Bed Rail Caps for older Rangers: Looking for options

[RangerJoey]

Hello,
I'm finally trying to get back to my never ending Ranger project and wanted to mount the toolbox. Before throwing it on there though, I was going to get a set of vinyl/plastic bed rails to protect the bed and hide all the existing scratches. But to my shock, there's really not much out there. The ones I wanted were a Westin brand, (WESTIN 7240621), that I had seen a hundred times around $70-80. Like maybe a few years ago. Now I can't seem to find anything on the internet with them in stock. And when I looked for alternatives, it seems like the Bushwackers were about it, (kind of pricey), and another brand called "Wade Auto".

Has anyone had any success buying a different model for a 6 foot bed or any other feedback on some alternatives to the Westin? For reference, it's a 1999.

 

[Brain75]

I am in the same but worse boat as I am looking for a 7' bed (1990 XLT standard cab/standard-**not short**-bed)... and I want to be able to use my stake pockets holes, not just cover em up.
LMC and several other places I looked claimed they could still sell the 6' but no luck on 7'.. only thing LMC had for 7' was a 22' roll of vinyl 3.5" wide you cut yourself and glue down. I found the 6 foot stuff a dime a dozen in my hunt for 7', but didn' save a single link cause it wouldn't work for me.

summit racing show a ~30 day lead time (read that as custom order, made to order), "ships on 9/30" for bushwacker and even worse than that for westin (ships oct 28).. it's not that no one can order them, it is that they are made to order onsie twosie, not mass produced anymore... did you try napa or any of the other brick and mortar places? (in person you might get someone who will call westin and get the lead time... still any place I assume wait 60 days)

In today's environment of no/terrible customer service, I wish you good luck dealing with anyone who ignorantly claims "the computer says not available" and ends the conversation there. Might have to go to a more expensive vendor like summit to just get around the poor service you get elsewhere.

sidenote, napa lists DEEZEE as available for 1999 today:

nobody lists anything pre 1993

 

[Brain75]

Another place I didn't think to throw out but realized when I was there yesterday, the junkyard.. All the places I have access to have standard pricing published on their website or sign at register etc - but that is normal PARTS, not aftermarket accessories. The aftermarket accessories you might have to wheel and deal. I passed over a set of diamond alu (w/o pockets) for a 6' bed and 4 drop in bedliners (for 6') yesterday.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Another place I didn't think to throw out but realized when I was there yesterday, the junkyard.. All the places I have access to have standard pricing published on their website or sign at register etc - but that is normal PARTS, not aftermarket accessories. The aftermarket accessories you might have to wheel and deal. I passed over a set of diamond alu (w/o pockets) for a 6' bed and 4 drop in bedliners (for 6') yesterday.

Find a truck with an over the rail bedliner and cut the tops off the bedliner with an oscillating cutter.

 

[MT_PLS]

Bed Caps Protect with Quality and Style

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Long bed and short bed options.

 

[RangerJoey]

Sorry for the MIA, but thank you all! I was ideally looking to go new, (whether that meant OEM or aftermarket makes no difference). I'm still sort of restoring this thing and want it to look fresh/reset a benchline date. I was going to spray the plastic fender arches too so maybe used is an option since I could spray to match.

And Brian, you literally point out the obvious - that I missed - Summit and those places still do offer the Westin. Just on a per order basis. I literally didn't notice that. Thank you! And good luck to your Holy Grail. I checked that Wade's Auto site and your year is still a wasteland.

 

[Brain75]

I have consigned myself to using a spray in bedliner and then carefully rolling it over the top onto the rails as if those were rail caps... I think it will look good, just more work to do. I throw that out, because it is an option for you too. Spray in a bedliner and continue it up onto the rails.

 

[RangerJoey]

Spoken like man with a plan. For my needs, I think I'm going with Wades. Less lead time than Summit and a set with shipping and promo code is just under $90. Saying that, I have a drop-in liner that rolls over the front of the bed and the tailgate has a cover that also covers the upper lip. Spray on would be a good option and cheaper than $90, but I don't trust myself to do a good job with that stuff.
Super random, but are you looking to run a toolbox in your 7'? I only ask because you could essentially get two 6' sets, (assuming on the cheap at like a pick-n-pull), chop them in half and have the joint where they meet hidden under the toolbox. If you're not looking to run a toolbox, that kind of tosses that idea out. Unless you think you could really butt the joints and get the material super cheap.

 

[Brain75]

All the reviews for spray on bedliner that is single stage are mixed to pour, so I was looking at 2k spray on (or 2 stage - where you mix a hardener just like professional paint), those are not less than $90.... looking at more like $150 for it (a 2 liter kit is not enough for a 7' bed, a gallon kit is cheaper than 2 liter + 1 liter)... I was/am indeed considering a toolbox, I want a narrow/deep crossover toolbox (so like what you suggest that goes across the bed not along the side). The advantage of the narrow is you loose less of your useful bed length. But that is probably a new purchase not a find one used - the local 'yard has one weatherguard steel that is gull wing but missing one door and locks are rusted+no keys. I figure to rehab that would be worse than just buying a plastic one like this:

Amazon.com

 

[Brain75]

The idea of using 2 liners has another flaw, in a 6' bed the fuel filler neck is like 2 inches from the front of the truck bed, in a 7' bed it is 8". Since the fuel filler neck intrudes into the bottom bed area, and the bedliner has a bump to accomodate that, I would have to splice it right before the fuel filler neck probably and after 3 or 4 times to keep it from riding up there - too many splices and it would probably look bad. Sidenote all those bedliners have a 2nd bump further back for dual gas tanks... I even found a dual gas tank oldie 1st gen in the yard looks like a 84 ish.