Best "Do it yourself" Truck Bed Liner

Help please...I have been shopping around for a truck bed liner for the inside of my free stone guide riverboat. I dont care if its spray on or roll on. I could cheat and just take it down to the local shop that does truck bed liner but then it really wouldnt be a boat I completely built myself...I want a gray color thats the only real requirement.

 

I would also like suggestions about a brand for the bottom. I was thinking raptor...I do think that each of these truck bed liner brands have different attributes than the others. Some are softer and some are harder. Some have sand mixed in, some have old ground up tires...and some have nothing...

 

Fire away suggestions...please. I did find the below on a Off Road Jeep forum..but its not specific to boats...It has good info but not specific to boats...

"" Herculiner is pretty durable. It's thicker base and high rubber content keeps it pliable (in moderate temperatures) after curing. Cold will cause it to shrink and depending on age it can get brittle. In the heat or with prolonged sun exposure, it tends to get a tacky feel to it and sometimes smells. I think it still comes in only 4 colors and anything other than black will cost more. Herculiner feels really gritty and abrasive, but gets better as it wears down. A guy has white Herculiner all over his chopped Bronco. It's been on there for about 4 years and is slightly faded, peeling in some areas, and has sand embedded from where he puts his surfboards. Not bad in my book. I'm wondering if anyone painted black Herculiner? Does that stop it from getting tacky?

Durabak/Cote-L is similar to Herculiner in application and texture, but the cost is about $100/gallon. On the plus side, it comes in 15 colors (more if you're daring enough to mix) and includes UV protection. It can be brushed on, but spraying is highly recommended. The end result is less gritty than Herculiner, its feel and durability is a lot like the "professional" stuff. I've seen it on a dropped Colorado, the guy doesn't haul much...a cooler or occasional keg, maybe his gear once and awhile. He applied it 2 years ago, and aside from it being a fugly yellow I don't see any fading and no major scratches.

Magnaliner...good stuff. Like the above 2, it can be brushed, rolled, or sprayed. It's another that offers several colors and UV resistance adding to its durability. This one goes on really thick, and supposedly bonds to the metal (plastic and wood too). Thicker means fewer coats are required, which is good news because the 1 gallon kit costs almost $200. The motor pool guys used a bunch of 1 pint samples to coat the back of a utility truck, then painted it OD green. They've hauled some really gnarly crap. So far, the paint is pretty beat up, but the liner appears fine.

Monsterliner is made by the same company as Magnaliner and claims to be the toughest of all the DIY bedliners. It's a two part 100% UV blocking mix that really is tough. This bonds like epoxy and can really take a beating. The SSgt that has this on this Tacoma usually tosses ammo cans and equipment cases into his bed...aside from the few dings and dents from the abuse, I haven't found any scratches in the lining. He picked up the 1 gallon mix for $120.

Rustoleum is great because it's cheap and easy to find. Walmart, K-Mart and most hardware stores have it in 15oz spray or 124oz cans. Note that while it can be brushed on, spraying is recommended. Rustoleum goes on thin and smooth, so if you want durability, plan on doing multiple coats for the best results. 2 or 3 coats may seem like a lot, but think of that as just a start. Coats should be applied 20-30 minutes apart, so plan on spending a lot of time on the application. If done right, you get a smoother more finished look. Something to consider, more coats = more product...the final cost would be about the same or usually more than Herculiner. The cured product has a feel and texture similar to vinyl vehicle cladding, textured yet smooth. I've used this twice on my own cladding after stripping the Krylon Fusion crap. Twice because I put a UV satin clear coat on it. The first time I didn't let it cure long enough. I don't garage my ZJ and after a year, it's holding its color. I've had to touch up a minor bumper scuff from a buddy who rubbed a concrete pillar. After a quick cleaning and respraying, it blended right in. I've also used it on my kids bikes, tool box, and lawn mower. Ok, so I bought too much.

Duplicolor...I've read a lot of opinions about the product, mostly negative. The majority of people calling it crap are trying to use it for something it wasn't designed for. But when it comes to its use as a bed liner, it's not that bad. It's very easy to apply and just like the others, durability depends on how many coats you put on. One negative about this product that is true about Duplicolor is its poor color retention. It seems to fade faster than the others when exposed to UV. A civilian carpenter contractor has it on his work truck, it looks chalky and beat up (scuffed). But it's still intact after a year of hauling lumber, cabinets, tools, etc. I've seen him put Armor All on it, which made it look like new, but was very slippery.

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Permalink Reply by Randy Dersham on June 18, 2011 at 3:44pm
I vote for Durabak but you have to get the Durabak18 which is their UV resistant.  Bummer at about $140.00 a gallon but I believe it's the best $140.00 you will spend. Comes smooth or with texture.
Permalink Reply by Kyle M. on June 20, 2011 at 3:24am
I second that.  I used Durabak on the inside of my driftboat. Easy stuff to work with. Just Paint it on. The texture stuff is definately non slip. Good Stuff!
Permalink Reply by Mike Collier on June 20, 2011 at 6:08am

I will third that........

