The problem with spray on bed liners

Spray bed liners to finish the look of a truck bed, probably better than any other bed liner option. Especially now that the color of the bed liner can match the paint on your truck. However, bed liners come with several problems. If you’re thinking about getting a spray liner or already have one, here are a few ideas to consider.

Permanent may not always be the best. Sure, it’s a plus to get a coating that lasts as long as the truck, especially with a lifetime warranty. But that by no means means you get a liner that can’t be damaged. Look, the warranty just means that the liner will be repaired.

Repair means re-spraying with all the accompanying hassles and time involved. And in the meantime, he drives a van with a damaged headliner and maybe there are also chances that the bed is damaged. The real key to spray coating durability is the thickness of the coating. That means the liner material can be torn and worn, and even then the damage may not reach the bed.

Another thought you might not want to think about is how you get that liner up on the truck. The only way the siding paint will stay is with proper surface preparation. That means the paint is sanded very aggressively. It is almost destroyed before the coating layer is applied. Picture this. You get this new truck with the factory coat of paint carefully applied and then you pay this guy to take an air sander and sand the paint almost off. Then you spray a coat of paint over that.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just a painful thought. That’s what it takes to get that “permanent” eyeliner.

Truck bed damage also shows up as more than just scratches. Teeth can do more damage than scratches. Teeth certainly require more to repair than a few scratches. Dent protection is another way liners pay for themselves. Spray coatings typically add almost a full quarter inch to the thickness of the bed. That layer includes rubberized texture material as well as quick-setting paint. That thickness absorbs shock and prevents damage.

For looks, a spray-on liner can be unbeatable, but for protection, an inexpensive alternative avoids some of the hassles that spray can.

Cheap rubber mats provide better impact protection and are easily removed. With permanent liners, the really nasty shipping messes up the bed and you have no choice but to clean it or leave it in a mess. But with temporary liners, it’s an easy task to slide the mat in or out when you need it or when you don’t.

Another consideration with spray on bed liners comes when you get the price. A professional coating costs you a lot. That’s a real reason to look at other options or at least to carefully protect the liner if you already have one.