DIY Bedrug

Has anyone made their own bedrug? If so please explain how, where you sourced the material, how much, installation tips, andpics..!

Thx!

 

Easiest thing is to purchase a pre-made bedrug for around 450 dollars. There are cheaper alternatives of course.

I plan (since I scuba dive) to install home depot outdoor carpet sooner or later. Here is how I would go about doing it.

#1 heavy duty velcro or poke a few holes in the bed and install screw-in anchor thingies with removable decorative knobs. I personally prefer velcro.

#2 a large sheet of clear plastic. Enough to cover all of the bed. On some of my previous projects I have used airbed pump to remove all or most air from under plastic. A vacuum cleaner could be used too. I use a heat torch or butane lighter to seal off the plastic maintaining vacuum under the sheet.

#3 I plan to use cheap outdoor carpet they sell for 52 cents/sqft. I will also use a strong spray on adhesive.

#4 (hard option) Spread carpet over bed of truck with a lot of surplus on all sides. Push it down and leave a few inches surplus from top of bed. Get inside, grab the glue and tack on 4-5 inches of carpet on one side around the bed from bed rail down. Keep spraying and using a roller or a squeegee to roll out rest of carpet. Once finished to top of wheel well use a knife or razor blade to cut out wheel shape. Use that shape and a fresh piece of carpet and give yourself 5-10 inches buffer on all sides. Cut out that new piece and tack it to wheel well. On top of it tack on remainder of carpet with (holes for wheel wells). Using back of a knife or a butter knife push into all corners. Now tack on back of the bed and the floor and then other side. As you are tacking this you are gluing to plastic and not the bed. That way if you ever need to remove carpet your truck bed does not look like someone spilled glue all over it. Apply velcro or anchored bolts and you are done.

#4 (easier option). Using carpet, plastic, glue etc (same as above). This option uses panels so application is 90% easier. Start with the floor. Leave 1-3 inches on all sides to go up the walls. Proceed with sides and cut out wheel wells. (same as above). Replace larger piece for wheels and tuck it under wall carpet. Glue that over the wheel well. Finish up with tailgate.

This is one of those projects that is not easy to do without prior practice so it may be a good idea to grab a cardboard box and practice your skill by trying to glue carpet to it. That way you will know how to solve problems when you are working on the truck.

A good reference is DIY subwoofer or speaker boxes when they wrap them with carpet. It works essentially the same way on truck beds. Here is one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHKOtUPKwME

 

I was thinking more along the lines of using plan paper and tape to make a template of the bed bottom.

Then cut out a sheet of wood in one piece this way it hugs the wheel wells and doesn't move.

Then carpet it with spray adhesive.

Then it can be removed when needed cleaned ect....

What about that idea?

 

I'm thinking something similar, but I might use those rubbery interlocking gym/garage/kiddie floor panels, trimmed and perhaps cover with a carpet or rubber. We used a fishpond liner in our goldfish pond last year and it seems like a solid, stretchy rubber. Got it at LeeValley.

 

That's more of a bed mat than a "bedrug" IMO.

When you say "bedrug", most people will think about the carpet going all the way up to the bed rails. Similar to a 1-piece molded plastic bed liner, but made out of carpet instead of plastic.

What you are describing will work though. Guess it just depends on what you need it for.

 

If you want just the bottom though the company BedRug makes one that's just the floor. It's cheaper at around $179 IIRC. Certainly you can still glue cheap-o carpet to plywood cheaper than that but the Bedrug stuff actually looks pretty good. I've been looking at one and they appear to be all molded to the ribs and contours of the bed.

 

If you need to cover just the floor panel then your options are virtually limitless. Everything from spray on bed liner to roll on bed liner to liquid latex that peels off to a simple sheet of rubber that you can cut out to even carpet itself.

If you are using plywood I would use a combination of spray on adhesive and a staple gun but either will work just fine.

 

134-149 shipped...been looking . If you spend 400 on the complete thing you can plan to sell it down the road for 150-250 on here or craigslist. So you can assume to get your moneys worth out of it. I've been watching CL for one...I'd drop 200 for a clean used kit.

I'm using 3" egg shell foam over the whole bed and a good blanket over it...mainly for my dogs and to keep stuff from sliding. When I have 150 burning a hole in my pocket, I'll order the bed rug floor option if a used one doesn't pop up.