Article Presented by:
Thomas “Maverick” Tucker
A vehicle is typically the second largest purchase that a person will make in his or her life, second only to a home. Because of the high cost of automobiles, it makes sense that you would want to do the best job that you can to protect your investment. There are many ways that you can protect your vehicle and if you have a pick up truck, you will most likely want to protect the bed of your truck with a bed liner.
If you have ever seen a truck that did not have a bed liner, then you know just how ugly a scratched and rusted truck bed can be. Not only is a truck without a bedliner unsightly after a few years, but it also lowers the resale value of the truck. If you use your truck for hauling items and you do not use truck bed liners, the bed of the truck will get scratched no matter how careful you try to be.
Do Your Friends Call YOU When They Need To Haul Something?
If you own a truck now, or have in the past, then you know that owning a truck is a magnet for your friends who need help hauling things or moving. That's right, just because you own a truck, all your friends that don't own one will be calling you up and asking to borrow your truck or asking you to help them "go pick something up." These are the times that your truck bed is most likely to get scratched up.
Unless you want to repaint your truck bed on a regular basis and shell out hundreds to thousands of dollars to get it painted, then it is best to utilize bed liners to protect your truck's bed. There are a few different types of bed liners that you can choose from.
Truck Bed Liners: Rubber Mats
You can choose what is basically a rubber mat to protect the bed of your truck. These are inexpensive and make for an easy installation. All you do is order the appropriate size liner and put it in your truck's bed. There are problems with these types of bedliners though. One is that they are apt to move around the bed since they usually do not fit exactly right. Another problem with these is that water can accumulate under the bed liner and that will lead to rust on your truck bed. Yep, they prevent scratches, but these bedliners offer very little protection in the battle against rust.
Truck Bed Liners: Hard Plastic
Another truck bed liner option is the hard plastic bed liners that not only cover the bed of the truck, but the sides of the truck bed, the tailgate, and the back of the cab. These require that you drill holes or use screws to install it. They are a better choice than the rubber mat type of bed liners, because they offer more protection and they are more durable. But, you still need to be concerned about water seeping in under the bed liner. This type of bed liner is also prone to getting cuts and to deteriorating if chemicals are spilled on them.
Truck Bed Liners: Spray-In Bed Liner
For many people the best choice for a truck bed liner is a spray-in bed liner. A spray-in bed liner offers all of the protection that a thick plastic bedliner offers, but without all the hassles. You will not have to drill holes or use screws in order to have this installed. Since it is a spray bed liner, there is no chance that water will be able to get underneath of it and cause rust. This is because it is actually adhered to the trucks bed, sides, tailgate, and the back of the cab much the same way that paint is. Spray in bed liners also resist tears from sharp objects better and are not as likely to be damaged by chemicals.
Spray-in bed liners are made to last for the life of your vehicle. You will not need to replace a spray bed liner in a few years, as you might have to do with a rubber mat or thick plastic truck bed liner. A spray-in bed liner helps you maintain the full resale value of your truck and can even increase the resale value since many buyers see it as favored truck accessories. In fact, bed liners are so common these days that it is seen as a necessary truck accessory for many pickup truck buyers.
The only thing that some people may not like about a spray-in bed liner is that it generally is not a do-it-yourself job. It is typically easier and more economical to pay someone to install your spray-in bed liner, unless you already have all of the needed equipment. Paying someone to install a spray-in truck bed liner is a small price to pay in order to protect your second largest investment and to keep it looking like new for years to come.
About the Author:
Thomas "Maverick" Tucker writes about automobiles and trucks for http://www.PenCircles.com . He also reviews truck accessories and other automotive products. Maverick has used several spray-in bed liners, but the Speed Liner bed liner with his most recent Chevy pickup truck has proven to be one of his better truck accessory decisions. You can visit the Speed Liner website at http://www.speedliner.com to find a dealer near you. Feel free to use this article on your website, so long as all links remain clickable.
