Painting the Jeep with a Bed Liner?

[DETN8R]

So, after a couple of years I'm really tired of white color my jeep is. White wouldnt have been my first choice this was all the dealer had. Anyway, I'm thinking I'd like to paint it and I've heard of people painting their rigs with bed liners. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with it?


Prep work?

Maintenance?

etc..?

Brand Suggestions?
Was thinking the paintable herculiner can at autozone.

[ShutUpHippie]

Well, I have no experience... but I have heard nothing but good things.

I'd give it a go

:2c:

[Andrew]

Herculiner is the best IMO.

Prep is just cleaning and then sanding scuffing what you will be painting, then cleaning with acetone before painting on the herculiner.

Herc will NOT come off. Wear gloves and an old long sleeve shirt/pants - you don't want exposed skin. Ok so it will come off but not without some serious work. If you are cool with that then go for it.

Maintenance...some will probably come off or get scraped - but it touches up really well. It doesn't stick so well to plastic. It will but will need periodic touch up work.

Do 2 coats. Use masking tape to keep it off what you don't want covered, but remove it after the first coat and re-tape. Or it will be a pain to get off.

You can spray it on. I know a guy that sprayed it on his truck bed and it looks awesome. Best finish with the stuff I've seen. Eiether get a cheap spray gun or clean it very well immediately after use and in between coats or it will clog and it's done.

[DETN8R]

I've been seeing great results with the duplicolor spray can bed liner.
Thanks for the reply Andrew.

[Chris]

Hey Fred, I used the duplicolor bed liner for part of my truck. I'm real happy with it and need to do another coat. For the $28 spent the results can't be beat and it's super easy to apply and gives a nice finish, duplicolor has been my preferred spray because it goes on so well.

Here's a link: http://frontrange4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5930

BTW, I was at the RS Rally yesterday and lost count of the number of people walking over the my truck and running their hand across the bed liner to check it out.

[DETN8R]

Thanks Chris. Maybe since I couldnt go wheeling today I'll go pick up a can or two.

[scout man]

I used Herculiner in the interior of my scout. I would definitely spray it on if you have that option. I did not, I rolled it on and it didnt roll well enough that I would use it on the outside of my rig. I feel if you sprayed it on it would get a lot thicker. The ony real complaint I have about it is that it seems way too soft to me. I have thrown some stuff in the bed of my scout and scratched the stuff off way too easily. I would be concerned that with the Herculiner on the outside of the jeep you may have to touch it up constantly. I have heard Rhinoliner is a lot tougher, but I am not sure where to get ahold of it.

[Haku]

The only other thing I would say about Herculiner is that it has texture in it, so its very rough. This is a good thing if you don't want stuff slidiing around in the back of a bed, but on the outside of a vehicle I wouldn't want it rough. One brush with your hand or arm and its gonna do damage. I've heard good things about the Rhinoliner too, as well as LineX if you can afford it. Dave (Nay) on here had his painted with Green Rhino or LineX, and it seems to be doing really really well.

JH

[1freaky1]

Talk to Pete (Brody) his whole rig is pretty much done in bedliner.

[Andrew]

I used Herculiner in the interior of my scout. I would definitely spray it on if you have that option. I did not, I rolled it on and it didnt roll well enough that I would use it on the outside of my rig. I feel if you sprayed it on it would get a lot thicker. The ony real complaint I have about it is that it seems way too soft to me. I have thrown some stuff in the bed of my scout and scratched the stuff off way too easily. I would be concerned that with the Herculiner on the outside of the jeep you may have to touch it up constantly. I have heard Rhinoliner is a lot tougher, but I am not sure where to get ahold of it.

It must not have been put on right...

I had a small strip on my rock sliders as a slip-resistant type thing for when they were wet. Didn't work as well as I wanted and moved to a 3M tape.

It took a metal grinding wheel and flapper disc quite a bit of work to get that herc off my sliders.

It does tend to heat up and get pliable on a hot day. Don't know how it would scratch off though. Mine certainly would not.

[Patrolman]

It must not have been put on right...

I had a small strip on my rock sliders as a slip-resistant type thing for when they were wet. Didn't work as well as I wanted and moved to a 3M tape.

It took a metal grinding wheel and flapper disc quite a bit of work to get that herc off my sliders.

