Choosing a Truck Bed Liner

Bed liners for trucks are popular for several reasons. Of course protection for the bed is probably the number one reason to get a truck bed liner. Especially in newer trucks, a pickup bed liner lets you use your truck as a truck without scratching the bed. Protecting the bed is not just about cosmetics either. A scratched and dinged bed is a starting place for rust and corrosion.

Truck bed liners come in three main types:

• plastic drop-in
  
• rubber mats
  
• spray on or roll on
  

A plastic drop-in bed liner is custom fit to your truck. It is tough and durable which makes it especially suited for hard use. The liner is also removable if you choose to do so. The cons of this type of bed liner is that water can collect under the mat leading to corrosion of the bed over time. Another disadvantage is the liner has some clearance between the liner and the bed, you can expect some noises and vibrations when using this bed liner.

Rubber mats can also be used for bed liners. These can be custom made or cut to fit just like a plastic one. You can get mats just for the floor or you can get multi piece mats that fit the floor and walls of the bed. Like the plastic liners, rubber mat liners are durable and easy to remove. But they too can hide water leading to rust and corrosion.

The spray on liner or roll on liner is the most popular kind of truck bed liner. It's a spray on or roll on liner because the material is a liquid before application. The professionally applied truck bed liners are durable and attractive in appearance. The liner protects the bed paint from rust as long as the coating is intact. Also most liners have a texture which is non-slip.

The spray on bed liner materials vary. Some are multi part products with a catalyst that produces a hard finish that dries in seconds. The latest materials can be sprayed up to 1/4 inch thick and still are usable in 24 hours.

The disadvantage of spray on bed liner material is sometimes the color fade from exposure to light. Though some formulas now are uv light resistant.

For the do-it yourself crowd, especially the cheap ones like me, there's the roll on bed liner. And there is material that the do it yourselfer can spray on.

If you want to spray or roll on your own truck bed liner, you now have several choices. Especially for an older truck, the finish you apply yourself can make your truck look much better. You can have a good looking truck bed with a practical finish for a reasonable price.

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Are you ready to put a bed liner in your truck? I know you have a lot of choices. Especially if you want to do it yourself, visit www.bedlinerfortrucks.com to start on that new-looking truck bed!