Should I Rhinoline or bed rug?

[Wes Craiglow]

All excellent thoughts on why to line your bed. In many cases, this is undoubtedly the best option. And from what I've always heard, Line-X is the better option. That said...

Me? in five years I've never wanted to put anything under the topper which the BedRug couldn't handle. This includes greasy tools and truck parts, muddy shovels, fur-shedding dogs, me gettin' cheeky with my lady in a sleeping bag :ylsmoke:, yada, yada, yada. When the BedRug gets too dirty for my liking, I unVelco it and hose it off under high pressure at the local car wash.

When I need to haul something big like a four-wheeler, landscaping/gardening materials, or furniture, I use a 5'x10' single-axle utility trailer.

I find this offers me max versatility: my Taco is for DD (for now) and overland travel primarily. I use the bed for securely and CLEANLY stowing gear and sleeping bodies.

And, seriously?! Do I really want to sleep where one weekend before I dumped a pile of compost (i.e. manure and rancid, decomposed food waste). Of course not. For that stuff, I use the trailer.

A simple trailer is surprisingly cheap in your local classified section or eBay, offers many more uses than a truck bed alone, it lasts your whole life if properly maintained, and--most importantly here--keeps your overlanding vehicle primed and clean for your next big trip.

My $.02.

Good luck on your choice!

 

[Wes Craiglow]

That's a strange place to put your ERB .

Ha! I hear ya. It's just in case my BN S-1 section loses my 2-1 again, I can just show 'em my truck and be like, "That stuff."
:sombrero:

 

[ywen]

would either coating pose a health risk if we sleep in an enclosed bed area with a sprayed-in liner?

 

[7wt]

would either coating pose a health risk if we sleep in an enclosed bed area with a sprayed-in liner?

I can say that mine hasn't hurt me...or at least that I know of. On a side note with that, I did notice my bed was a little more insulated after the LineX was applied and condensation wasn't as bad on cold nights inside the cap.

Removing the bed bolts as Jim mentioned is a great idea! If I were to do it again I would have this done.

 

[jim65wagon]

When I need to haul something big like a four-wheeler, landscaping/gardening materials, or furniture, I use a 5'x10' single-axle utility trailer.

I find this offers me max versatility: my Taco is for DD (for now) and overland travel primarily. I use the bed for securely and CLEANLY stowing gear and sleeping bodies.

And, seriously?! Do I really want to sleep where one weekend before I dumped a pile of compost (i.e. manure and rancid, decomposed food waste). Of course not. For that stuff, I use the trailer.

A simple trailer is surprisingly cheap in your local classified section or eBay, offers many more uses than a truck bed alone, it lasts your whole life if properly maintained, and--most importantly here--keeps your overlanding vehicle primed and clean for your next big trip.

My $.02.

Good luck on your choice!

Good point, however, it also requires a place to store the trailer when not in use. A good application of soap and water takes care of any and all smells from hauling whatever....of course we also use tents, so for us that bit really doesn't matter!

 

[southpier]

....my bed was a little more insulated after the LineX was applied and condensation wasn't as bad ...

that took care of one concern.

some folks do the rails/ some don't. any pros or cons if i intend to fit a cap? i assume that McMasters or somebody sells rubber gasket for a somewhat weatherproof seal, so do i line or no-line the rails?

 

[SunTzuNephew]

that took care of one concern.

some folks do the rails/ some don't. any pros or cons if i intend to fit a cap? i assume that McMasters or somebody sells rubber gasket for a somewhat weatherproof seal, so do i line or no-line the rails?

How about just plain old double-sided foam weatherstripping?

 

[7wt]

that took care of one concern.

some folks do the rails/ some don't. any pros or cons if i intend to fit a cap? i assume that McMasters or somebody sells rubber gasket for a somewhat weatherproof seal, so do i line or no-line the rails?

The only reason I didn't do over the rails is I didn't want a black stripe down the side of my truck. I thought it would look silly. If I knew I would end up taking the thing off I would have done over the rails for sure. Seriously the cap does a number on your bedrails and tail gate, the LineX would have prevented that.

How about just plain old double-sided foam weatherstripping?

