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in 10 to 15 years after the frame rusts in two
Bed liner or no with soft tonneau?
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I will say, I do like my bed mat, and even of I got a spray liner, I would still want to use the bed mat since it is softer on the knees.
I have been running a soft rollup tonneau cover on my last 2 trucks for almost 8 years now. I haven't found a case where it has been an issue: I do toss a moving blanket over the rails that are installed with it to prevent damage to furniture when I move it, but I would do that to protect the furniture even if I did not have the cover installed.
We each use our trucks in a particular way, and different solutions are out there for different needs. I watch my 2 son-in-laws deal with their trifold systems, and I definitely feel my soft roll up is the best option for me.
I have been running a soft rollup tonneau cover on my last 2 trucks for almost 8 years now. I haven't found a case where it has been an issue: I do toss a moving blanket over the rails that are installed with it to prevent damage to furniture when I move it, but I would do that to protect the furniture even if I did not have the cover installed.
We each use our trucks in a particular way, and different solutions are out there for different needs. I watch my 2 son-in-laws deal with their trifold systems, and I definitely feel my soft roll up is the best option for me.
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I have the factory spray in liner. Along with a soft tonneau cover. Had the cover installed at point of sale back in 2018. I would not do without a tonneau cover. Keeps snow etc, out of the bed. I also do not put a lot in the bed or hardly use it. I have the tailgate extender that also serves as a partition to haul small things. Groceries etc. My bed (4 years old) looks like new!
The rust part - I'll say my Gen1..
No bed liner. No cover. No mat. Bare painted metal. Never washed the exterior or rinsed underside etc etc. From 16 years of parking under trees and moving dirty stuff it developed a sorta wet mud in places.
Bed was dented, gouged, scratched. It even saw salt in the bed from transporting marine stuff, which I do all summer.
Truck was an '06 and when I got rid of it this fall, although the frame was pretty crusty, body had a section of rocker rusted through. The bed only showed surface rust on scratches & dents.
Really spray in bed liners, and I really still recommend it, are for cosmetics. The beds don't rot out on these trucks. Liners just keep them looking new longer.
No bed liner. No cover. No mat. Bare painted metal. Never washed the exterior or rinsed underside etc etc. From 16 years of parking under trees and moving dirty stuff it developed a sorta wet mud in places.
Bed was dented, gouged, scratched. It even saw salt in the bed from transporting marine stuff, which I do all summer.
Truck was an '06 and when I got rid of it this fall, although the frame was pretty crusty, body had a section of rocker rusted through. The bed only showed surface rust on scratches & dents.
Really spray in bed liners, and I really still recommend it, are for cosmetics. The beds don't rot out on these trucks. Liners just keep them looking new longer.
Whered you get that rubber seal? or what size atleast?
2017 Chevy Colorado Z71 Extended Cab 4WD Summit White
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ACI TrailSeal Tailgate Gasket | Seals Any Truck Tailgate
They have a bunch of good products... Plus other thins to help seal the covers
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347 Posts
I almost went with a bedrug in my Taco. Kind of regret not doing it. But I chose the bedliner in this one. Wasn't an option for the Tacoma and that really surprised me. It's like they had never heard of it and when you asked you got all kinds of "the bed needs to breathe" comments... lol wut? But spray in is definitely worth it. I've had a drop in for an older truck and they get trashed after so long. Too many spots that create spaces and that leaves areas open for punctures.
But I plan on waiting for a hard roll up tonneau cover from a 3rd party. The kind that roll inwards and retract easily. Any thoughts on those? I don't think they have the structural integrity of a hard cover or a soft top with bars, but it should be perfect for me. But I'm pretty stoked to finally have a spray in liner.
At least this time I was given the option to not pay for overpriced bed rails. Can always add them later for MUCH cheaper. Anyways, here is the current setup in the Taco:
![Vehicle Motor vehicle Plant Tree Automotive tire]()
I got the bed boxes second hand for about the same price as a single one, and they are meh... I won't be putting them in the ZR2. Since I have a spray in liner this time I won't be putting any mats down either.
But I plan on waiting for a hard roll up tonneau cover from a 3rd party. The kind that roll inwards and retract easily. Any thoughts on those? I don't think they have the structural integrity of a hard cover or a soft top with bars, but it should be perfect for me. But I'm pretty stoked to finally have a spray in liner.
