I was wondering with so many products out there and whether you do it yourself or have someone do it, what bed linings are the best as far as durability etc. Another question is I perfer a fiberglass cover and again so many products out there it makes it hard to choose. I was interested in the *******,are,leer but someone said they were garbage. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

i got bedrug instead of a spray-in liner, because i was gonna have a camper top over the bed anyway. my brand is leer, there are mixed reviews about their fiberglass lids. mine is so-so, lock jams sometimes; not perfect, but just good enough. other brands i know of: A.R.E., Century, SnugTop, Checkmate and the mopar accessory.

 

i believe spray ins and bed rugs are better than drop ins due to the rust that may start on a drop in go to www.checkerpro.com they have awesome lids and are flush

 

Check out a few trucks and see what you like, as far as the rust goes, since you will be putting on a fiberglass lid, I would not worry to much about it. If you do get a drop in and still worry about rust, just take it off (not to hard to do) and wash and wax the inside of the bed once or twice a year (more if run with out the lid on, and haul dirt or something).
Look around and see what you like, if you will be doing a lot of hauling, you should probably go with the drop in or spray in liner. If you aren't going to haul much, and plan to always use your fiberglass lid, then you could try the spray in or like dak0ta_g33k said a bedrug, i also have seen carpet type linings and simple ruber bed mats, I think your decsion should be made on how you will be using your truck

 

I've have a fiberglass lid from A.R.E. on my '04 for a little over a year now, and I have been quite happy with it. I do a lot of traveling where I stay overnight, and I wanted a way to lock the bed so my gear wouldn't get stolen. I added a rubberized bed mat (don't remember the brand, but I bought it from Summit Racing Equipment), and what I essentially have is a two-seater with a really big trunk.

A few things worth mentioning:
- If you haul a lot of oversized items and you live by yourself, the one-piece lid may be more trouble than it's worth. It's not heavy (about 85 pounds or so), but is large enough that it takes 2 people to maneuver if you need to remove it. If you're in this situation you may want to look at the fold-up aluminum type instead. (If you do go with the fold-up type, don't forget to add a tailgate lock to secure your bed... most of the lids don't require this because the lid covers the upper part of the tailgate so that it can't be opened.)
- I would strongly recommend getting the power lock option, if it is available with your lid. Mine is tied to the power locks on the truck (and therefore, to the remote keyless). This is far more handy than I thought it would be originally, and if I remember correctly it was only an extra $80.
- A.R.E. color-matched using the color code from the VIN, since my truck was only a few months old when I added the lid. The color is a spot-on match. If your truck is a little older, you may want to have them shoot the color to be sure it matches.
- While the A.R.E. lid does let me lock the bed, the locking mechanism is not the strongest. It will keep out a casual thief (i.e., the ones who would slash-and-****** with a soft tonneau), but a more determined thief will be able to break it. If super-strong security is what you're after then look at some of the other brands (particularly the ones that have locks on both sides of the lid).

The main reason I picked the A.R.E. over other brands is that the styling matches the styling of the truck. There is a parabolic-shaped groove on the lid that matches the one on the hood. Between that and the perfect color match it looks like it was installed at the factory. I did look at some other brands (don't remember which ones, sorry), and they all appeared to be about the same as far as how they're constructed, except for the locking mechanism as I mentioned above.

I don't have any pictures, but I can shoot a few and post 'em if you'd like to see what the A.R.E. looks like up close. Let me know. Good luck!

 

I have a LEER topper on my '92, and it has served me well, although I don't do a lot of hauling. As far as the liner, if you get a spray in, make sure the prep work was done. I'm having to redo mine because the last idiot didn't do enough prep work and it started to peel and bubble up.

 

Thanks for the advice, Most of you said the berug is great, but my question is what is berug? Is that the name of the brand. QuietApocalypse would it possible if you can email me some pic of ARE cover to madmejicano@comcast.net Thanks

 

Sorry misspelled berug, it bedrug.

 

I have owned an A.R.E. since 2003. It looks great, great finish and good hardware (like quiet described). One tip I would throw at you is to install a foglight to the tonneau lid so you can get some light under there. The tonneau blocks the cargo light, so it gets pretty dark. I also have the bedrug for 3 months now. The bedrug is fantastic, I was going to get a linex, but I was attracted to the rug because I do a lot of mountain biking and camping and it makes a good relaxing surface. It is soft and easy to clean. They guarantee the quality and it is not supposed to stain with oil or anything. You can spray it out, etc. Great product and looks better than other liners IMO.

pic of A.R.E.
another pic of bedrug

 

I didn't answer your question... ARE, its a do-it-yourself install once the color is matched. They are easy to remove and install with 4-clamps that clamp on the stock bed. Takes two people to move it without the cover frame scratching up the truck. The lock is not the best quality, but its a beautiful cover.

Bedrug is very DIY, just velcros in with very strong 3M hook and loop. Clean and prep the bed according to instructions. Has holes for your cargo tie down hooks. Removable for cleaning and does not absorb water. Consider using some Dupli-Color bed-liner on the metal for more durability when you remove the rug... but I never take my bedrug out, except to clean the bed.