Colored DIY Bedliner?

[08hybridok]

Looking dow the road a few months for this project; but how many choices do I have for a colored DIY (Spray or roll-on) bedliner in white?

I've been reading thru the forums, and dupi-color is NOT highly recommended; Herceliner is, as well as another name that slips my mind right now.

I see on Amazon Durabak-18 roll-on & U-pol spray on kit.

Any suggestions on what brands to use to do it in white (guess black would be OK; but prefer white), spray vs roll. And how much I'll need for a stepside bed?

thanks

 

[armadillon]

I'll just say this, that white is going to get dirty VERY quickly, and you can't spruce it up and clean it like you can normal paint.

I see in your avatar your truck is white. I don't think the liner color is going to match.

But to answer your original question, either will work well as long as it's a decently thick coating. It should say on the side of the can, but if you're getting the bucket of roll on, that's usually enough.

IIRC there should be a tech article on bedliner in the Resources section of the forum.

 

[08hybridok]

Thanks; didn't think of keeping it clean, esp with all the red dirt (dust) we get here in OK.

I saw that writeup; got me thinking is something I can DIY vs paying for. So I will probably go with the Herceliner in a can; probably just get a gallon; if I have left overs I can put it on my trailer.

 

[08hybridok]

No wait, this is the color scheme I want!

http://lineall.com/liners.html

 

[way2low]

The UPOL spray in kits work great

 

[JoshT]

UPOL Raptor liner or Al's Liner both work great for DIY spray in liner kits that are tintable.

Al's liner is cheaper, you have to buy the gun separate which adds to the initial cost. It's also a multi component system that's a little more work to mix than Raptor. Same kit for tintable or black, just use your own pigment. The spray gun used for Al's is a lot more adjustable, so it can get better looking textures and more professional results with practice and learning to set-up the gun, the drawback is you waste material practicing and adjusting the gun. Gun uses a hopper which makes it a little more difficult to handle.

Raptor liner is a little more expensive, but most of the kits I've seen come with the gun. It's a 2 part system, maybe 3 with the tintable version, that's easy to mix. Just add hardener (and tint) to base bottle, screw the bottle straight to the gun and spray.

I used Al's when I undercoated my truck. Due to learning how to use and adjusting the gun I went through a kit undercoating a regular cab (cab only), but its on there thick and should do a good job. I think with a little more practice that I can get nice looking results with the Al's so I'll probably use that for my bed when I decide on a color to paint the truck.

Next time I do an undercoat I'll probably use Raptor. For a first time, and possibly only time, I'd definitely recommend the UPOL Raptor liner. Mix it, spray it, and toss it. Quick mixing, and just throwing everything away when you finish makes for easy clean up. No point in trying to clean the gun since the next kit will come with a new one. It can also get good results in the looks department, Al's can just achieve a more "car show" type appearance due to the ability to adjust texture.

As for holding up I can't vouch for Al's. The truck I put it on is still in pieces so no testing done yet. I have read good reviews for both of them holding up very well, nearly as good as a professional liner. A lot of that will depend on the prep work and spray job.

 

[08hybridok]

I noticed the Upol kit came with a gun. I didn't have much fun/luck with a paint gun (air compressor quart type) this past summer; but I was trying to run straight latex thru it.

But more importantly I wasn't sure how the gun would work for a 2nd coat? I don't suspect this stuff to clean up very easily. Wouldn't the gun harden up between coats? Or is it a one coat application?

 

[JoshT]

The gun that's included with the raptor is made for spraying bed liner, there are no adjustments like on a regular paint gun. Just mix liner according to directions, screw bottle to bottom of gun and spray. Just make sure you have a compressor that will handle it, and I don't think it takes much. Do some Google searching and you'll find a lot of DIY reviews, projects, how-to, and results.

Cleaning is easy. IIRC it cleans up with acetone. You will use at least one of the 4 bottles in the kit on your first coat. Clean out that bottle fill it with the solvent, then spray through the gun.

It's a 1, 2, or more coat application. It's as many coats as it takes to cover the application and get the build you want. You could spray one even coat and call it good, you can add a second coat (or more) and have it a bit thicker. Its up to you. There's probably enough in a kit to do two coats on a Ranger bed.

If you do it I recommend that you pull the bed bolts first then reinstall them after the spray dries. If you leave them in you'll hate yourself when/if you ever need to pull the bed.

 

[XLTsplash]

I have used both Dupli-color and Herculiner roll on bed liners. You are correct that the Herculiner is the better of the two. I have found the Herculiner to fade and start wearing off after a few years. Plus they are hard to keep clean. I feel the best way to go is a Duraliner brand drop in bed liner. They are high quality and will stay looking great from many years. Duraliner made bed liners for Ford. They are easy to wash out and keep clean. They offer better protection against dents than a roll on or spray on liner. Plus they are very easy to install. The newer bed liners have a nonslip coating to keep things from sliding around.

 

[StanceRanger92]

Iv sprayed multiple truck beds with the raptor liner and the truth is prep work is your best friend to get all the gloss off the bed used a nylon brush that I hooked to my dewalt worked like a dream also did many tints of the raptor liner red blue green white you name it my personal favorite and lasts if flashed right you can also spray rocker panels too which iv also done looks legit and if prep work done right cleanup is a breeze

Sent from my M865 using Tapatalk 2

 

[JoshT]

I feel the best way to go is a Duraliner brand drop in bed liner. They are high quality and will stay looking great from many years. Duraliner made bed liners for Ford. They are easy to wash out and keep clean. They offer better protection against dents than a roll on or spray on liner.

I have seen too many truck beds rotted out because of those drop in liners. Sure they protect against dents and dings, but they do nothing for corrosion. Water gets under them and is trapped between the liner and the bed. Perfect environment for starting and accelerating rust, especially in all those little places that the hard liner rubs against the bed. The only time that I would ever consider a drop in liner to be okay is if it has a spray in liner under it. The spray in protects the bed from trapped moisture and chaffing, while the drop in protects it from dents and dings.

Iv sprayed multiple truck beds with the raptor liner....

I hate being a grammar nazi, I'm not the best with it myself, but can we get a little punctuation please.