The pickup truck is ubiquitous in the United States, and for good reason. We’re a nation of farmers, do-it-yourself projects, constant construction, and improvements that require a heavy-duty vehicle. From loading up the bed of your truck with construction tools to go to work, or bringing your child’s furniture to their first dorm room, or bringing loads of dirt and plants home for your yard, a truck has so many uses in the average person’s life. However, with all that wear and tear, the bed of a truck can quickly get worn down. Luckily, truck bedliners and different types of coatings can help keep the bed of your truck protected and ensure its long-term use. There are a few different types of truck bedliners as well, so you can choose the option that’s the best fit for your activities and vehicle.
How Popular Are Trucks Anyway?
In 2012, there were almost 2 million pickup trucks sold in the United States. In 2013, one out of every eight new vehicles sold was a full-sized pickup truck. Around 90% of the trucks that were sold were a Chrysler, Ford, or General Motors model. And in August of 2015, pickup truck sales jumped by 8% in the United States! California leads the country in terms of having the most number of pickup trucks — they account for almost a quarter of vehicles on the road in California.
The most popular pickup truck has been the Ford F-150 — its legacy as a bestselling vehicle dates back to 1982. The Ford F350, developed in 2011, is a one-ton pickup that has a payload between 3580 and 6520 pounds, depending on how it’s configured! The most standard type of truck bed is an eight-foot long bed; however there are also shorter 5.5 or 6.5 foot truck beds that are sold.
What Are Truck Bedliners?
Truck bedliners help protect the back of your truck from damage, in the forms of dents and scrapes from material moving around in the back. Heavy objects like furniture or appliances can really do a number on your truck bed and it’s important to protect it! The bedliner goes over the whole flat surface of the truck bed and up the three sides (in some cases, the tailgate is also protected). They’re installed on a permanent (or semi-permanent) basis, unlike a truck bed mat. They come in a few varieties, such as rubber and carpet. You can also use a spray on bedliner or roll-on polyurethane.
What Might Be the Best Option For My Truck?
Many people use spray on bedliners — you can get spray guns for truck bedliners to apply the liner. These come in two different kinds of material and can be applied through either a low pressure process or a high pressure process. The low pressure process isn’t heated, while the high pressure process is. Polyurethane is often a top choice, for its flexibility. It can be sprayed as a layer thin as 1/16 inch to as thick as four inches, but be aware that thinner coatings can be more likely to chip and crack. Thicker coatings can warp the size of the truck bed, so it’s important to measure your truck bed and figure out how thick the application should be.
Drop-in truck bed liners are easier to install than spray on bedliners. They’re molded specially for the fit of your truck bed and as the name suggests, simply drops in.
Why is Polyurethane So Great?
Polyurethane spray bedliner can add years to the life of your truck bed, by protecting the truck bed against scratches, rust, and chemical corrosion or contamination. It can also keep things more stable in the truck bed, with the polyurethane bedliner creating a rougher, anti-skid and anti-slip surface, which can help protect the items that you’re transporting.
Help give your truck a longer lifespan by taking the appropriate steps to protect your truck bed with bedliners, whether they’re spray on or drop in liners. It’ll keep your truck bed in better condition and may even keep the items you transport in your truck bed safer.
