Propickup Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/150744
BED LINERS & PROTECTION BED ARMOR By Steve Campbell edliners protect one of the working man's biggest investments, yet they are often one of the last items we think about adding in our quest to make our pickups better. They should be the first. For professionals who depend on a pickup as a tool of the trade, a properly installed liner – whether it's a mat, a drop-in, a spray-on or a hybrid product – can prevent scuffs, gouges and chemical damage that may lead to corrosion and rust. Some liners also provide a buffer against dents caused by heavy or shifting loads, and maintaining a pickup's appearance undoubtedly adds to its value at resale or trade-in time. In fact, many original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) now place a residual value on original bedliners and vehicle valuators such as Kelly Blue Book add value to trucks that are outfitted with liners. B NO-SLIP MATS The least-expensive option is the simple mat type, such as the ProTecta mat by Koneta. The ProTecta is manufactured from a fiber-impregnated rubber called Nyracord that is finished in either a ribbed pebble grain or a diamond-plate pattern to help keep cargo from slipping. The 3/8-inch-thick mats are custom-molded to fit each make and model of pickup and are impervious to weather, while a knobby underside promotes aeration and drainage, helping to prevent rust and mildew. Mats are simply unrolled onto the bed floor to install, so no prep is required other than a thorough bed cleaning. Some OEMs offer ProTecta mats that are identical to the aftermarket version but with the truck maker's logo embossed on the product. The downside to a mat is that it offers no protection to the bed Drop-in or spray-on, new bed-protection products save the day walls, though a tailgate protector is also available in the ProTecta line. DROP-INS Drop-in liners are also easily installed, removed and replaced. They are manufactured as a onepiece mold that covers the floor, sides, and forward bulkhead and come with a bolt-on tailgate protector. The drop-in bedliner industry covers more than 50 percent of the bed-protection market, so the products maintain an obvious popularity with consumers. Penda, manufacturer of the Pendaliner and Duraliner brands, fabricates its liners from up to 1/4-inch-thick sheets of extremely durable high-density polyethylene, which also withstands extreme weather conditions. Drop-ins come in two versions that fit either under or over the bed rails. Penda says that its under-rail liners are the more popular of the two and quickly snap into position. Drop-in liners come with a tailgate protector that bolts into place using the original tailgate screws. The only prep required for installation is a thorough cleaning of the bed to remove dirt and debris. Because of their thick, ribbed construction, drop-in liners provide the best dent protection, but that thickness also diminishes the cargo area slightly. The surface of some drop-ins is also rather slick, so slippage can be an issue (though Penda touts its Skid Resistor liner as having overcome that drawback). Another long-standing disadvantage of drop-ins is that dirt and moisture may be trapped under the liner, abrading the truck's paint as the liner vibrates. In extreme cases, the bared metal can then rust. But Penda says that the ribbedfloor construction of its liners allows free flow of water under the 12 PROPICKUP Big Book 2013 ProPickup_2013BB_Bed Liners.indd 12 8/6/13 9:32 AM