LineX or Plastic Liner

[PJ]

I have the stock Dodge liner in my new 2004 and don't really like it. Im afraid it will cause rust over time and not to mention that everytime I put anything in the bed, it slides all over the place. I fixed that problem with a bed mat on top of it. Yesterday, I was at Costco and they were having a "LineX" promotion. $389 for a LineX liner. I gave in and bought it but still have yet to schedule it. My problem is, back in 99 I had a LineX installed in my 98 Cummins and the guy did a terrible job. It pealed when I had my Goose neck hitch installed and he also didnt make a straight line on my "over the tailgate" line. You could also see my red paint under the bed rails. The kiner was only sprayed about 1/32 of an inch! I called LineX corp office and got the run around. Have they gotten better in the past 4 years? I would hate to have a shotty job on my new truck. I can still get my $ refunded by Costco. Actually, the Costco Manager said if I didnt like how it turned out, he would refund my $$$. The only problem then would be, how would I get my bed to look right again. .

Im undecided at this point.

Has anyone had good or bad luck lately???

 

[cpizz]

The quality of a "spray on" liner has a lot to do with the person who installs it. There are a lot of idiots installing these things out there. You should go by Costco and look at one they have done recently. As far as brand, it depends on what "look" you are looking for. Linex tends to be granular and thinly sprayed. Rhino and Permatech is more of a splatter finish and usually sprayed thicker. I just had a Speedliner installed and it was more like a Rhino or Permatech. However, it was not sprayed as thick as a Rhino or Permatech. Dealer said it didn't need to be because of what it is made of. The juy is still out on it. I will see in 6 months how well it fairs.

 

[jungledave]

I have Rhino Liner in my 04. LineX is probably Slightly more durable but not near as sticky. Rhino is VERY sticky. Rhino Liner dealer here in Colorado Springs does an excellent job and puts it in at least a quarter inch think on hte bed itself and it looks unaform all over. He did a great job over thje rails and I had it put on a bout a inch over the sides and about 2 inches over the tail gate. I have never seen LineX put on as thick as the Rhino on my 04. I am pretty sure it was $445. I don't know how Linex works with waranty but Rhino would have fixed that tear you put in yours for $0. Either one is sure A LOT better than a bed liner. One more thing to think about is that truck beds get scratched and it really doesn't hurt resale value on the inside. On the other hand Spray on stuff will help a little.

 

[KD7GYJ]

I had my bed sprayed within three weeks after getting my new 98. 5 CTD truck. The person installing it didn't sand or prepare the bed before he sprayed it. Then sprayed a very thin layer. You could see the paint under the liner. Went back, they sprayed it again only to have it start peeling. Took truck back the third time and they wanted to keep it for three weeks to sand off the bed liner, rough up the paint and respray. Well they kept it for three weeks and just sprayed it on thicker.



When I purchased my 02 CTD, I figured I would wait until it is scratched to death and then have the coating sprayed on. But I sold the truck before it would have been sprayed. Didn't miss it the second time.



My third CTD will also wait a couple years before I have it sprayed. That should give the bed enough time to get well beaten and ready for a fresh coating. Maybe then, the coating will adhere to the metal.



Blair



Rhino is too soft for my tastes. Threw in some cinder block only to have the bed rip open. But that was mainly due to the poor preparation.

 

[sellesd]

I agree with KD7GYJ. Since the bed has to be prepared using 80 grit sandpaper, I'll wait to see if I even need a spray in bed liner. From what I can tell they protect the bed from scratches. Don't do much to protect the metal from getting bent.



The most likely damage to my bed is backing under the camper and not being positioned correctly.



I guess if I planned to haul rocks and such, it would make sense.



Shannon

 

[StephenThomas]

I have an over the rail spray in liner by Combat on my new truck. It's my first spray on liner and I must say that I'm quite pleased thusfar.



Another option to think about is the Bedrug liner. I had this installed in on my 01' and loved it. I was surprised at how durable this thing is. I would have put one in my 04, but the dealer had the spray in liner done prior to my purchase.

 

[Slow Six]

I had the Linex installed on my new truck ASAP. It turned out perfectly. I have been using the truck for work and play for about 10 months and so far the liner is like the day it went in. I think the quality is entirely dependent on the installer. The place where I had mine installed has a reputation for many miles around. This is also all they do, so they are good at it. Ask your installer for some references and check their work. If it is done properly you should be satisfied.

 

[TW1]

I had the factory liner in my bed for a couple of weeks, and then had a Line-X sprayed in. The Line-X is far superior to the drop-in liner. I made the choice between Line-X and Rhino based on the quality of work done by each of the dealers where I was at the time. The Line-X guy did a far superior job compared to the Rhino dealer in Temecula, Ca, so I went with Line-X. The company I work for has all of their trucks Rhino'd, and I like the friction of the Rhino better, but the Line-X is harder and more resistant to dings.

All in all, go with the guys that do the better job.

