With aluminum beds, do we need liners anymore?

[Bogeypro]

I thought liners were to keep the bed from scratching and rusting. Aluminum won't rust. I got linex, but is it really needed?

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[05RubiconLJ]

According to Chevrolet you do.

No matter what the bed is made out of, I think it just makes sense to protect it with some sort of liner. It increases the durability of the bed, even if you only use it lightly. Also, it is just more aesthetically pleasing to look at vs. a bed that is all scratched to hell (especially when you go to sell it).

 

[Dan M.]

It keeps the bed from getting scratched up and probably helps a little with resale value. Keeping a bed rug or rubber mat on just the bottom of the bed also helps with stuff sliding around.

 

[Bryan Simon]

A spray in liner is helpful for quieting things down.
will dampen noise.
helps to keep the bed ding free from small stuff bouncing around.

my personal opinion is the plastic drop in liner helps to keep bigger loose items from bed damage, but these are pretty slippery and things will slide around.

I opted for the drop in as I am not too concerned about corrosion where I live.
Also moisture that does manage to get into the box under the liner will drain out.

I had a liner in my Ranger that I had to remove for bed removal.
(fuel pump death and full tank of gas—was not gonna deal with that from the bottom)
After 15+ years, paint had only worn off in a couple of spots, no rust or corrosion, but there were a crapload of acorns and pecans in all places stuff would fit. I still don’t know why those squirrels would hide their loot in a place they couldn’t retrieve them. The openings for the tie downs had no caps.

The drop ins are relatively easy to remove if needed and they are easy to clean. After a couple of years, I don’t believe the spray in will be as easy to keep clean.

On the other side of the coin, if I were to keep my truck garaged and it’s intended use would be generally city dweller grocery shopping and Home Depot trips with an occasional dragging the boat to the lake, I would probably opt for the spray in.

I keep my cars for a very long time. The 05 Ranger is the very first vehicle I have ever sold to someone with the expectation of an additional 10 years of service. Aside from the 59 ElCamino I sold to pay for the new truck, every other vehicle I sold was about ready for the crusher—They looked good, but they were DONE.

 

[Stubblejumper]

I am having the bed sprayed, it deadens sound, but more importantly, it keeps the bed from being scratched, reduces denting, and it isn't as slippery as painted metal. I would never have a drop in, they are very slippery, and trap moisture.

 

[aika1]

I've had both drop-ins and spray-ins, in the same truck (not a Ford). The spray-in is superior, in my eyes. It strengthens the Bed, prevents rust (our aluminum beds won't rust anyways, but hey.), reduces noise, and technically doesn't add that much weight to the bed. Based on my old drop-in liner, I'd say the drop-ins are actually HEAVIER than the spray-ins. On top of that, the spray-ins don't allow things to slide as easily as the drop-ins. Good luck either way, but I'll go spray-in for any truck I have.
We ended up using my old drop-in as a vertically placed Catch-all for a tow behind wood chipper so it wouldn't bust the rear glass of the truck we were loading with chips. when the bed was loaded, we'd tip it over the top and use it to prevent fly-aways going down the road.

 

[Bryan Simon]

We ended up using my old drop-in as a vertically placed Catch-all for a tow behind wood chipper so it wouldn't bust the rear glass of the truck we were loading with chips. when the bed was loaded, we'd tip it over the top and use it to prevent fly-aways going down the road.

repurposing at its finest

 

[ChrisM]

I thought liners were to keep the bed from scratching and rusting. Aluminum won't rust. I got linex, but is it really needed?

My 2011 F-150 had aluminum bed also. It doesn’t rust but will definitely scratch. Mine got dented before Linex, so I plan to get Linex on 2021 to help protect against dents also.

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