If you can, line a truck bed before the first load. The factory paint is intact, there are no scratches down to metal and no rust to chase, so prep is simple and the liner goes onto the best surface it will ever have. An older truck can still be lined well. It just needs more prep, and any rust has to be dealt with first.
Why a new bed is the easiest bed to line
A spray-in liner is only as good as what it is stuck to. On every truck we sand the factory paint, clean it, prime it and then spray the polyurea hot at high pressure. On a new truck that factory paint is in the best shape it will ever be in. There are no gouges from a dropped tool, no bare spots along the bed rails, and no rust starting at the seams.
That means the prep goes quickly and the result is predictable. The liner bonds to sound paint across the whole bed, and you start the life of the truck with the floor, walls and tailgate sealed.
What the first season does to a bare bed
It does not take long. One load of firewood, a few bags of gravel, a quad strapped down for the trail, and the factory paint already has scratches. Some of those scratches go through to metal. Add a Muskoka winter of road brine splashing into the bed and sitting in the corners, and those small marks are where surface rust starts.
None of that is a disaster on its own. It just means that when you do decide to line the truck, there is more to fix first. We have to sand out and treat any rusty spots before primer goes down, and heavy rust that has eaten into the metal needs body work before any liner can go over it.
Lining an older truck
Plenty of people keep a truck for ten years or more, and lining a truck that is a few years old is still well worth doing. The process is the same, with more attention paid to the damaged areas. We look at the bed when you drop it off, photograph it, and tell you straight if there is anything we would want repaired first.
If you are on the fence about whether your truck is worth it, think about how long you plan to keep it and what goes in the bed. A truck that hauls every week gains more from a liner than one that carries groceries.
Dealer liner or local shop?
Some dealers offer a liner at the time of sale. That can be fine. Ask who sprays it, what product goes in, how thick it is, and who handles the warranty. Our standard liner is 2.5 mm on the floor and tailgate and about 2 mm on the walls, with a lifetime warranty against peeling, cracking or delamination. If you buy from a local dealer, ask whether they work with us; dealers get a flat $50 off our retail price.
If you are buying privately or the dealer does not offer one, you can book the truck in for the week you pick it up. Prices are on our Pricing page: $599 for a 5.5 or 6.5 ft bed and $649 for an 8 ft bed, plus HST.
The short version
- A new bed has intact paint, so prep is simpler and the bond is as good as it gets.
- Scratches and rust from the first season mean more prep later, not a lost cause.
- Older trucks can be lined; heavy rust needs repair first.
- Standard and UV liners are done the same day. Colour liners take three days.
If you want to know what actually happens to the bed in the shop, read how a spray-in bed liner is applied.