What bed liner material is best?

 

Spray in?

 

It depends what you're doing with the bed. One spot where the drop-ins shine are when you put anything with a shap edge in the bed. Snowmobiles or heavy concrete blocks can gouge out the spray in liners.

 

I had a factory spray-n liner in my last truck for 11 years. It held up pretty well until I started heating with firewood. Tossing large logs in didn't protect the bed from denting, and in a few places the bed dented enough the liner eventually cracked. I also have a few chips from shoveling gravel and sand out of the bed. Whenever I moved I also had to be very careful to use moving blankets and dismantled boxes to protect certain furniture from the abrasive spray-in liner.

I think the plastic drop in liner protects better, and boxes slide right in and out easily without getting ripped up. The downside is they can trap moisture and accelerate rusting. I think it does come down to what you want to use it for. My current truck came with a factory spray in liner, which is fine because I now have a trailer for loads like firewood and gravel.

 

my truck came with the factory drop in liner and i sold it an had line-x done. could not be happier. things don't slide all over when i'm driving anymore. i've loaded an entire 2br condo's worth of materials (just renovated and replaced literally everything including the drywall) and not had any problems.

 

I use this. It doesn't help with the sides, but I've never had an issue there. It is not only less expensive, but thicker and protects better. Prevents stuff from sliding around in the bed much better than spray in or hard plastic liners.

I've had both of the others before, like this better regardless of price.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Dee-Z...kDmg&gclsrc=ds

 

Just me, but I gave away the factory liner, it had rubbed the paint off in several places at 4K miles, and I don't haul concrete blocks.
I choose no liner.
When I scratch the inside of the bed, I rattle can paint it. Don't care what the inside of the bed looks like.
Edit to add, if I start to haul concrete blocks or firewood, I'll put plywood down.

 

I know this is a strange concept, but it isn't impossible for a spray liner and $70 bed mat to co-exist...

 

I have a dual liner in my bed. Plastic sides and rubber mat.

 

LOL, I've had it all. From nothing, to a sheet of plywood, to the drop in, to a rubber bed liner, to a drop in with rubber bed liner, and a Linex. I like the Linex the best, but someday I may put a rubber liner on that, for knee protection. As it is, my '04 Ranger has had a rubber liner in it almost from day one, with zero rust or dents. Paint underneath still looks new. Then again, I don't just throw things in the back. You can use a truck, and you can abuse one. I choose to just use it as needed, and use my head when loading it.