I also used Durabak on the inside, although I screwed up when ordering and didn't get the UV, however, its good stuff and DEFINATELY non-slip.

I also used it on the under-coating for the bottom, but I used the smooth and put it on with a roller.

I found you can do the same with the rubber chip/non-slip and get a smoother texture, without compromising alot of the grip.

This stuff may feel a bit soft after it cures for a few days, but beleive me, it gets harder with time, at least the interior did - it's almost bullet proof after 4 months. We'll see how the bottom coating does after a few more weeks.

The bottom coat, is a tester for now since it hasn't been on the bottoms of boat long enough to realy tell how it holds up over time, so I just figured I would find out. After about 3 years or so I will be able to have some real data to show for longevity.

 

Mike 

Permalink Reply by Andrew on June 20, 2011 at 6:57am

I was planning on painting the floor of my boat with porch paint and I bought some no-slip additive that mixes in with the paint. Ho well will it hold up vs. bed liner.

 

It sounds like some type of bed liner is the way to go.

 

Andrew

Permalink Reply by Joseph Podesta on June 20, 2011 at 11:36am

After reading your responses I guess a call to Durabak is in order. I am going with the Durabak 18 with the UV protection...

 

What about the bottom of my boat? Durabak too but without the nonslip additives? Also they say nothing about coverage on thier site...or I just glanced over that section...A gallon seems like a ton of paint...but its pretty thick so maybe its right???????

Permalink Reply by Mike Collier on June 20, 2011 at 6:42pm

I forgot to mention that I used 1 gallon of Durabak on the bottom and seemed to be more than I needed, although better safe than sorry.

I figure I have a little more than 1/8"-3/32" and still had a little left over so I just finished off the gallon and used it all.

My Boat is a 16' Kingfisher, to give you some perspective.

 

I used a short nap 3/16 varnish roller just like they suggest in the instructions and it worked well.

If you are going to put it on the chine area, (up about 4" seems to be the norm and provides good coverage without looking gaudy) be sure and do a very light coverage for the first and second coats as it WILL RUN if you get it to thick.

Also, a shutz gun is not a bad way to go for the chine area and I don't think it will try and run as bad either that way. I started with a shutz gun on the bottom just to see what kind of texture it would do, and it was a pretty good texture, if you like texture, and I don't think you will want to texture the bottom anyway - anyway, my point is that I had never used a shutz gun before and I had a friend who runs automotive paint shop give me one, so what the hell eh..........

Just use a short nap roller and it will be pretty smooth and I think you'll like the results.......

others may dissagree but, if its good enough to coat the decks of aircraft carriers, then its good enough for the bottom of my drifter........thats the way I see it anyway.  

 

Mike

 

P.S. I have talked with Jake at Durbak in Colorado a few times and he does seem to be a little put out at times, but after you get to know him he's a pertty nice guy. He will help you decide what is the best proceedure to use for your application (of those he is familiar with anyway) and was a good help for me.

Your right of course, we need to let them know a little more about our type of boats and the applications we are using the product for, that way they wont be so quick to take a "NO LIABILITY" approach when we ask for ass-istance - lol - however, too much info and they may start raising prices if they think they are expanding the range of their product.

Permalink Reply by Joseph Podesta on June 20, 2011 at 12:18pm
I just got off the phone with them too and I have to say thier customer service is A##...He did tell me they have no technical information about using Durabak on the bottom of boats...Maybe we should all voluntee some info to them? He seemed eager to learn more about the whole drift boat forum world and the construction of our boats...i gave him the sites URL...
Permalink Reply by Randy Dersham on June 20, 2011 at 9:28pm

I wouldn't recommend the Durabak on the outside bottom of the boat.  I use the same method that Ray Heater and Cyrus Happy perfected years ago.  20oz tri axel fiberglass cloth and epoxy with graphite.  Installed properly this is a fantastic boat bottom.

 

You want the outside of the boat to be hard and slick.

 

Jason and Montana Boatbuilders used LineX.   I haven't tried it but it seems to work well for them.

Permalink Reply by Mike Collier on June 20, 2011 at 10:03pm

Randy, I would agree on both points, however, this is a good alternative when linex isn't available without traveling 3 hrs to find a dealer. The graphite is always a good solution but isn't it even more expensive than the Durabak ?

I don't know, I've never used that method, but I do know how much epoxy it takes to cover the bottom of my boat and it was alot, especialy after you do a good flow coat so as to cover the weave in the cloth so it creates a wear surface before it gets to the cloth underneath. The 20 oz tri. cloth I'm sure isn't cheap either.

Can you give us an estimate on what your cost was when you did yours ?

enquiring minds would like to know for future reference..........thanks Randy

 

Mike

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