At least this time I was given the option to not pay for overpriced bed rails. Can always add them later for MUCH cheaper. Anyways, here is the current setup in the Taco:
I got the bed boxes second hand for about the same price as a single one, and they are meh... I won't be putting them in the ZR2. Since I have a spray in liner this time I won't be putting any mats down either.
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What on Earth did I just read?
Bed rugs are just a pain in the ass and get dirty and ugly. At least a tonneau cover can keep things out of sight, keep snow from piling in your box in the winter, typically they compliment the appearance of the truck. I have never heard of people actively getting rid of tonneau covers or actively wanting them removed. I've had chemical spills in my box that I did not want to happen on a bed rug. My rubber bed mat and tonneau cover keep things covered and prevent everything sliding around just fine.
@jclark2 ; my 2 cents in the matter are to just get a tonneau cover if you rarely use your box. Unless there are holes through the sheet metal nobody really cares about a slightly uses box, and a tonneau cover will keep the interior dry enough you don't have to worry if there are any scratches in the paint.
Not sure why you are bringing up a bed rug, I never recccomended that - I said get the spray in liner. I put a rubber mat over my spray in.
You don't need to shovel the bed of the truck you know
- seriously that's a misconception people have with their first puckup but isn't at all needed. It will be gone come spring. Actually helps keep my propane tanks and fuel jugs put.And yes absolutely, most pickup owners would remove a cover, myself included.
That's why the dealership does it - they look cleaner without (same for lots of similar accessories).
My truck moves full contractor bags 2x a week, propane tanks & fuel jugs weekly. Usually in a rush, in the dark. Every time would be opening up a cover or rolling it back or folding it up again. In the summer it's coolers of ice, bait, and fish - I gotta stand there to move those 200+ lb objects. No thanks - what the heck would want a cover for? Its useless for me, just stuff in the way to fight with. The back of my truck is for dirty stuff, not linens or groceries.
Thats why I use a hard quad folding tonneau cover to secure my items and keep it almost completely dry, a Bed Rug for impact protection, and a raised edge bed liner to contain the dirt and liquids so I can use a leaf blower to get the trash out of my bed. But whatever works for your use is best 😎✌
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In context of the ongoing conversation about bed rugs it was relevant.Not sure why you are bringing up a bed rug, I never recccomended that - I said get the spray in liner. I put a rubber mat over my spray in.
You don't need to shovel the bed of the truck you know
And yes absolutely, most pickup owners would remove a cover, myself included.
That's why the dealership does it - they look cleaner without (same for lots of similar accessories).
My truck moves full contractor bags 2x a week, propane tanks & fuel jugs weekly. Usually in a rush, in the dark. Every time would be opening up a cover or rolling it back or folding it up again. In the summer it's coolers of ice, bait, and fish - I gotta stand there to move those 200+ lb objects. No thanks - what the heck would want a cover for? Its useless for me, just stuff in the way to fight with. The back of my truck is for dirty stuff, not linens or groceries.
I totally get reasons for or against tonneau covers. I work at a dealership and 90% of the trucks we sell new the customer gets a tonneau installed, company vehicles and people who are buying the truck to work it typically don't. On the pre owned side I have sold one truck where the guy asked to remove it as he wanted a tri fold and there was a roll up on the truck.
I live in a very snowy climate 6 months of the year and still use my box to haul things from time to time, sure I could shovel out my box, but never having snow in it to begin with is a huge bonus. Currently I have a bike carrier and an inflatable kayak along with some recovery gear in the box. For Christmas travels I pulled the kayak and bike carrier out and loaded it with presents and our suitcases, not everyone uses a truck like you do and there's nothing wrong with that.
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Yea that was kinda the point. I wanted a spray in liner but they all come with the only option they offer, the plastic drop in. Tacoma beds are pretty trashy tbh... All the spray from the rear wheels hits the back of the tail lights because there is also no option for liners and the bed has holes in it to "breathe".
Agreed.
