Big Blue's Transformation

[ArdWrknTrk]

It's interesting that they are aware of that consideration but haven't addressed it. I get that most of their customers are switching from the old style to the new so would have the fmr but still seems like it eliminates some potential buyers. I can't recall if you've mentioned it before but did they say why?

That's a clever idea on taping under the holes

Why the colored bedliner, Jim? Not that I disagree - I was really close to going with a color but backed out into the end. For BB, personally I could see the dark blue looking real good. The upgraded black is really nice as well and seems to be well worth the upcharge. I would get one of the heavy rubber mats as well.

Never again black in a bed of my truck.

I'm kinda stuck with a black drop-in but if I were having it spray lined I'd go with something light.

Even tan, over black or navy.

Gary, I didn't realize Powermaster had a disclaimer.

Do they say how much the solenoid draws to pull in?

Maybe you could check it with a clamp meter set to record?

[Gary Lewis]

Gary, this is what the tailgate will look like...

David - Hey, that looks great! And it looks familiar.

Thanks. That's basically the look I'm going for.

Bob - Appreciate the input. But from what I've found with my calling 'round, right now it isn't easy to get anything but black. And while it will get hotter than anything else, my experience with the same stuff in Blue has been great. Everyone that's used the truck has been pleased with the Line-X.

As for not coating the bed, one of the things that we've loved with the Line-X is that things tend to stay where you put them. We don't have things sliding all over the place while on the road, which we did have in the '72 we had w/o a liner.

 

[Gary Lewis]

Never again black in a bed of my truck.

I'm kinda stuck with a black drop-in but if I were having it spray lined I'd go with something light.

Even tan, over black or navy.

Gary, I didn't realize Powermaster had a disclaimer.

Do they say how much the solenoid draws to pull in?

Maybe you could check it with a clamp meter set to record?

Jim - They either didn't know or wouldn't tell me the current draw.

As for recording it, I don't have the wherewithal to do it. No clamp meter.

So I'm just going to go with the fender-mounted relay and then use that slot for powering the blower motor.

Speaking load, I powered the bed cover off the 5AH battery I use for testing things. It powered it fine, and it only took 8ma to trigger the relays from the aux inputs. So it'll be easy to interface the Code Alarm system to it. That way one key fob will do everything.

Now back to cleaning the bed on my hands and knees....

[1986F150Six]

Gary, this is what the tailgate will look like...

Here is another angle, Gary:

[Gary Lewis]

.... Randy - There aren't any factory drain holes in a Bullnose bed....

Really? I was remembering (maybe incorrectly) that my '85 had drains in both front corners. Not round holes, or tubes or anything, just a section about 1" - 2" long where the bed floor wasn't welded to the front of the bed and there was a 1/8" - 1/4" gap

On the color, I had black RhinoLiner in my '95 F-150. It got hot in the sun and it got marked up when stuff was slid across it (the scuffs showed up as light colored lines). On the plus side it didn't ever look dingy.

I lined my Bronco with a medium gray Durabak. Nowhere near as hot. It hasn't gotten as marked up (but it's a Bronco, not a pickup...). But it started looking dirty pretty soon and has never cleaned up well. (It's also faded, but that's a different issue).

Neither of those are Line-X, so YMMV. But those were my choices and experiences.

In the end I'm pretty happy with what i did in the Bronco. I wish it had been more UV-stable, but the temperature / looking clean tradeoff seems good to me.

And I've had three pickups since my '95 and haven't bedlined any of them. I'm not particularly against it, but I've decided that, especially for the price, I prefer a rubber bed mat loose on the floor and nothing else covered.

David - Thanks. I'm hoping to only go a little way over the top, but we'll see what the pro says.

Bob - You may be right about the drains. I just put water into the slot at the front of the bed and it ran out onto the floor of the shop.

[Nothing Special]

.... As for not coating the bed, one of the things that we've loved with the Line-X is that things tend to stay where you put them. We don't have things sliding all over the place while on the road, which we did have in the '72 we had w/o a liner.

That's a big part of why I use a rubber mat laid into the bed. I haven't used Line-X, but I get a lot less sliding around on the bed mat than I did on the RhinoLiner.

And I'm not saying that I'm against bed liners. I might do it again if I get a truck with a good enough bed that I really want to protect it. But in an "OK" bed, for the lower cost I prefer just using a bed mat.

For what it's worth, the trucks I've had since the '95 that I haven't bed-lined are:

2008 F-250 crew cab, the lemon truck. I decided within 3 weeks of getting that truck that I hated it and wanted to get rid of it. I eventually filed a lemon law claim on the transmission and Ford bought it back a year after I bought it. There was no way I was going to spend money bed-lining that truck. But I did buy a bed mat for it.

2002 F-350 crew cab. This truck came with a bed mat, so I was in no hurry to line it. And within a year I decided that I really didn't like it much more than the '08. So I spend the next 4 years trying to get rid of it, not bed-lining it.

1997 F-250 crew cab, my current truck. I really like this truck, but when I bought it the bed was pretty rough. The bed sides were just starting to rust through above the tires and although the PO said all he ever hauled in it was firewood, he must have either loaded it with a Bobcat or maybe even a catapult! To say that the inside of the bed was rough would be an understatement! No significant rust, but the floor is dented down between the supports (it looks like it's sagging) and the fenders, inner bed sides and the front of the bed are all badly dented. It really wasn't worth protecting so I just took the bed mat out of the '02 and out it in the '97.

