F250/F350 - - > spray-in liner, drop-in liner, or bed pad?

[foobar]

What are the pros and cons for the Ford Super Duty bed protection options?

I'm thinking that the spray-in bed liner is the way to go, but since I have never owned a pickup truck I thought I would tap into the Airstream owner experience base and see what everyone's opinions are.

Assuming that the spray-in liner is the most durable, should we order the Ford version? Or go with an after market spray-in liner. My initial limited research suggests that Ford has had some problems with their spray-in liner and that some after market installations are better executed and offer thicker liners.

If I want to also get a tonneau cover and 'over the bed' e-bike racks, will any of the liner options interfere with the cover and rack options?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[ryaninoregon]

I have 2019 Ford with factory spray in bed-liner. No problems to speak of and I didn't have to deal with the hassle of finding someone else I trust to do it right. Also factory is covered by the entirety of the factory warranty. To touch on the gm line I have two of those as well, one 2019 and another 2020 both high quality and no issues. The drop in bed liners provide better dent protection but items tend to slide much more freely. The pads/carpet options feel great on the knees when your sitting in the back of the truck but difficult to clean, if you plan to have a topper and only clean items inside they are a good option. Given the choice I vote spray in liners.

[xpcdoojk]

I have a 2020 Jeep Gladiator currently, and a new F250 about to land. I skipped the factory spray in bed liner on both. Previously, had a Nissan truck came with a factory spray in bed liner. It was basically black sand paper. Impossible to clean and painful to crawl on. On the Jeep, I had the Linex spray in liner. when I went to do the install they offered an upgrade to the smooth, version, I think it was $50 more. It is awesome. Protective and easy to clean, and not painful to roll around on. I can’t imagine any other option. Will be doing it on my truck shortly after it arrives.

JC

[StuartsDad]

On a previous F150 (pre Airstream), I had the LineX spray in liner. Great product, never had any issues, bed always covered with a Xtang tonneau cover. On current F250, I went with a BedRug liner, also covered with an Xtang tonneau cover. Love it for traveling. Nothing slides, rattles, or scratches. I line the bed with a cheap, blue tarp on the few times I've hauled mulch, straw bales, or sod. A lot depends on how you will use your truck.
None of the liners should impact a tonneau or bike racks. The liners don't extend over the bed rails since the rails are already covered with a plastic cap.

[AKSteve]

I don't haul anything like loads of gravel in the bed of my truck, so I just wanted something that protects the bed a little bit and makes it more comfortable to crawl around on. So I got a Bed Rug. They're about $215 and take about 2 minutes to install once you've got the whole thing flattened out. That's the only part that takes any effort. You need to lay it out on your lawn on a sunny day after you unroll it so it'll flatten back out. Then you just wipe clean the contact areas of your bed with some rubbing alcohol and put the bed rug down using the installed adhesive strips.

https://bedrug.com/bedtred-impact-be...250-super-duty

[crispyboy]

I am not familiar with the Ford spray in liner. One of the best aftermarket liners seems to be Line-X. Our fleet of work trucks at my place of employment get abused daily and the Line-X seems to hold up well. My truck has a spray-in liner but last week I purchased a Bed Rug mat. It is easy to remove from the truck if you want to clean or vacuum it. I really like that it is easy on my knees and things don't slide around. It covers the bed and the tailgate. The part in the bed is about 3/4" thick. My heavy tool box seems to stay put when I come to a stop.
I'm not crazy about the plastic bed liners. Things really slide around with those.

https://bedrug.com/bedrug-xlt-bed-mats

[StuartsDad]

Just to clarify, my bed rug is the classic liner. It covers walls and fender wells, in addition to bed floor and tailgate.

[CRH]

I have a Super Duty. I wanted and got a drop-in, it provides better impact protection. Second, I want things to slide. It makes heavy object easier to load. Third, it's easier on my knees.

I have a 1994 pickup I put a drop-in in when the truck was new. I pull the liner out every few years to clean under it. Other than the paint worn thin on a few high spots, the bed still looks great. No rust. No dents.

[OCRV]

2021 F250 with Line-X and love it. it's a bit rough but incredibly durable. Hauled all sorts of stuff in it with no issues. It's also covered with a Diamond Back bed cover. The Diamond Back is also sprayed with a Line-X type finish.

[Bcc75]

If you buy new, most Ford Dealers do the spray in liners onsite as an upcharge at the time of purchase.
I guess if you are savvy you can always work this into 'the deal'.

