So I got a 2004 from my little brother. I guess I have two F150s now! It has a drop in liner, which I’ve removed, since I have heard vivid dropin-lining “lining complaints” vs sprayed-lining reviews. The spray-lining stuff can be negative or positive. Any experiences on plastic dropin vs spray-lining coatings? If dropin is a no-go, I’m doing DIY spray-on lining kit. The bed is also kind of rusty. Can anyone advise? What about DIY vs Professional grade spray lining?

 

I've heard all about the rust underneath the drop in liners.
My last truck had a drop in from 1999 until i sold it in 2012. No bed rust whatsoever under the liner.
I didn't like it due to the slipperyness - everything set in the back was up to the cab after the first stop unless you secured it.
Current truck has spray in. Slippery but not as much as the drop in.
Now have a BedRug on top of the spray in and very happy with it. Set something in the back and it stays unless you make a panic stop.
Easy on the knees if you need to crawl in the bed, easy on furniture or other items that should not be scratched.
All depends on what your likes are and how you use the truck.
Each one serves its purpose very well.

 

Garbage !!

 

I personally would go with the latter.

Choosing between a drop-in liner and a spray-on bed liner is a worn out debate. Drop-in bed liners have always been popular, but so were snow chains when AWD was new. If you’re searching for a spray-in vs drop in bedliner article on the net, you might see the inherent problems with all drop ins; stuff gets underneath, and rots the bed out, rust, and scratches. Spray-on bedliner (done professionally) costs more with DIY urethanes being cheaper.

Spray-Lining has a good DIY kit that I have heard good reviews about, and no complaints to date. That’s noteworthy because I do hear complaints and bad reviews regarding a lot of spray-on polyurea brands. The price for good material with a good spray gun may appear to be more, but if you read between the lines, the high-grade DIY gives you control of thickness where professionally sprayed liner doesn’t; the important thing is that DIY spray-on bedliner is just less money. Are you at all good with a spray-gun?

The main issue with a polyurea is thickness. With store-bought DIY bedliner, one gallon (or less) is commonly advertised as one full size truck bed.

 

I've had both types and prefer the spray in liners but then I live in Pa where salt is the state mineral! I had Rhino Liner but have been much happier with Linex- thinner coating that makes tailgate easier and lighter to open and close. Last truck was a 2013 STX with linex, liner held up well-truck unfortunately was totaled in a head on crash (bent frame)

 

I've never had a problem with a drop-in liner, and my truck is used for work. Block, brick, stone, and concrete gets thrown at it, with no issues at all.
I can say that the one spray-in liner that I had, did chip off, and I had a lot of dents to the wheel wells and ribs, in the bed if my Ranger.
And yes, a drop-in liner is slicker than snot. Either toss a rubber mat back there, or get a cargo bar. I have a bar going across the wheel wells in my truck, and all my toolboxes stay put.

 

Took the bedliner out the first day I got my truck. Too slippery for my tools and materials.
Been naked ever since (5 years). Don't know why everyone needs it took look pretty.

 

Removed the plastic liner and put in a Dee Zee rubber mat.

 

I have the plastic liner and put in the 2x4 modification to hold things in back by tailgate.

 

I love this idea, good work!