Line-X or just a bed mat?

[SD Rebel]

My truck is still waiting for a bed liner, I can't decide between the options. I'm leaning towards the plastic drop-in liner ($175), mainly for cost but good for protection from dents. In my case (Tucson, AZ), I don't have to work about rust due to scratches underneath.
I was also contemplating DIY Hercules roll-on liner, with a rubber mat. ($180) However, this would require a tonneau cover ($175) (which I want/need anyways) to protect it from the sun.

Does anybody have any experience with the above? Lessons Learned?

Yea, plastic drop in liners suck. Unless you are moving a lot of cinder blocks around, I would avoid at all costs. They will scratch into the paint over time, and water will get in the back and cause it to rust. Even in the desert, I live in Socal, we hardly get rain and I've seen it happen all the time. Another issue is they make the bed smaller and anything you put in it slides around.

I loved heavy duty rubber mats, they keep stuff from moving around, allow water to vacate, look good and only cost about $85. Their only weakness is they won't protect the sides or wheel wells, just the floor.

I have the spray-in liner because it came with my truck, but I also bought a mat as well. Great combo. But if I could only have one, I would just have the mat.

 

[doctorxring]

My “bed liner” for my last 3 pickups has been a sized piece of 3/4 “ outdoor rated plywood treated with 3 coats of water seal. Drains well. Easy to take in and out for cleaning. Protects bed very well. Good traction on items placed in bed. Will last at least 8 years (longest I had one of my pickups). Will be “installing” this in my 2020 I have on order.

 

[RJS]

My 14 sport came with a sprayed in liner. I found it needed something to keep from killing my knees so I bought an Access Bedmat and the combination worked great. When I found the 19 Laramie Sport I wanted it came with a Ram drop in plastic liner. I wasn't sure about the drop in but I had one in my 2000 Silverado and while it scratched the bed, the bed was about the only thing that didn't rust out on the darn thing.

I decided to keep the drop in liner as it's about 3/16" think and tough as nails so whatever ends up in the bed it will be protected. To eliminate the scratching in the bed I bought a couple rolls of 3M protective film and cut it into strips to protect the raised sections of the floor and put the rest any where the liner would touch. I cut down the bedmat from the 6'4" bed I had to fit the 5' 7" one in the 19.

Here's the finished product


Here's the bed with the film in place


Which ever option you chose, if you will be inside the bed, get a mat to save your knees. The drop in and the sprayed in in my 14 are rougher than hell.

As an aside, I've spilled a number of things on the mat and washed it off with a hose. It cleans and drys well. I would remove the mat to haul mulch and other crud however. The mat in the picture is 4 years old and looks as good as new after a few spills and washes.

 

[JRD]

I vote for Line X Premium

Also, if you have more than one Line X place near you, call around. I saved $50 between 2 places I called.