Dump trailer bed Line-x?

HK45 · Jun 6, 2015

Im looking at getting A PJ dump trailer. Is it worth it to have the inside line-x or something better or just leave it go? I figured when not using the trailer i can spray the inside down with fluid film help stop rust over winter time

Sysop · Jun 6, 2015

While there are specialized lower friction spray liners made for dump beds and the likes, you can buy many cases of Fluid Film for the same money and end up with longer lasting rust protection overall as long as you spray it regularly...

The only issue with FF on such an application is if your trailer is powder coated rather than painted. With powder coating, once chipped, the FF will penetrate between the steel and the powder coating allowing more to come off.

GManBart · Jun 6, 2015

I just bought a 16' Load Trail dump trailer (14K standard 24" sides) and talked to the local Line-X folks about spraying it. First off, the bed would have to be down to bare metal, which means sandblasting it. They wanted $80 per hour to do that. Second, they said the standard Line-X coating wouldn't withstand the normal wear and tear a dump body gets, so they recommended a commercial coating called XS-330, which runs $12 per square foot. That would be something like $2,400 (pre-tax) for my trailer. I wasn't willing to spend $2,600 to coat my $7K trailer.

They actually said the best coating is an industrial version called CU400, but that requires special equipment not all Line-X dealers have.

I really wanted to order mine so I could get it painted, rather than powder coated because many people have problems with powder coating on dump bodies after a few years. It gets nicked/chipped, water gets under it, and it progresses from there until you have to remove it or deal with rust issues. With paint it's easy enough to touch up, but not really possible with PC.

It would be nice if they would powder coat the frames and outside of dump bodies, and then paint just from the rails inward and all of the bed. I didn't want to wait 8 weeks, so I bit the bullet and went with a PC model...I'm hoping that storing it inside will help protect the PC.

Since we all love pics, and while it's still shiny and new:

Sysop · Jun 6, 2015

GManBart said:
I really wanted to order mine so I could get it painted, rather than powder coated because many people have problems with powder coating on dump bodies after a few years. It gets nicked/chipped, water gets under it, and it progresses from there until you have to remove it or deal with rust issues. With paint it's easy enough to touch up, but not really possible with PC.

It would be nice if they would powder coat the frames and outside of dump bodies, and then paint just from the rails inward and all of the bed. I didn't want to wait 8 weeks, so I bit the bullet and went with a PC model...I'm hoping that storing it inside will help protect the PC.

I agree whole heartedly. PC has it's place, but on surfaces that will see heavy wear isn't one of them. I'm sticking with the FF on mine until most of the PC is gone from the inside of the bed, then I plan on doing similar as you describe and removing the remaining PC up to the top edges of the bed and using some sort of heavy sealant on top of the bed rails (probably a coating like a spray on liner) and then use regular auto type paint on the inside.

GManBart · Jun 6, 2015

Sysop said:
I agree whole heartedly. PC has it's place, but on surfaces that will see heavy wear isn't one of them. I'm sticking with the FF on mine until most of the PC is gone from the inside of the bed, then I plan on doing similar as you describe and removing the remaining PC up to the top edges of the bed and using some sort of heavy sealant on top of the bed rails (probably a coating like a spray on liner) and then use regular auto type paint on the inside.

Yep, that's pretty much my plan as well. I have heard that some folks have had good luck with the smooth version of Herculiner/Durabak. It's pretty affordable, so I might give that a try when the time comes....even if I only do the rails and sides (figure the bottom of the bed gets the most wear).

s219 · Jun 6, 2015

I am definitely not a fan of powder coat on stuff that gets scratched and then exposed to water. Have it on a couple of my implements. The powder coat "sheets" off once the metal starts rusting underneath, and if left unchecked, will eventually lift a large area. What a pain. I usually use a flap wheel on an angle grinder to get the rust and loose powder coat off, with a little margin into the good material, and then spray paint the new bare spot. Ends up looking decent. Much prefer painted implements where a little scratch doesn't grow into a major patch (or if it does, it takes decades rather than weeks/months)

Sprinklerman · Jun 6, 2015

I have a dump body insert for my pick up , bought it used and it has the rhino liner . What a pain in the ***** , its ripped things get stuck at times , The extra 1/4 inch it takes up ,I cant put a piece of plywood in . But it was $ 600.00 and great shape so I live with it .

QRTRHRS · Jun 7, 2015

Anyone ever put a poly lining in a dumpbed? You can buy liners from places like TEK Supply. The liner would help negate the impact from dropping debris and such from a loader bucket.