 

[PJ]

For the record, I sent an email to the LineX Corp last night and explained the issues I had with the clown in Chico that distroyed my 98. For the record, the guy is STILL IN BUSINESS!. Im going to wait for LineX to get back to me before i schedule my appointment. I just didnt like the guys attitude when i threw all my questions at him. I also didnt like the fact that I had talked to him the day before and he gave me a quote without saying that he was also selling the same spray on liner at Costco all last week at a discount. He also said that if I "scratched it" in anyway, it WAS NOT covered under warranty. That kinda scares me as the printed warranty basically says if it fails in any way, it gets re shot at no charge. My only saving grace in this case is that Costco said they would refund my $ if I wasnt happy.

Gee, I wonder if they would want to have the liner removed at that time also?:--)

 

[Dean Upson]

I have had RhinoLiner in my past two trucks and have been very satisfied. I have the over the rail installation in my present truck and it looks great. You should ask to see some of the work that the person doing the spraying has done. Over the rail installations are a bit trickier than just in the bed and can look awful if crooked. There seems to be folks that prefer Linex and those that prefer Rhino, I think they must both be good.



Dean

 

[Buffalo]

After some research, I discovered there are, basically, 2 types of installation. Hot & Cold methods. The Hot drys almost instantaniously (linex), with a delicate texture. The Cold (Rhino) takes longer, with a heavier texture, like cottage cheese. Because the truckbed has ridges, the cold material slumps into the valleys. The ridges then become thin. More cold material has to be sprayed on the ridges to counter-act this problem.

 

[XcumminsX]

Do a spray on and never worry about rust /damage to your bed. "if your going to do something... Do it Right the first time"



Nick

 

[PLaFrombois]

Find another LineX dealer. It sounds like he doesn't care about workmanship and properly preping the bed before installation. Any chips or peeling should be covered under warranty.



LineX seems to be a harder composite, and doesn't soften like Rhino liners do in hot climates. I've a company that's called Fabick, and they also do spray in liners. They also do a poured in version that fills in the ribs of the bed so it's flat. They use this in heavy duty dump vehicles, like dump trucks. Then they'll spray the black textured coating over. Warranty for as long as you own the truck.



Paul

 

[RPosey]

bed liner

PB I had the same concernes as you . I wanted the spray in really bad because when they are new they really look good. I kept looking at all different brands good and bad points. I finally went with the drop in liner and here is why. (1)I have a 95 with the drop in and no rust, though truck is always garaged and driven every day (2) I saw a truck with an old spray in and it was peeling really bad with rust at the edges (3) I was at the spray in dealer when a customer came in with a 6 month old liner that was peeling and it was already fading (4) Truck bed will dent if something is dropped in the bed. I felt that the drop in with a bed mat would cushion anything dropped better and mat prevents things from sliding much better (5) I couldn’t stand the thought of someone grinding on my paint and I knew no one would do a good job of grinding the cracks ,corners and edges as well as where the spray in ends and paint begins. Just my $0. 02 worth.

 

[Mr.Goat]

The main differences between Rhino and Linex are Rhino is applied cold, Linex hot. Rhino is tacky when dry, Linex is more slippery

As previously stated by others the guality of the installation is solely dependant on the workmanship of the installer. It is vital that the areas to be sprayed be thoroughly sanded and prepared for spraying.



What ever brand you choose you will be happy with as long as it is applied properly. If in doubt of the guality of the workmanship, go somewhere else. Your far better off paying more money for a proper job because you will always be happy with the results. I think your past experiences prove this out.



Pete

 

[PJ]

I called LineX Corp this morning and got about the same reply as I got from the local dealer regarding the so called LIFETIME warranty. It really isnt much of a warranty. If you SCRATCH the liner, it is NOT covered! Once the liner is scratched, it can peal and then the warranty is not going to fix it as YOU were the one that made it peal! Also as for fadeing. . LineX had a great idea when the finish is abouty 4 months old and is FLAT black. You can buy a can of some stuff and apply it to the liner. I asked how often this needed to be done. I was told MONTHLY. At that point, I got into my truck and headed 35 miles to the Medford Costco and got a refund on my already paid for LineX liner. Ill live with my plastic one and a rubber mat so I don't kill my knees.

Thanks for all the input guys!

 

[thejeepdude]

Regardless of the corportate stance, the local line-x dealer told me if I EVER scratch/chip/peel my liner, they would fix it for free. I did my research beforehand and found a reputable shop. I still say there's nothing better than a properly installed line-x liner. I've beat the crap out of mine and it still looks like new. The previous plastic liner looked like hell after less than a year.

 

[PJ]

Jeedude. . I see you live in Roseville. I hope you didnt get your LineX in Chico. he is the guy that did my 98 and didnt prep the bed.

 

[CajunDieselMan]

For PBJohnson2



I have one word..... RUN!!!! Not knocking Linex because I haven't seen their product, but that dealer is one to avoid. Too many other dealers out there.

 

[thejeepdude]

Originally posted by PBJohnson2

Jeedude. . I see you live in Roseville. I hope you didnt get your LineX in Chico. he is the guy that did my 98 and didnt prep the bed.

Nope, I got mine done in Placerville.