I did this with mine and after 2-1/2 years it still looks brand new. Of course I have a tonneau cover and my truck is garage kept

[DaveP]

One vote for spray in. They protect the bed better and no moisture build-up under the plastic. I had LineX in my F150 and have Mopar in my Ram 3500.

[Slimpockets]

WeatherTech makes a mat that fits the bed. I have used a mat on 2 trucks now and like it. You can always remove it and get a spray in if you don’t like it.

[Mount'n Man]

I use Weathertech bed/tailgate protectors on both our F-150 and F-250. Easy to install, form fitting, durable and non slip. Love them!

I have had drop in ABS liners in previous trucks and hated them (hard on the knees to crawl on and nothing stayed in place). Friends we camp with have the spray in liners and make the same comment. Ended up with a rubber mat from the farm store in both cases.

[Ephraim]

I’ve used the spray bed liner from long before it was a factory option. Rhino liner is what I’ve had in all of my trucks since before 2000.

I had a plastic bedliner in my first dodge truck that was miserable. As it aged it began to break loose and eventually flew out while I was driving on the freeway.

The spray on liners can be easily repaired if you get gouges in them as well. It’s the only beliner I will use now.

[Fungus]

Originally Posted by Ephraim

I’ve used the spray bed liner from long before it was a factory option. Rhino liner is what I’ve had in all of my trucks since before 2000.

I had a plastic bedliner in my first dodge truck that was miserable. As it aged it began to break loose and eventually flew out while I was driving on the freeway.

The spray on liners can be easily repaired if you get gouges in them as well. It’s the only bedliner I will use now.

Rhino spray-in for my 2022 F-250. A local shop (Round Rock, TX) does a great job and seems to be better than the dealer one in the 2020 F-150. Dealer install was a freebie, IIRC. Rhino is rough on the knees so no crawling around on the bed of the truck.

But it depends on how your truck will be used. If you use it just for camping, any of the liners mentioned will probably work fine. However, I sometimes carry pallets of landscaping materials (mulch, top-dressing, river rock, large stones) which are loaded with a forklift and slipped forward to near the cab. Rhino has held up to the wood pallet so far. Also lots of brush hauling.

The drop-ins in both a Tundra and a Chevy did not hold up well to rough treatment plus I had some rust under the liner, but that was quite a few years ago. Maybe they've improved.

[CRH]

Maybe all drop-ins aren't the same. The one in my 1994 is a Leonard brand. The truck has never been garaged and sits in the sun. The liner in it is tough as nails. I've hauled, concrete blocks, wood, scrap metal, gravels, you name it. The liner has no cracks and very few deep gouges.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by foobar

What are the pros and cons for the Ford Super Duty bed protection options?

I'm thinking that the spray-in bed liner is the way to go, but since I have never owned a pickup truck I thought I would tap into the Airstream owner experience base and see what everyone's opinions are.

Assuming that the spray-in liner is the most durable, should we order the Ford version? Or go with an after market spray-in liner. My initial limited research suggests that Ford has had some problems with their spray-in liner and that some after market installations are better executed and offer thicker liners.

If I want to also get a tonneau cover and 'over the bed' e-bike racks, will any of the liner options interfere with the cover and rack options?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Had both types of bed liners. Prefer the spray in liner. I keep a rubber bed mat in mine which helps keep clean...can just take out and spray off as needed. As for cover, I use the Tri-fold model. I don't carry my RAD folding ebikes in the bed. I keep one inside folded and one on the Fiama bike rack. Still looking at options. If I was wanting to carry them in the bed, I would likely get a camper shell that can support a canoe/kayaks and a pull out shelf system. I do take my ebikes in the bed folded, for short trips like into Teton park for the day, with the flip top open. You can get pretty complicated with all this stuff if you think about it!

[majorairhead]

Ford factory spray in liner here, never had a problem. I put a bedrug down so I can crawl around in there without too much knee pain.

[AgBullet]

Line-X spray on in our 2021 F250, with the OEM rubber mat. Tonneau is a BakFlip which we love, but this configuration won't help with ebikes.

[OrangeCrush]

We had bedrug on our 2015 F150 and it was easy on knees but worthless if you wanted to haul anything crudy. We had Rhino spray in liner on our 2017 F150 and after a few years it started pealing around some bolt heads. We now have a 2022 F250 and opted for the Ford factory spray in and after 1.5 years it is still perfect. We went with Retrax Pro Tonneau with integrated bike rack which allows for easy bed access even with the bike rack installed.