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| Jun 08, 2016
It is easy to say that every truck owner loves their vehicle like it is their child. On top of treating it well, it is crucial to offer protection to ensure the longevity of your truck. One way to do this is to invest in a bedliner, as truck beds are often easily ignored.
There are two basic types of bedliners: spray on bedliners and drop in bedliners. Each will protect the truck bed from the cargo you are carrying, whether it is a couch or a space shuttle. Here are the differences between both.
Drop In Bedliners
This liner is custom molded to your truck bed, and most feature a ribbed floor for slip guard protection and water drainage. They don't require any preparation work and require little or no drilling during installation.
But, these truck bedliners do not offer long term protection of your truck bed. As the rubber units just lay across the truck bed, they do not provide protection to the inner bedsides. They can potentially trap water between the liner and steel of the bed, causing erosion and rust that can be expensive to fix. Additionally, they can vibrate and move when the car is going fast.
Spray On Bedliners
This method is great for anyone who wants long-lasting protection. These spray bedliners are especially handy if you have a uniquely sized truck, as drop in liners aren't widely available. If you do not have a five-and-a-half, six-and-a-half, or eight-foot truck bed, no worries!
There are two types of spray on bedliners: chemically catalyzed -- the stronger of the two -- and oxygen catalyzed. Most quality spray on bedliners are two-part, chemically catalyzed products, and are applied by trained dealers.
Overall, spray on bedliners are incredibly durable, have a watertight seal, are extremely long lasting, are very versatile, and can even increase the value of your truck at resale! Langeman has created two spray on bedliner products to best suit the needs of truck owners: Reflex® and Gardit®. Reflex is thick and tough, with a rubbery feel to grip and hold your cargo in place. Gardit is a more rugged coating, with a harder feel. This harder liner is perfect if you are often sliding equipment in and out of your truck, and also works great for coating exterior panels of your vehicle.