Bed Treatment

#2 for sure.
When I was building my F350 I was thinking about factory spray-on bedliner, but figured out why not enjoy nice white bed, before I beat it up and then I can have ugly bedliner sprayed on.

Number 2, number 3. The plastic OEM bedliner is ok but it's slippery.

I have done all 3 on different trucks with different campers. #3 is what we have now and I like it a lot. The combination of the higher friction spray in liner and the rubber matt is rock solid. I would ditch the plastic liner for sure.

If you are planning to leave the camper in full time, then forego the expensive professionally installed bedliner. It is good product and if you were remotly planning on doing contractor type work along with hauling the camper then I would say do this route.

But, consider doing a DIY liner such as Hercu-liner available at most auto parts stores. I installed this and then a thick rubber mat and it provides the right amount of added friction for which to install a camper above.

Sometimes the DIY bedliner gets a bad rap. My response to those nay-sayers is that most likely the instruction to install were not followed. Proper preparation is key to the DIY liner success. I installed it on both my trucks for TC hauling and minor home dept runs. If I were doing heavier duty work requiring bed use then the DIY in not the product. I think it would suit you well for the purpose stated.

I would definitely get rid of the plastic liner.

JMHO.

I have owned many trucks. My present truck is the first I have ever owned that has a Line-X sprayed in bedliner. It is fantastic. I am the third owner of this 2004 truck, and the liner is without flaw. I have seen other sprayed in liners that looked real bad. I would not hesitate to go with Line-X.

My TC is a Bigfoot which has a molded fiberglass bottom. I think it is slicker than any other TC bottom. I use two 3/4" thick Horse Stall Mat on top of my Line-X. One 1/2" would be okay, but I need to clear 5th wheel rails.

I'd do #3 as well. Had my F350 Armorthaned, then put in the rubber mat. The spray in was only $125 and worth every penny IMHO. I do drop the camper once in a great while to haul a load of wood or help the kids move furniture, etc. Has saved a lot of scratches to the paint and keeps the salt away up here in snow country. Cheap insurance in my book and gives an even more durable surface for the bed mat to stick to.

#2. Cheap easy and effective. And if the camper is in full time then the bed won't get real beat up anyway.
#3 if you have an extra $400 to spend with no appreciable benefit for hauling a TC.

Take the bedliner out for sure. It will just wear away the paint, cause rust spots, and eventually you'll have a hole.
As for Line-X, I did mine because of what I wrote above. Had to. But if I could start from the beginning of a trucks life, I'd just leave it painted with no liner at all. It's a truck, it's meant to haul stuff, not go to car shows. Use the bed mat.

Grit dog wrote:
#3 if you have an extra $400 to spend with no appreciable benefit for hauling a TC.

I was wondering if the Line-X would grip the bottom of the mat better than the factory paint would?

Regard
John

The Line-X will definately grip the bottom of the mat better than the factory paint. I have had it both ways, you cannot slide my rubber mat on my Line-X. My other truck has a painted bed, and it is easy to slide the same mat on it. I have used different mats with the same results.

Wayne