I've been wanting to do something about my bed for a long time, but a spray-in was out of the question and unnecessary since I already have a bed mat. I considered buying some Herculiner, but while I was at the AutoZone I came across this competing product from Rust-O-leum.



It was half the price ($49.95) of the Herculiner kit ($99.95) and being from Rust-O-leum I figured I couldn't go wrong. It isn't a kit like the HL, but for another $7 I got a cheap brush, a 3" wide roller with refill and a mini paint tray at Home Depot. Another $6 bought me 2 150 grit sanding sponges from 3M. These things are perfect for sanding contours and the uneven surface of a truck bed. They're easier on your hand and wrist, too (6-pack shown).



First up was to remove the rubber bed mat. The mat was originally for a long bed, but I cut the excess off and screwed it to the tailgate for extra protection. That needed to come off, too.



I started by sanding the sides, front and tailgate areas. You don't have to go crazy, just sand enough to remove the gloss from the paint so the bedliner will adhere to it. I only sanded the edges of the floor area because I would be reinstalling the bed mat. I washed the whole bed down with a solution of 30% Simple Green and water and dried it out with my leaf blower (very handy for vehicle washing).



Using a brush I first cut in all the edge areas where a roller won't go. The bed mat will overlap the floor edges. I could have taken the time to remove the wheelwell dents, but it is a truck after all.





Be sure to paint underneath the bed sides. I was amazed at how thin the factory paint was under there. I could almost see primer. Don't be afraid to put it on thick, but limit your brushstrokes as this stuff gets tacky pretty quick and too many strokes just smears it. You can't see it in this pic, but the first coat will definitely not cover. I decided to do the entire first coat with the brush because it allowed me to put it on thicker.



After allowing the first coat to dry for about 90 minutes, I began rolling on the second coat. This provides some texture to the final finish. I still needed a brush to get into the corners, but more of the second coat went on with the roller. The final result looks great!



Since I wasn't doing the bed floor I had a lot of product leftover, more than half a can. I could have probably put on more coats and built it up thicker, but I think that would make it softer and easier to damage. It has a somewhat semi-gloss appearance to it, not dull like others I've seen and the texture is light, not gritty. I don't see any reason you couldn't add some sand to it to make it more grippy, but that's not what I was looking for and it does have a rubbery feel to it when dry. Is it better than Herculiner? Too early to tell, but at almost half the price I can't complain. All in all it took about 5 hours from start to finish...my knees are aching and my back is screaming, but it was welll worth the effort and savings.

 

I thought you had to PM a moderator before putting up a DIY? haha

Did they use your truck on the can? Looks like it!

I'm gonna put this stuff in the bed of the S-10 this summer.

 

Looks good let me know how it works out for you, i need something to put on the bottom of my bed inside the bed and on my rocker pannels

 

nice right up i have a big gallon jug of the duplicolor bed liner i got at autoszone when i worked there for a penny they were getting rid of it to make room for the rust-oleum. i also got 3 tray kits for a penny a piece as well i just hope it works as good

 

Screw those guys!

Holy crap! I didn't even notice that there's a white 2nd gen on the can. They owe me royalties!

 

Do you know why AutoZone is getting rid of the Duplicolor stuff? I used Duplicolor engine paint (on my grille! ) and really liked it. I'm a big fan of the fanspray tip. The Rust-Oleum stuff just has the old cicular tip and doesnt spray well. Oh well.

 

Looks pretty good! If you still have extra in the can I still would do part under the bed mat though. If for some reason down the road you decide to get rid of the bed mat all together it may be harder to match what you have later down the road (because of sun fade). You might also want to look for some type of UV coating (I heard people doing it over herculiner) to help keep it black instead of fading.

 

I think autozone lost there deal with duplicolor because O'Reilly's has it now.

 

Thanks for posting this up. Looks good! I have 1 question. Ive been eyeballing this stuff at the local parts store for awhile. Im kinda disapointed to hear that theres not that much texture to it. Do you think using a Textured Roller would help it be more textured?

Let us know how this stuff looks and how its holding on in about a month if possible. Im going to do my bed when the temps outside warm up alittle bit more.

 

But AutoZone still has the Duplicolor touch up paint? Hmm...

I dont really care, I hate going to AutoZone, the guys behind the counter can be dicks, I like Advance much better.