The bed of a pickup truck often takes a beating. Years and years of this abuse leads to a truck bed that has seen better days. This situation might tempt you to take matters into your hands and embark on a DIY project that could have serious consequences for your bed and you.
Yup. We’re talking about those spray bed liners-in-a-can that many DIY’ers use. They are usually cheaper than a professional installation. But are they worth it? Let’s take a look:
Health Concerns
Let’s start with the most important concern when it comes to DIY Liners: your health. You can be exposed to toxic fumes from the MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate) component of polyurethane, resulting in symptoms ranging in eye irritation to respiratory issues. Professionals typically have the right protective equipment to minimize this impact.
Discoloration
One of the problems you can run into is discoloration of your spray-on liner over time. Not all formulations of bed liner spray are equal. Each brand comes with varying degrees of thickness, application needs, and even UV protection. That expensive “DIY” spray you just bought can quickly lose its luster and fade.
Short-Term Solution
Many DIY bed liner sprays are made of polyurethane. This makes them flexible with a trade-off of being at risk of damage when compared to a polyurea or a hybrid blend. While these sprays are easy to apply, they lack the staying power of a professional application.
Improper Installation
Plenty of things could go wrong with a DIY installation that could further reduce the effectiveness of the spray-on application. Before application takes place, the liner needs to be prepped with a thorough cleaning to remove dust particles followed by a denaturation with alcohol to ensure the bed is dirt and oil free.
This is more than just sloppy installation work. Without the right prep, you’ll soon find that your liner won’t bond properly and will peel or bubble.
Another unfortunate side-effect of poor installation is rust. Rust on the metal bed can quickly become a severe problem if the primer isn’t properly applied (or isn’t carefully sandblasted away in the first place).
Spotty Customer Service
So you’ve applied the spray to your bed and it didn’t go quite as you’d hoped. You try to contact customer support for advice and possibly a refund, but you end up running into an unresponsive and unwilling service. Manufacturers are also unlikely to help because it’s a DIY project. Now what?!
Try This Solution Instead
There is a healthier, more wear-proof, and hassle-free solution that will protect your vehicle from the next rounds of hauling equipment, landscaping stones, and gravel. The Rhino HardLine liner is a professionally applied hybrid that is the right balance between lightness and flexibility and toughness and strength.
Rhino Lining is designed to prevent rust, protect the truck bed and cargo, and resist cracking and peeling while being both environmentally friendly and color stable. Are you in need of a new bed liner for your truck, car, boat, Jeep, and even floors? Experience the Rhino difference.
