hitch or spray liner first?

There is a gap with the turnover ball hole so get the hitch done and they can fill in the gap with the liner!

I had the liner sprayed in first. No issues with the rails.

Just a word of caution. I had my liner put in, then installed the hitch myself. Since it was hot in the garage, I made the mistake of working in shorts and sandals. When I drilled one of the holes for the hitch, the flaming hot metal and liner material decided to spin off the drill and land between the bottom of my foot and the top of my sandal. Holy $&!T!!! I stood up real fast and hit my head on the rail for the garage door opener. Holy $&!T!!!

I think the combination of metal, liner material and friction got that little piece of debris up to about 3 jillion degrees. So I jumped out of the truck and put my foot in a five gallon bucket of cold water. Ahhhh, that's better. Just then the DW walked into the garage to see me with my foot in a bucket of water and my scalp bleeding. She just shook her head and walked back inside.

All in all, it was a great learning experience installing my own hitch.

donn0128 wrote:
Install the hitch, then remove it do the bed liner. Then reinstall. That way the holes get sealed too

If the hitch installer knows what he is doing he can lay out and drill the holes then install liner and never put the hitch in the bed.. Install hitch for the first time after the liner is cured.

I had Line-X installed after the center hole for the hitch was drilled. This was also a B&W Companion hitch.

Install the hitch, then remove it do the bed liner. Then reinstall. That way the holes get sealed too

xaugievike wrote:
in a perfect world, is it better to have a 5'er hitch installed before or after a spray-in liner?

If it matters - it would be for a BW companion hitch.

My vote is for the liner spray AFTER the holes are cut but BEFORE the hitch is installed.
Cut edges get sealed that way.
Worked with my Superglide, but then I do not have rails bolted to the bed, my hitch sits on the pins mounted to the underbed brackets. My hitch does not touch the bed sheet metal.