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Last Updated: Mar 26th, 2006 - 13:41:45 |
Look At The Facts Before Choosing A Truck Bedliner
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Nov 25, 2005, 13:38
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(NAPSI)-So you've purchased a new or used light truck. If you're like most truck owners, the next important enhancement to your driving arsenal will be the installation of a bedliner. Because trucks work hard, the more protection you provide, the greater the payback you're likely to receive in terms of durability and resale value.
But make no mistake, one bedliner-like one truck model-isn't as good as the next. In fact, there's an ever-widening gap between the bedliner technologies, and protection, now available through truck accessories dealers, franchise installers and other businesses.
How can you be certain the truck bedliner you choose will provide the long-term protection, performance, durability, appearance and value you need? It's simple-by sticking to the facts. And here they are:
Will the bedliner itself damage your truck? It depends on which type of liner you choose: a new-generation molded "drop-in" liner, or a liquid "spray-on" coating, which, in effect, replaces your truck's factory finish.
To properly install a spray-on liner, the franchise or other dealer first must grind off the original finish. What the installer might not tell you is that this process may reduce or eliminate the vehicle manufacturer's sheet metal corrosion protection and could void your paint warranty. General Motors, for example, considers the application of a spray-on bedliner "excessive damage."
Some users of older-style drop-in bedliners discovered that the liners could vibrate within the truck bed, causing scratches and other problems. Today's leading drop-ins, however, are manufactured in vehicle-specific molds to ensure a tight fit. In addition, one new drop-in model-the Pendaliner® Skid Resistorª from Penda Corporation-features an advanced, non-abrasive surface that offers twice the skid resistance of other liners.
Which liner will provide better protection? Tests indicate that a new-generation bedliner, such as the Pendaliner Skid Resistor, will provide 10 times the abrasion resistance and twice the dent resistance of leading spray-on products. And keep in mind that when you penetrate or dent a spray-on liner, you're actually scraping or denting the truck itself.
Which liner will look better? This question has become increasingly important for many truck owners. Some owners choose spray-on liners because of their "custom" look. Unfortunately, studies indicate that spray-on liners can show noticeable signs of fading after just 2,000 hours of exposure to ultra-violet rays. To enhance the UV-resistance of their products, some spray-on installers offer an optional coating that must be applied, at an additional cost, each year. The other chief drawback of this coating is that it reduces the effectiveness of the liner's skid-resistant texture.
The appearance of drop-in bedliners has improved dramatically in recent years, offering an appealing "custom" look through precision molding techniques and, in the case of the Pendaliner Skid Resistor, a patented high-gloss finish.
Which bedliner technology is a better value? Value is critical, in terms of both your investment in the truck and in the bedliner itself. Spray-on bedliners typically are much more expensive than even the best new drop-in liners due to the labor involved in removing and recoating the truck bed surface. This fact, coupled with the protection and durability issues covered earlier, make a drop-in liner the better investment.
In terms of the truck's resale value, remember that the spray-on liner can't be removed without completely refinishing the truck bed. Your truck's appeal to potential buyers, therefore, might be limited by the permanent nature of the used spray-on lining.
Bedliner manufacturers urge consumers to visit www.bedliner facts.com for more information on how to select the best bedliner for any light truck.
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