I live in Montana. A bedliner and cover are VERY helpful especially if you don't have cover where you park. I also use my truck bed in the winter. Spray in liners are NOT just for looks wtf... Also, the back of my truck is for everything, including groceries, firewood, trash to take to the dump, my 4 wheel toys, etc etc... I travel 90 miles to shop for certain goods.
Some people should keep their opinions to themselves about "what a truck is used for". Apparently some people just have a truck bed for the looks of it. As they'd say on the Tacoma forums - "Should have gotten a Ridgeline". It's the perfect truck for a lot of people. But some people seem hellbent on destroying their investments and the resale of them. Liners are not cosmetic and you can remove tonneau covers if you need to - or they make ones that roll up quickly, it takes about 15 seconds, same with removing the boxes full of recovery gear I currently have, but I never really need to unless it's a big load and I can plan ahead of that...💩
Op, get what you want, something is better than nothing.
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I agree, My truck is way more practical here than my Cobalt ever was. The height and capabilities are a must when we regularly see 2+ft of snow in the winters, as well being able to haul a couple bikes and a kayak and my dog and my girlfriend... trucks are typical daily drivers in my neck of the woods, especially if you plan on taking anything anywhere.
How do you find the spray in liner keeps stuff from sliding around? My mat does a great job, but the sides are getting pretty beat up, I can get a spray in liner for $500 but I'm not sure if I would need the mat after the fact or if I should just keep it cause why not.
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My family has a spray in liner and it's true that not all are created equal. Theirs is the very nice kind with tons of grip. I'm hoping the one in my ZR2 will be the same. For my Tacoma, the mat is the only reasonable option other than a bed rug, but like you said it would get destroyed for my use. Still a great option for most people though. I almost went with a hard cover shell cover, I can't think of what they are called, but the kind that has a door and lighting inside and a bed rug inside that so the bed is basically sealed off all times and looks like an SUV lol. Would have been a PITA for my use though. I'd say the spray in liner is worth the cost if it's a reputable brand like Line-X. But like you, I have a mat in my Tacoma and a drop in liner, and it does the job well enough. For the price I paid for the truck though, spray in liners should have been an option.
For the ZR2 I'd like to get one of these:
But I may just go the tool box route since I finally have cover to park under.
Maybe relevant on the bed rug but you quoted me, who's not quite sure what a bed rug is and certainly didn't recommend one (the name alone concerns me
). I live in NH, not the snowiest place, hardly void of it either. Yes comes down to how the truck is used but even when we've gotten a 30 inch storm followed by another in a week, it never has occurred to me I need to clear snow from the bed. I have seen people who feel like they need to do this, where I know nothing goes back there, and yes I get a laugh out of it because I feel like they don't understand what they are driving
Like you said - what I put in there doesn't mind the snow. For whatever reason doesn't seem to last long back there to begin with, melts quicker due to exhaust heat or blows out on the highway.
At least here I'll say yeah most commonly you see them on small trucks, much more rare the larger the truck, or the more used, but they are by far not on most. I guess it's different elsewhere.
2017 Chevy Colorado Z71 Extended Cab 4WD Summit White
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What is a BedRug?
The BedRug Mat is the most innovative bed mat in the market today. Despite the plush appearance, the BedRug Mat is 100% polypropylene (essentially plastic) not carpet. This makes it rugged enough to stand up to any punishment you put it through yet gentle enough to protect your most precious cargo.
Here is a nice Detailed page to help educate you on what a BedRug is:
https://bedrug.com/why-choose-bedrug
As far as bed liners and non skid. I've got a Rhino, that's who was local & good at returning calls and the shop who did the work was extremely professional - sort of thing where you are happy paying them.
It's a non skid pattern how you might have one in a boat, definitely grippy.
It's great for say a tire, or maybe a worn plastic fuel jug where the base is rough and there's the right weight to it, but I would not drive around with an unsecured cinder block - that would get going and smash around. A rubber mat though, much better at holding the cinder block, plus takes the impact of dropping stuff that no liner ever could.
It's a non skid pattern how you might have one in a boat, definitely grippy.
It's great for say a tire, or maybe a worn plastic fuel jug where the base is rough and there's the right weight to it, but I would not drive around with an unsecured cinder block - that would get going and smash around. A rubber mat though, much better at holding the cinder block, plus takes the impact of dropping stuff that no liner ever could.
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