Protecting the bed of your truck, whether it is brand new or many years old, is pretty easy. The old slide in plastic bed liners were a good idea but never really did the job. But with the newer sprayed in bed liner material, you can seal the bed, protecting it from damage, and the liner is much more durable.
Preparing Your Truck Bed
Before you can consider a sprayed in bed liner for your truck, you need to take a few minutes and make sure it is going to adhere to the metal properly. Clean everything out of the bed and wash it down with soap and water. Allow it to dry completely then check the bed for loose or peeling paint, grease, or oil. If there is any peeling paint, you will need to remove it and any grease or oil in the bed will need to be cleaned off with a degreaser. The bed can then be washed out again and rechecked for debris or contaminates. Most dealers will ask that you remove any accessories from the truck bed as well but check with the dealer you are using for specifics.
Picking Your Color
When bed liners first appeared, the only color you could get was black. If you decide to have your bed liner sprayed in now, you can pick a color to have the material tinted or have the tech match the body color so the liner blends into the truck and isn't as noticeable. Take a few minutes to talk to the tech about what color is possible and just how close to the body color you can get if you decide to go that way. Color matching is great if it comes out close but if the truck is too faded or the color match is not right, it could really detract from the look of the vehicle.
Spraying The Bed Liner
The truck will need to be clean, and the technician will mask off the entire truck so that the liner material does not get on any other surface before the bed is sprayed. Overspray of the bed liner material is extremely hard to remove so care must be taken during this step or the windows, body, and trim can be damaged. Once the bed has been sprayed, it takes about 24 hours to fully cure, though it can be used for light duty almost immediately in most cases. If you are concerned about the cure time, ask the dealer where you have the bed sprayed for their recommendation.
For more information, contact local professionals like Leer Truck Accessory Center.
