One desert racing team I have worked with had a tool box mounting bracket come loose while running between stages with their service truck. In addition to the characteristically thick layer of material, it’s bonded to the metal with epoxy primer and its urethane composition resists denting to an amazing level. This is really thick, tough stuff that provides unparalleled protection for sheet metal. That’s about four times the thickness of a heavy tarp or billboard cover. Their specification calls for at least an 18.5 mil thickness overall.
U-pol, the manufacturer, recommends 7-10 mil thickness per coat with a minimum of two coats. It’s made from urethane materials that withstand weather and UV damage for a much longer time than typical plastic drop in bedliners. Raptor Liner deadens noise, slows temperature changes and protects against impact dents and scratching. How Does Raptor Liner Protect Sheet Metal? Modern spray on bedliners are far superior to classic undercoating in their consistent thickness, conform well to irregular shapes found on automotive applications, flow into hard-to-reach corners and offer a nearly identical appearance to the original undercoating on these old classics. Here is our review of the best DIY Bedliners The original undercoating used on the classics of the past was simply a wax-based solution of asphalt oil, sprayed or brushed on hot, then allowed to cool. I’ve even used spray on bedliner as body undercoating on musclecar restorations that have set records at auction. Spray on bedliner is often used on applications like Jeep fenders, bumpers and side rails, hardware and lighting. Breakage and theft issues are eliminated entirely, because the final product becomes part of the vehicle and can neither break nor be stolen. Applied as a liquid directly to the vehicle, they can be used to protect other surfaces besides just a truck bed. Since they are applied out of a paint can instead of a box the size of a pickup bed, they take up less room, lowering shipping costs and storage hassles. Spray on bedliners mitigate these factors. While those big plastic boxes do a good job protecting the bed of a truck, they have serious drawbacks, including large size, degradation in the weather and the possibility of breakage or theft. This is a logical evolution of the older, drop-in plastic bedliners you may be familiar with.
Raptor Liner is a spray-on, elastic, rubber-like bedliner that forms a textured, hard coated surface over your vehicle’s sheet metal.