Bed liners again: Herculiner vs Line-X

[Archive]

Well, it's time to get on with doing this. Has anyone out there experienced both of these products long enough to tell me how they hold up over time?

I guess I've heard nothing but good reports on the Line-X; but of course I'm telling myself that if I do the Herculiner myself, I could spend the savings on HP... #ad


How hard is it to do the liner yourself (over the rail)?

How does it look 2 years later?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Thanks-
Mike

------------------
'00 3500 QC, 6x6, auto, 3. 54LS

 

[Archive]

I've never done the Herculiner but, when I was investigating the possibilities, I was told some real horror stories. It seems that it is very difficult to apply evenly. The longbed needs two gallons so the savings is less. I decided to avoid the mess and spend the extra bucks on Line-X.

The only thing I don't like about the Line-X is the rough finish. The installer said that they do that to increase friction--wouldn't want us to slip and fall and SUE--but I think it would be OK if it were much smoother. Maybe you can talk your shop into doing it smooth; mine was already applied before I saw how rough it was.

------------------
Glen Eaton
2001 2500QC Long bed SLT 4x4 5sp
NRA & RMEF life member

 

[Archive]

Mike,

I don't know anything about Herculiner, but the idea of a "do it yourself" project that would have this much of an effect on the appearance of the truck would be daunting for me. If you are not happy with the end result, you have no recourse except to strap on the self-administered butt-kicking apparatus and start pulling the rope...

"Linex" was the best available option for me. I had "Rhino" sprayed on my first truck and was generally pleased, but found that it would get soft in our extremely hot, sunny Atlanta summers. Occasionally I use the bed of the truck for hauling gravel, or loose pine bark and, when shoveling out the contents, the shovel point would tear into the soft Rhino coating and do some damage.

Linex is much tougher stuff. They seem to have perfected the substance that they spray so that you can count on a uniform thickness, a slightly tacky "grip" (particularly when new), and a very durable surface that won't tear from impact damage (shovels, whatever).

Our local Linex franchisee warranties the product for the life of the truck. I had one, small, damaged area and they repaired it, no charge, two years after the fact.

My truck was sprayed over the rails. I think the cost (long bed) was about $400. 00. They will color match your factory paint, too, but I just went with their standard black.

If you spray in your own liner, be sure you are familiar with the process and that you have masked all the areas really carefully, too. The guys that did the Linex were really artists --- the liner looks like it's always been there and looks like a stock part of the truck. Makes a hugely positive visual impression!

I have a diamond point toolbox that is very heavy; it is clamped to the top of the rails and has been on and off the truck maybe a dozen times. After two years, there is no evidence of the wear and tear to the top rails at all. The Linex is an amazing product.

If you are in south Florida, you are in the harshest environment in the country (more UV "hours," salt corosion, etc. ). I'd want the best protection my money could buy, and I'd want somebody else standing behind it if there were ever a problem...

Best of luck.

 

[Archive]

Glen,

WoW! It sounds like you got a crappy install. That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard. The Linex liability issue is moot. They are making no warranties, implied or otherwise, about the slickness of their surface -- you use it at your own risk. Consider the stock, painted bed of your truck; if liability (lawsuits) were an issue, the beds of pickup trucks would come, standard, with Ralph Nadar equipped hand rails, seat belts and air bags.

No... It sounds to me like the manager put a "newbie" on your truck, the nozzle setting was wrong, the material was too thick coming out, whatever.

I've seen dozens of Linex installs and they've all been perfect -- just the right amount of roughness -- sort of like the texture of freshly rolled asphalt.

You want some surface roughness to prevent your gas cans, chain saws, tool boxes, cases of beer and loose women from denting the side walls of your truck when you're pulling G's cornering at speed... ;-)

... But, if you've got a noticeably rough surface, they did something wrong and you should contact the Linex home office and file a complaint. If the surface is too rough, it's impossible to hose out mud, etc.

[This message has been edited by Sasquatch (edited 04-06-2000). ]

 

[Archive]

Sasquatch: Thanks, now you have me wondering. I thought that was the way it was done. It seems tough enough, just rougher than I would like. I will have to look at a few trucks and compare them to mine.