 

[Gary Lewis]

.... As for not coating the bed, one of the things that we've loved with the Line-X is that things tend to stay where you put them. We don't have things sliding all over the place while on the road, which we did have in the '72 we had w/o a liner.

That's a big part of why I use a rubber mat laid into the bed. I haven't used Line-X, but I get a lot less sliding around on the bed mat than I did on the RhinoLiner.And I'm not saying that I'm against bed liners. I might do it again if I get a truck with a good enough bed that I really want to protect it. But in an "OK" bed, for the lower cost I prefer just using a bed mat.For what it's worth, the trucks I've had since the '95 that I haven't bed-lined are:2008 F-250 crew cab, the lemon truck. I decided within 3 weeks of getting that truck that I hated it and wanted to get rid of it. I eventually filed a lemon law claim on the transmission and Ford bought it back a year after I bought it. There was no way I was going to spend money bed-lining that truck. But I did buy a bed mat for it.2002 F-350 crew cab. This truck came with a bed mat, so I was in no hurry to line it. And within a year I decided that I really didn't like it much more than the '08. So I spend the next 4 years trying to get rid of it, not bed-lining it.1997 F-250 crew cab, my current truck. I really like this truck, but when I bought it the bed was pretty rough. The bed sides were just starting to rust through above the tires and although the PO said all he ever hauled in it was firewood, he must have either loaded it with a Bobcat or maybe even a catapult! To say that the inside of the bed was rough would be an understatement! No significant rust, but the floor is dented down between the supports (it looks like it's sagging) and the fenders, inner bed sides and the front of the bed are all badly dented. It really wasn't worth protecting so I just took the bed mat out of the '02 and out it in the '97.

Bob - It makes sense that you don't want to have bed liner sprayed in if you aren't going to keep the truck or if it is already beat up. Luckily BB's bed isn't beat up and I'm sure planning to keep it.

 

On installing the toolbox, no one has commented on the plan to use a treated 4x4 on the bottom and a plain 2x4 on the top. I'm headed out to pick those items, and plenty more, up tomorrow so if you have a better suggestion then please let me know.

 

And I'll see if they have the stainless bolts I want with which to bolt the toolbox in, but I doubt it so I suspect I'll have to order them. (I'm assuming that stainless is a good way to go when passing through treated lumber.)

 

In addition I'll pick up some primer to use on the spots in the bed.

 

But, I've saved the best for last. As I was scrubbing the bed today I found a bit of a rattle. Suggestions on the best way to tighten this thing? I have it liberally PB Blasted, but do I assume it is going to spin and tack something to the top, then grind that off and paint it before it is Line-X'd?

 

[Nothing Special]

.... (I'm assuming that stainless is a good way to go when passing through treated lumber.)....

A quick Google search suggested hot-dipped galvanized or stainless, also saying that many deck screws have proprietary coatings that are said to work well. But the short answer for you is that it looks like stainless is a good way to go.

.... but do I assume it is going to spin and tack something to the top, then grind that off and paint it before it is Line-X'd? ....

That seems like a much safer assumption than assuming it will hold

[Gary Lewis]

.... (I'm assuming that stainless is a good way to go when passing through treated lumber.)....

A quick Google search suggested hot-dipped galvanized or stainless, also saying that many deck screws have proprietary coatings that are said to work well. But the short answer for you is that it looks like stainless is a good way to go.

.... but do I assume it is going to spin and tack something to the top, then grind that off and paint it before it is Line-X'd? ....

That seems like a much safer assumption than assuming it will hold

Thanks, Bob. I'm planning on going with a 10' 4x4 and 2x4, which will give me enough to put two runs crosswise under the toolbox. And, I'm thinking that six 3/8" bolts with fender washers, three in each run, would secure the toolbox nicely. Yes?

As for the bed bolt, what's the best thing to weld to it? I'm thinking a large washer as it would be easy to knock off. But that won't have as much holding power. A nut would have more but be much harder to get off.

 

[ArdWrknTrk]

Bob - It makes sense that you don't want to have bed liner sprayed in if you aren't going to keep the truck or if it is already beat up. Luckily BB's bed isn't beat up and I'm sure planning to keep it.

 

On installing the toolbox, no one has commented on the plan to use a treated 4x4 on the bottom and a plain 2x4 on the top. I'm headed out to pick those items, and plenty more, up tomorrow so if you have a better suggestion then please let me know.

 

And I'll see if they have the stainless bolts I want with which to bolt the toolbox in, but I doubt it so I suspect I'll have to order them. (I'm assuming that stainless is a good way to go when passing through treated lumber.)

 

In addition I'll pick up some primer to use on the spots in the bed.

 

But, I've saved the best for last. As I was scrubbing the bed today I found a bit of a rattle. Suggestions on the best way to tighten this thing? I have it liberally PB Blasted, but do I assume it is going to spin and tack something to the top, then grind that off and paint it before it is Line-X'd?

 

Oh! I've had that view recently, as I had to torch out both of those bumper bracket bolts (and the two on the other side too.If you have to tack the head in, instead of cutting it off and replacing it, why would you cut the tack loose before bedliner???If the bolt heads spin under the liner... then you are well and truly blued.Better to tack them all.At least then you can get the bed off if need be in the future.