my drop in doesn't have holder slots so I used a piece of plywood for the floor, had a shell, kept certain tools in it. After built, the plywood was av wreck so it got relegated to temp protection on top of bed liner if carrying stone or other hard stuff. My '07 has the slots factory, but I could see lumber partitions would wear on the Line-X, so I made the net one winter. It's made from a cheap pack of 4 straps and uses the buckles, it's useable for hauling with tailgate down too. I know drop ins have a bad rep that I don't think they deserve, if the metal is not already tore up and rusting, if it's protected by something like the Iron Armor or a gallon of cured paint, if drain holes are provided, a drop in will last and look great. Many guys back in the early years when drop ins became popular, were taking trucks with totally trashed bed floors and putting a drop in in over top, then blaming rust on the drop in. I once almost bought a newly painted truck from a local dealer it had a drop in. Dealer said was a "real gem of a truck", but then I opened the tailgate and lifted the drop in he had not yet screwed down, it looked like a bomb crater in the bed. Truck came out of West Virginia from a mining operation, no telling what it hauled. This guy was known as "Honest John" ...

This below is my '77 ... example of life with a 36 year old drop in bed liner in a 45 year old truck.


I plated this floor and front wall in 1986, I poured in a gallon of blue paint, let dry, then put my drop in under lip bed liner in. I have some holes, I failed to provide drains in 1986, thinking it would stay dry. Water had no place to go until nature provided places via rust. I looks worse than really is due to lighting.

This is the bed liner that was in the bed from 1986 until pulled in Fall of 2021. It looks new now after a pressure wash, this is the day I pulled it, no cleaning.

Bed liner dealer notes still there.

After wire brushing all rust and a gallon of Iron Armor spread around, I added some more drains over at the sides. That sheet of steel is 3/32" thick, under it is the oem bed floor as it was in 1986. I messed up in 1986, I covered the bed bolts. The 5 foot wide sheet overlaps the oem inner bed sides which are galvanized and not rusted, is bolted using 5/16" carriage bolts with washers along the sides and across the front up high. You can see the lip here too where two piece front wall meet . It's pretty stout. My mistake was in 1986 thinking it would stay dry.

Now ... the Iron Armor and drain holes will hopefully protect the steel, the drop in will protect the Iron Armor and prevent plugged drain holes ... and when I'm 108 I'll look again.

Below is some damage I found, and it has a long crack in one place. I looked, I can still get a new one, might do so after painting, but then I'll be hesitant to use it, but it wouldn't have a crack ... so I'm on a fence. This one was new in 1986.




I had intended to put it back in after paint, but I was putting it back in yesterday to use it, found a couple cracks, so I'm gonna soon buy a new Pendaliner "under the lip" 83001SRX for it now.

 

I had mine done with LineX about twenty years ago for my businesses and it has seen a lot of action. It did gray out a bit, holding up otherwise so I brushed bed liner paint on it.

 

Thanks to everyone. The truck was dropped off last night with the appointment set for today. Hopefully it'll be done today, so afterwards I'll try to post a few pictures of it. Ended up going with the Premium as they gave me a bit of a discount, and they were doing a little extra work for no charge. So far, I've been happy.

 

Picked it up last night....looks fantastic, although I'm biased of course. They did a great job. I had them install the CCR Bed Buddy as well, which turned out great. Pics are weird due to sunlight, but it was definitely an improvement. Went with the Premium as well, as there will be many times the cover will be off while at the track, etc... Cost was $800 with the extra bit of work with the Bed Buddy and a couple other things. For me, it was money well spent...no regrets.

 

Looks very nice!

 

Looks very nice. If I didnt have a liner, I probably might do the same. But I have a hard time throwing out my factory throw in to pay for a spray in especially since the bed is covered.

 

Looks great.

Never noticed Bed Buddies before, just tie down loops. Neat.