Truck Bedliners are Easy for DIYers to Install
There is no shame in loving your truck and wanting to put your heart into taking care of it. A truck is not only a big purchase, but it also performs a variety of extremely useful tasks that deserve your attention. Installing a bedliner is just one more thing that you can do for your truck, which will keep it looking sharp, and improve its resale value. If you enjoy a project, then you should know that this is a fairly easy DIY project to tackle. Bedliners keep your truck from rust or damage while preventing cargo from sliding when you’re making left-hand turns in busy intersections. Like most projects you’ll take on, you just need to be ready to give it your all. We’ll give you a few tips for getting started.
Prepare for Success
Prepping is easy, but it’s going to require some effort. You’ll have to get the truck spotless before you do anything. You may want to get the old toothbrush out to ensure there’s nothing left in the bed that could wind up messing with the final outcome. Use a leaf blower for the big stuff, and make sure that all oil that may have spilled has been cleaned and completely removed from the bed. Peeling paint needs to be smoothed down and rust needs to be removed. You can use primer on any bare spots. The bed needs to be entirely empty, so skip the waxing and go double duty on the drying. You may want to wait a full day between cleaning and installing the truck bedliner so you’re sure no moisture remains in the truck. You’ll need to get in the shade somewhere outdoors because the odor will need somewhere to dissipate without being right up your nose. Lay out masking tape so you don’t accidentally go too far with the spray. Get some clothes and shoes you won’t mind ruining and grab some rubber gloves to do the work.
Two Is Better Than One
You want two coats on one day with about an hour in between each application. If you wait more than a couple hours, you may not have the proper bonding effect to achieve maximum strength. You’ll need to really work with the texture of the liner to ensure that it’s consistent throughout, but after some experimenting, you can hit the sweet spot so the strokes of your roller are the same every time. Be aware of the corners and the seams of your bed, and use a thinner if you apply too much in one area. The key here will be to keep trying until you get it right — the nature of any DIY project. If you’re familiar with the majority of home improvement tasks, this is exceptionally easy for DIYers. Once complete, wait about 4 hours before you remove any tape that you may have used to keep the sides. You must wait 24 hours for everything to dry, possibly longer if you’re working in chillier or more humid temperatures. If you have any leftover coating, you can actually use it to make additional touch-ups if needed.
The Scorpion Way
No matter how you go about taking care of your truck, Scorpion supports you! We make products to enhance what you already own and save you money over time. Whether you do everything for yourself or find yourself without the time to do DIY projects, we want to help you keep your truck safe from the elements. Our truck bedliners protect trucks and improve resale value once you’re ready to sell. We’re proud to give you the strongest, toughest materials that hold up regardless of how much furniture you load in or how many roads you want to visit on the weekend.