It's becoming more common to see the entire pickup completely covered in the resilient material, which provides the truck's body a coarse, matte-like surface. What's the deal, and why are people covering their trucks in bedliner?
We originally noticed this trend completely force last fall at the Specialty Equipment and Manufacturer's Association (SEMA) Show, a program that shines a spotlight on the aftermarket automotive scene. In the beginning, an all-black bedliner was being used to cover entire trucks; however, then we started to see trucks turn up that had intriguing colors and designs.
Among those trucks we saw, in the beginning, was the ArmorThane specialized tornado car, which was entirely covered in bedliner.
The customized tornado car had an appealing design, but it left us with many questions. It's easy to understand why truck owners spray the bed in this durable and rugged material to secure it from wear and tear, but besides liking the sandpaper-like matte finish, what other benefits does it have when a whole truck is covered in it? Is it irreversible?
" Much like a truck owner would want to protect the bed of their truck from scratches and nicks, the primary reason individuals do this to their lorries is for protection for the trail," said Josh Burns, Editor-in-Chief at Off-- Road.com. "The coating can secure the body from dirt, rocks, and other particles off of the highway."
Burns describes the modification to take the ruggedness of aftermarket parts and extend it to more trucks.
Protecting the Entire Truck
" Lots of aftermarket off-road parts such as bumpers, rock sliders and suspension parts like upper or lower control arms will get powder-coated to secure it from debris and to assist with long-lasting durability for the parts," he said because these are the areas that are most vulnerable to harm when off-roading. This thinking can likewise reach other susceptible parts of the truck.
But coating half or part of a truck in one product and leaving the rest as is might look a bit crazy, so folks have taken to covering the entire pickup in this bedliner product. "In some cases, you'll see vehicles get a total coat of bedliner-type material on the rig for protection. Some truck owners coat the lower portion of their rigs and the lower panels on doors considering that this is the area most prone to damage," he said. "The coating is protecting the paint while likewise covering it."
Style Enhancement?
Burns mentioned that the adjustments originally appeared to be for the show because of individuals just like the look. "We've seen this done on high-end SEMA develops more than anywhere else, but it's not something you see a great deal on the trail" because those true rough-and-tumble types will more likely look for a various kind of adjustment." The areas more prone to major damage will depend on sturdy protection, such as skid plates and rocker panel rock sliders."
Alternatively, some truck owners might much like the appearance of the rugged bedliner coating. "It's a choice for included protection. However, it can double as a two-tone color pattern for looks as well," Burns said.
Pricing tends to be the major issue when it comes to getting the entire truck coated. Some quotes vary from $3,000 to $5,000 for coating the whole truck, which compares to about $500 for just the bed.
So Why Are People Covering Their Trucks in Bedliner?
It might be insane looking and a bit severe, but this adjustment has some practical uses. Owners of trucks who don't care about having a shiny vehicle may be interested in covering their entire car in bedliner for visual appeals and additional protection. Still, if they desire a rugged off-road truck, tougher elements like skid plates and rocker panels are a better choice.
Bedliner paint job
