Posted 2006-12-30 8:28 PM (#53048) Subject: what to do first- bed liner or ball install
Member
Posts: 16
Location: virginia
Santa gifted me with a new truck to pull my goose neck. The bed has not been protected yet nor have I made appointment to have the break controller or ball installed in the bed. A few questions for the pros.
1. Spray type bed liner vs plastic mold
2. Do I do the bed liner first or the ball install ?
Posted 2006-12-30 9:55 PM (#53052 - in reply to #53048) Subject: RE: what to do first- bed liner or ball install
Elite Veteran
Posts: 634
Location: Tipton, IN
First, plastic bedliners allow water to get underneathe and stand, which promotes corrosion. Second, if your going with an under-bed hitch like B&W or Pop-up Industries I would find a dealer that you like that can do all your work. Have them install the spray in bedliner, ball, and brake controller. There are many shops that are one stop, including trailer sales, truck shops, Ziebart, and most rhino, Line-X, Herculiner, and Scorpion dealers will be able to offer you complete services as well. Not to mention, you only have one place to deal with if you have an issue, like say the ball catches on the edge of the bedliner. The bedliner guy and the ball installer can't blame each other, as they are one and the same and just have to fix it.
Posted 2006-12-30 10:52 PM (#53055 - in reply to #53048) Subject: RE: what to do first- bed liner or ball install
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 366
Location: Albany, Oregon
I've done it twice in seperate trucks. Bedliner first on both....but! On the first truck the stupid (pick your own description) installer drilled the B&W hole in the wrong spot! Well he nicely welded in the cuttout but how do you fix the spray in bedliner so it looks like it didn't happen?...You don't! The second one I did myself...measure 47 times drill once or somthing like that.
Posted 2006-12-31 7:57 AM (#53059 - in reply to #53048) Subject: RE: what to do first- bed liner or ball install
Veteran
Posts: 209
Location: pensacola, fl
mguthrie, Congrats on the New truck!! I agree that the spray in bed liner is best, however, when you have it put in let them know that your intension are to climb in and out of the bed on your knees to hook up your trailer and ask if they can do a smooth finish for you. I have a friend who bought a brand new truck and had a spray in bed liner done but had to wear knee pads to hook up her trailer, she eventually sold the truck and bought another and had a smooth coated bed liner sprayed in. It may have just been this particular inncident but it doesn't hurt to ask!! As for which comes first, I don't know which is best , but my ball came first and I didn't have any problems. Happy Hauling!!
Posted 2006-12-31 1:15 PM (#53074 - in reply to #53048) Subject: RE: what to do first- bed liner or ball install
Member
Posts: 21
Location: Burleson, TX
Just wanted to put in a thought on which bedliner. I've had Rhino before and with my new truck I had Line-X put in. There is no comparison--the Line-X is far and away the better product. There is also the fact that if you have a problem with a Rhino liner, you have to go back to the exact dealer who put it in to attempt repair/warranty issues. With Line-X, all dealers can help you in any state. Most Line-X dealers I know of don't install hitches. If you want something done right go to the guys who concentrate on that item. You can tell the Line-X guys what level of texture you want beforehand and they will make it to your desire. A word, though, I would go see and look at a couple dealer's installs before choosing. The first one I saw done was sloppy, also the one who quoted me the cheapest price! Then I saw another install by a guy who was more serious about quality--beautiful, neat, perfect. I went with him and have no complaints at all. Oh, and the awful plastic liner the truck had when I bought it went back to the dealer, I got them to take it back and fund the value of it toward the Line-X. Squeaky hinge gets the grease.