When you get a cap and it leaks around the bottom, all the shop that installs it does is apply weather stripping anyway. My truck had the cab side bedrail done and they stuck weather stripping to it with no problems. Besides, once the cap is bolted down nothing will move anyway. The stripping is the run of the mill Home Depot or Lowes stuff, nothing fancy. Personally, I would put the thick stuff on it anyway just to prevent dust from entering though the bottom, it won't hurt anything.

 

[AmericaOverland]

I don't see anyone writing in with the awareness of what carpet/vinyl/foam combinations can do to your metal on vehicles. I know from personal experience (because I had a rusted floor treated, but it may need to be cut out ENTIRELY on the next restoration cycle) that anything like carpet or a Bed Rug is a no-no if you want to have a truck with intact floors when you sell it or do a restoration on it.

The problem is this stuff will trap moisture and keep it on the floor surface, and eventually the paint breaks down and allows rust to take over. Especially true if you camp in the truck - remember the condensation problem with RTTs with metal-cladded floors? And then you leave the carpet on top of it permanently? In 10-25 years, you're going to have to have the floor cut out and replaced - good luck if it's one of those built in the late 90s on up, unless you modify the design of the floor to accept flat sheet metal replacements.

If it's rusted, get the paint stripped, rust damage treated/patched, prime it, and then bedline it. That is currently what's going on with my Scout II. The entire floor from tailgate end up the firewall is going to be bedlined. No more carpet for this lady. Because there will be no electrical wires run on the floor, I will be able to hose/wash it out and wipe it dry with a big towel and call it good. I don't have to drop quarters into a vac to clean this one.

My 2 pre-1982 cents.
Stephanie

 

[SunTzuNephew]

When you get a cap and it leaks around the bottom, all the shop that installs it does is apply weather stripping anyway. My truck had the cab side bedrail done and they stuck weather stripping to it with no problems. Besides, once the cap is bolted down nothing will move anyway. The stripping is the run of the mill Home Depot or Lowes stuff, nothing fancy. Personally, I would put the thick stuff on it anyway just to prevent dust from entering though the bottom, it won't hurt anything.

Mine put the weatherstripping on when I got the cap in the first place...never had a problem until I had the truck in the body shop after getting sideswiped while parked: Turns out the body shop didn't replace the stripping with new - nice of the SOB's to save $4.95 on a $5K insurance job. So I did it myself, and never had a leak.

 

[ywen]

Hey reviving this old thread...

Deciding between Rhino and Line-X... My understanding is:

Line-X goes on thinner and looks "cleaner" than Rhino. It is also more durable since it drys to a hard material. It has a sand paper like finish and is abrasive to softer surfaces.

Rhino has a more rubbery feel and offers MORE gripping friction than Line-X. The texture is not abrasive like Line-X thus won't scratch up delicate hauls.

If those above assumptions are pretty spot on, I would say I'm leaning towards Rhino.

 

[tony_h]

I've had both. First, I had Rhinoliner on a '98 Tacoma. I had it over the rails. It faded and I would try different products on it, trying to bring back the luster, but nothing worked more than a couple of months. It is much more pliable than Line-X and I also chipped mine with a shovel. When wet, it is slippery.

When I got my Silverado, I decided to try Line-X (mostly because of the Rhinoliner dealer). I liked the Rhinoliner but now I recommend Line-X to everyone who asks. I have over the rails and have a Retrax cover and it works great. No regrets.

Line-X is more rough, but not to the point any load has been damaged. Also, Line-X makes a product to spray on that will keep in looking new (a UV protectant) that is supposed to last the life of the truck. As to the durability, I found a site online showing how Line-X was painted on half a block wall and the testers set off a simulated car bomb about 50 feet away. The Line-X portion survived but the rest of the wall was rubble. Don't know the details, but it was pretty cool.

As to rust, any installer should sand down through paint and rust. You don't want it there when you seal the bed in or the rust will keep eating at the steel. As to paint, neither product bonds well to a clear coat, so they rough it up prior to spraying.

 

[ywen]

hey what do you mean it faded? Just the color right and not the material's thickness? So it went from black to a dark grey?

I plan on putting a shell over my bed so the bed won't see too much sun and elements..

 

[Dave Bennett]

Line-X it and then add a BedRug = Perfection IMO

 

[01tundra]

would either coating pose a health risk if we sleep in an enclosed bed area with a sprayed-in liner?

Sure hope not, considering I have the entire interior of my cab coated with LineX XTRA !