Rhino vs Line-x vs others

[RobertN]

My consideration is similar to TresCrows. My old truck had a drop in liner. Things slid like crazy on the plastic. Almost dumped the dirt bike while loading it a couple times. There were rub marks through the paint that hard started rusting. There was sand and grit under it. I had a camper for a while; drop in bed liners allow the camper to move too much and as such are not recomended. People have blown themselves up filling thier plastic gas cans that sat on drop in liners(one of my Fire Fighter buddies warned a guy, who did it anyways. Had to call a medic unit in for the guy).

I wonder, with a spray in liner, how a flat shovel runs across it while unloading dirt, mulch, ect.

 

[MDNick]

Bob,

Funny you should mention that about the Line-X being sprayed in the Pentagon. You are right. The company that did that job is a local company in Lexington Park, MD (roughly where Pax River navy base is). They started out just spraying trucks, but got into remote jobs. I had that same company spray the same product on a 5500 ft2 secondary containment area at the Navy base (not Pax) I work for. The material was specifically developed for adhesion, durability, and fragmentation control. It was sprayed on the interior face of the exterior walls on the repaired wedge of the Pentagon after 9/11. Line-X did some tests with the product on a block wall. They set off some explosive device on the opposite side of the wall. Most of the blocks disintegrated, leaving just the concrete face of the blocks and the Line-X. Fairly good bond it would seem. This product is NOT the same material as that sprayed in trucks. Not sure what the differences are though.

The product has worked exceedingly well for my application. It is hard, not at all rubbery. However, the sheet of the stuff he sprayed for me as a sample is quite flexible. It will take flex of the substrate just fine. I have a very water proof layer on my concrete. The only problem I have now is that the containment area is no longer self draining. I suppose that may be a good thing, though. And the comments about water/moisture during application ring true. It needed to be bone dry. Of course the concrete containment area leaked like a sieve so that wasn't difficult.

What does this all mean. Haven't a clue. Can't help anyone on what's a better product. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Nick

 

[fivestring]

"I've had my new truck 4 months now and still can't decide on the spray in or the plastic one. There has been some discussion on here about both, but the plastic one is a lot cheaper and protects the bed from scratches while leaving it in its original condition."

I went with a drop-in liner with a non-skid coating. Best of both worlds. No liner or coating, whether spray on or drop-in, will keep things from sliding around all the time.

No dents or scratches to the bed yet!

 

[TresCrows]

"Every other sentence on the two part Bondo mix is in large red letters warning you of one drop of water will destroy this liner system if in the next 72 hours. "

No, to the best of my knowledge the Line-X is a hot system and is virtually impervious to anyhting within a few minutes of cooling off. The Rhino takesa about a day to cure but is impervious to water from the beginning I was told.

I am sure over the last decade the drop in types have improved perhaps. Mine was a Pendaliner. I suppose they may now have non skid surfaces available but that does not prevent then from wearing away at the paint and causing rusting.

I suppose for hauling dirt and running a shovel along it, again, a drop in may be better. Really, I suppose some people do haul chunks of concrete dumped into their trucks or loads of dirt but not me. I haul plants, lumber, things I buy, motorcycles, airplane pieces, occasionally a dog or two BUT I do NOT dump chunks of concrete into 35,000 (this or that cuz that is what most any truck costs these days /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif) dollars trucks.

Oh, Dogs prefer Line-X to drop-in liners /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif in their trucks. J

 

[rrsquid]

I have Rhino in my '96 Dodge from just about when it was new. There were very few Line-X dealers at that time. Based on my experience using it for the last 8 years, I'll never have a truck without it. The last two years we have really put it through a beating and although it is not indestructible, it is holding up well. This inclueds hauling many 4K-5K lb loads of concrete to the dump.

I don't see how the DIY kits can be close to the same toughness (thickness.)

From what I can tell the Rhino brand has a larger texture on it and Line-X has a sand-like size texture.

My brother-in-law has it sprayed on the inside of a hunting Jeep and it works very well there.

--
Mark

 

[leaddog]

I put a diy coating on my truck 3yrs ago and I'm really happy with it. It is called Herculen and I got it at menards. They quite often have it with a rebate and then it is only 50 bucks. It is easy to put on as you roll it on with a roller and brush. The hardest part is scotchbriteing the paint as it has to go on a dull finish. It has ground up rubber and nothing will slide around in the bed. It has held up very well and I have hauled every thing from rocks, gravel, lumber, scrap iron and my weekly haul from auction sales and yard sales. Shortly after I put it in I went and picked up a ton off flat steel on a skid. They loaded it in with a forklift. they sat it in and then pushed it in the rest of the way. When I got home I expected to find the coating all pealed off but there wasn't even a scratch. I have scatched it with sharp pieces of steel and last year I gave it a top coat as I had some left over from doing a small bed but that was only for cosmedict porposes. great stuff and only 50 bucks. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[lamarbur]

The DIY kits are as good as spray in. That is what I mentioned above, by "Bondo" brand.. A guy that works the Dodge dealership told me , the same exact thing as Rhino Herculean and others. Same ingredients and all. Different approach to application. There were many. many warnings of getting water or wetness while the thing set up.. It's been 2 years, lot's of stuff hauled including a riding mower that I use to put in the bed, tons of other abrasive things, a million scatches, but not one thing "through" the rolled in lining. It is tough, tough. tough.. And beats removing a drop in only to find no paint and lot's of rust hidden under neath.

 

[BigDave]

I put what looks to be Line-X( thin, short cure, and colorable) in my 97 Ford back in 1998. I added a lid in 1999, but that didn't stop me from popping the lid off when it was time to haul dirt or my garden tractor. It has held up pretty well. It does stain. My wife broke a piece off with a shovel on one of the unpainted raised bolts that holds the bed to the frame.

 

[jyoutz]

Yeah, as trucks have gotten more and more expensive, I've adopted the same philosophy. I don't haul real messey or damaging things in my truck bed, just lumber and other bulky items. For fire wood, dirt, gravel, etc... my $2000 trailer works well for these items and because of the lower height, is actually much easier to load and unload. For years (and multiple trucks) I have been very happy with those $80 rubber bed mats. They protect the bottom of the bed and really keeps things from sliding around. They are also a snap to yank out so you can hose out the bed as needed. No they do not cause rust (maybe if you left them is place for years with one inch of wet dirt and debris underneath, this would be a problem). Works for me.

 

[TresCrows]

"Yeah, as trucks have gotten more and more expensive, I've adopted the same philosophy. I don't haul real messey or damaging things in my truck bed, just lumber and other bulky items. For fire wood, dirt, gravel, etc... my $2000 trailer works well for these items and because of the lower height, is actually much easier to load and unload. "

Me too, I have a 16 foot tandem trailer that I haul all the really heavy stuff with, trash, chunks of concrete and even on occasion dirt, mulch etc, Kubota tractors, airplane engines, whatnot.

I am not knocking the DIY stuff as I don't know that much about them but I doubt that what comes in a can and is water soluable is exactly the same stuff Line-X or Rhino is using with Line-X spraying it on hot regardless of what the Dodge man said, people say all kinds of things. My Line-X has 1/4 inch thickness in the bed and approximately 1/8 inch or so on the sides. It was impervious to water from the get go for whatever that is worth. Let me say again, the Line-X is not thin but it does look thinner than the Rhino and perhaps it is but like I said it runs about 1/4 inch thick on the bed. J