Masonry Magazine February 2003 Page. 23
OSS IT IN, SPRAY IT ON, MOLD IT TO FIT.
Bed liners come in a wide variety of types, colors, materials and qualities. In fact, the quality issue is often the critical one in choosing a bed liner.
Getting in Bed with Liners
IN THE EARLY DAYS OF PICKUP TRUCKS, when the bed got bad, the owner drove it to the lumberyard and got some new boards to fit. Those wooden beds were hardly durable but they sure were easy to repair.
Today's expensive trucks demand more care and a greater degree of protection to stave off the ravages of daily work life. If you want to save money in the long run, taking steps to protect that investment when the vehicle is new makes sense.
Bed liners fall into three general categories: those that are molded from heavy-duty materials and dropped in place, others that are "tossed on" the bed floor, and the sprayed on coatings that resemble modern versions of the old undercoating popular in northern climes.
The simplest protection for the truck bed is a throw on mat or carpet. Ron Wise, president of Wise Industries, Old Hickory, Tenn., recommends his company's BedRug bed liner by saying, "Our product protects the pickup bed and the cargo because it's tough yet gentle. BedRug is molded from closed-cell, cross-linked polyethylene foam with laminated marine grade indoor/outdoor mildew-resistant fiber that's stain resistant and won't fade. The material is impervious to water, organic material, chemicals, petroleum products and all acids"
No matter what messy materials you are hauling, the BedRug can be cleaned with a hose or pressure washer. The BedRug is molded to fit the bed area, including the sidewalls and tailgate. "Unlike hard plastic drop-in liners," Wise exclaims, "BedRug won't trap water between the liner and the bed. BedRug's foam backing won't scratch or damage the paint-scratches allow rust to start and the material won't absorb water. It also won't crack like hard liners can." BedRug uses a Velcro-type fastening system, requiring no drilling and, Wise notes, it won't void any manufacturer's warranty.
Molded hard bed liners are more common these days, finding their way onto many trucks right from the showroom floor. Once limited to a few popular makes and models of trucks, they can now be ordered or bought at a truck or aftermarket dealer-to fit just about any current and many older vehicles.
Typical of the many brands on the market is the Pendaliner from Penda Corp., Portage, Wisc. The Pendaliner is polyethylene to resist gasoline, oils and most chemicals, and is molded to fit snugly within the truck bed. The rib-design on the floor channels water away from the cargo to the drain area below the tailgate. The Pendaliner SR Skid Resistor bed liner is available in two designs: over-rail models that provide added protection of the truck bed rails, and under-rail models that allow for the addition of truck caps, tonneau covers or aftermarket rail protectors.
Pendaliner SR is a shiny bed liner, not the usual dull black. According to Jack Thompson, president and CEO of Penda, BedRugs provide protection to both the cargo and the truck bed.
"Unlike many drop-in bed liners with skid resistance applied to the surface of the finished product, the Pendaliner SR Skid Resistor has its patented skid resistant properties blended directly into the material. This creates a non-abrasive skid resistant surface that does not rub off in test or real world applications"
Thompson adds, "Our research shows that a vast majority of truck owners purchase a bed liner primarily to protect the truck bed. Skid resistance plays a critical role in overall protection by limiting the movement of cargo and preventing the damage that can occur as a result of this movement. Our engineering team has focused a great deal of energy on this need, and the Pendaliner SR Skid Resistor is the result of this significant R&D investment. No other manufacturer has developed a
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