Is the $600 spray on bed liner a scam?

Is the $600 spray on bed liner a scam? I'm seeing this on almost all window stickers for the model I'm looking at. Maybe I need to wait another 6-12 months or so until all this dealer BS stops?

 

Yes- I consider it a money grab like plenty of other port installed options. Widen your search area- options vary considerably by bother dealer and region.

 

It won't stop. It is how distributors make extra cash. Is it worth it, needed, or a scam is subjective. I like mine.

 

So you wouldn't have been able to use the bed of your truck without this $600 spray on coating?

 

Sure. It is a plastic tub and works just fine. Most opt for a bed mat to keep stuff from sliding and busting their ass when it is wet. Some even run a bed mat on top of the spray liner.

 

It's cheaper than an ER copay from busting my ass on that slick ass plastic tub when it's wet.

 

i think this is where i'm going to end up. the spray-on liner is tackier than nothing, but stuff still slides around too much.

 

Is it a scam? Depends where it's sprayed. I have never bought a truck with a spray in liner, I have also wanted to have those beds sprayed but never had. If I order a truck and it was an option I'd probably opt for the spray liner. Is it needed on a composite bed? Probably not but people seem to like it. For me I don't beat up the bed of my truck, no cover or cap I think the spray in liner would be good for my use.

 

It's done at port. Are you in GST or SET regional distributor's coverage area? If you want one without it, you'll have to shop outside the coverage area. Weigh the $600 option cost vs. buying a vehicle far out of state.

 

I no longer want a bed liner in a metal bed. A bed mat is better anyway and costs less.

 

I've had metal beds, fiberglass beds, plastic bed liners and spray in bed liners and even the rubber bed mat. My fave was always the rubber mat and one of those tailgate extender flippy floppy things. The plastic black milk jug liners are crap and spray in bed liners can bubble up in places over time. I do like the spray in liners but found the need to put the rubber mat on one because it was slicker than owl snot.

 

From a practical standpoint, the standard bed is still too slick, so either a bed mat or spray is needed. Previously, most of us automatically bought mats as soon as we got home from the dealer. As an alternative, the spray does provide plenty of grip w/o throwing a heavy mat out back.

From a financial standpoint, if it’s already included from the port but you’ve negotiated 5-6 grand off the sticker anyway, it’s much easier to rationalize. Otherwise, stay with the cheaper mat.

 

Spray on liners are problematic. It all depends upon the material and the application. On a steel bed in a rust prone area it's worth it if done right. On a composite bed it's a head scratcher. If too slippery a bed mat is the way to go. Speaking of scratches, before application the surface must be scuffed to ensure adhesion. So your new bed is being sanded down. That's OK if they spray good material and thick enough. There were three types of materials used back when I supervised a Ford body shop and got an education on spray on liners. The material that Rhino liner used is very soft and could tear if you dragged cinder block on it for example. Then there was a much harder material, poly urea. Then there was a company that used a combination of materials which is what Line-X uses if memory serves me. The problem lies in that some shops will spray too thin to save money. I once had a liner sprayed that was paper thin at the edges and not much thicker elsewhere. Of course it peeled. Another problem is that unless they spend the extra money applying UV protectant, the liner will rapidly turn a flat gray and look terrible. Yet another issue, did they spray over the bed bolts or are they accessible in case the bed needs to be adjusted or removed, or did they clog up drain holes. So, on a steel bed done right it's great. But my thought is there's too many profit making short cuts enticing shops to not do it right, especially when they don't have a customer in front of them ready to inspect it but rather just spraying stock units that go who knows where and sold to an unknown customer. In this context of pre-dealership application, I'd take a hard pass on it.

 

You guys are spraying the plastic tub in the bed ? I’d say just get the bedmat if you’re concerned. Original owner of a 13 and the plastic tub is still perfect, no mat.

 

We are not spraying them....they come that way from the distributor port. I think most that have them would be fine just with a bed mat but had to accept it since that is the way it was on the lot.

 

I wouldn't go that far, but I didn't want it. I've run toppers on all four of my Tacomas, and it's important to be able to slide stuff in and out with a long hook. I don't think that works with the bed liner. My third-gen's bed was in great condition when I traded it at 117,000 miles, and I haul all sorts of stuff.

When I talked to my dealer, I told him I didn't want the bed liner, and he found an allocation without one at a great price for me.

I hear stories about the composite bed being slick, but I don't walk in mine. Your mileage may be different.

 

With the spray in liner, I do believe you also get this extra support on the front vertical panel of the bed that says Tacoma and looks like it would be helpful in stopping the bed from bowing out when you strap a bike into the bed.

Which if hauling bikes is a thing you do, you might consider it?

Also, the texture of the spray in liner matches the texture of the TRD running boards and I like that.

These things may or may not be worth the $600 and I can tell you from experience that stuff in the sprayed in bed still slides around with out the rubber bed mat.

Its not an option I would've chosen to have on my truck, but it came with it, and having it now I can say that it at least looks good and seems useful enough.

 

This topic always brings out some very strong opinions. I like the look of a spray in liner personally and used Line-X products on most of my prior trucks to protect the steel beds they came with, but my $100 bed mat over the Toyota composite bed is working fine for everything I've used the bed to haul so far, and that includes broken concrete, wood, limbs, gravel, garbage... I have scratched the sides of the composite bed pretty badly, and especially the tailgate panel, but that's where I was thinking perhaps the spray in liner would be "tougher" and keep the bed looking newer for longer, but is it needed - doesn't seem to be as long as you buy a mat for the floor the bed. The concern I had with the spray ins on top of the composite was eventual peeling if it was not prepped and applied correctly. So for now, just using a bed mat and we'll see later if I decide to make the bed look better with a spray in (because I think that's all it would really be for now - looks).

 

You have to be careful in today's dumbed down World when anyone touches your vehicle. I just remembered how Ford put out a recall a couple years ago to check the gas tanks on the Maverick. The monkeys the factory hired to spray in liners drilled new drainage holes in the bed and ended up drilling through the top of the plastic gas tank without realizing it.
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/f...-456-units-w-spray-in-bedliner-affected.6883/

 

Everything SE Toyota and Gulf states Toyota does is a scam.

Just got back from Alabama where you see those weird XSP packages running around where dealers will charge you $7500-$10000 for TRD wheels and tires, predator steps, and swapping out the grille.