It does tend to heat up and get pliable on a hot day. Don't know how it would scratch off though. Mine certainly would not.

I threw a T-case into the back of my Scout that has Herculiner. Took a nice scratch right out of it. Wasn't terribly impressed. Other than that, it generally holds well.

[Haku]

I threw a T-case into the back of my Scout that has Herculiner. Took a nice scratch right out of it. Wasn't terribly impressed. Other than that, it generally holds well.

Thats similar to what happened to Steve's too, big heavy tools like jacks and grinders and such do a number on it. I think another thick layer would remedy it though. Its definitely softer and squishier then other liners though.

JH

[scout man]

I agree with Josh. Another layer would go a long way, but if you read the box I beleive it mentions that it was designed to remain softer than most bed liners so it wont crack. I beleive I put a 3ft by 2inch by 1/4inch piece of steel in there, and the corner just scraped the stuff right off. Its not bad for what I use it for, but I can just imaging some rocks working it over pretty well. I beleive that to truly remove it would be a serious pain, but scratching it does not seem that hard. I applied mine to bare painted metal that I had roughed up pretty well, within the suggested temp range, and using the provided roller and suggest waiting times and acetone and all that, and it still comes off. It sure as heck sticks to skin pretty well tho! Took me weeks to get that junk off.

[DETN8R]

Couldnt find the DupliColor today. I read something somewhere else that it was recalled for some reason.

[BlackRubi]

Couldnt find the DupliColor today. I read something somewhere else that it was recalled for some reason.
It probably caused cancer, just like smoking, asbestos, air, sun, water, food, and off-roading. The gov't wouldn't want you to get sick.

[Brody]

Try WalMart. Sean found a similar product in the auto section of WalMart in slightly smaller cans for less $$ that does the same thing. He used it on his exo and it looks good.

Also, Pep Boys, Advanced Auto, Car Quest, Checkers and NAPA were all carrying this at one point. I just got a couple of cans at Advanced Auto Parts last week...

"It probably caused cancer, just like smoking, asbestos, air, sun, water, food, and off-roading. The gov't wouldn't want you to get sick."

And I would imagine that, if you stuck some lab rats into a closed container where they had nothing to breath but Duplicolor for a week or so, they would end up with some issues. This is how those tests are conducted, right??

[Chris]

Couldnt find the DupliColor today. I read something somewhere else that it was recalled for some reason.

Checker (Now O'Reilly BTW) carries it but they don't shelve it with the paint, it's in another section in the on I go to for some reason.

[DETN8R]

I did check a Checker autoparts, Autozone, and Walmart. I'll try somewhere else.

[Haku]

I rolled on Durabak - 3 coats. It is the textured (rubber bits) style. Yes, beware your knuckles, but no big deal. Rolling it on gave a very even result and was low mess - I can't see any reason to go through the extra prep and cost of spraying for a full project.

A year later and it is like new. I had wanted to do this for several years, and wonder why I waited so long. Bye bye paint maintenance forever. :cool:

How many cans did it take for your rig Dave? Thinking I might want to go with similar thing, but in white. They make smooth, none textured stuff too, in like 12 colors. Its like 120-140 a can, and they do make stuff with UV protection too. Oh, one other question, have you take hits with rocks with it, and if so, does it hold up, crack, or bend?

JH

[DETN8R]

Maybe I'll try this weekend. I plan on buying some corner armor and I'm sure that the paint underneath my sliders is totally ruined so I'll start there.

[greenramp]

my buddy used this (http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/dombgg2.html) stuff about 10 years ago and it's still on the inside and outside of his Jeep. he did the inside black and mixed the white and black for grey on the outside.

[DETN8R]

my buddy used this (http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/dombgg2.html) stuff about 10 years ago and it's still on the inside and outside of his Jeep. he did the inside black and mixed the white and black for grey on the outside.
Exactly which stuff?


Thanks for the replies guys.

[Chris]

greenramps "this" is a link: http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/dombgg2.html

[DETN8R]

oh, thanks. I'm retarded it seems.

[DETN8R]

Picked up some Duplicolor truck bed coating at Advance Auto Parts. Think I'll try it out on the tailgate first.

[DETN8R]

tried it on the inside of the tailgate today. It kinda bubbled in places, not sure why, maybe I didnt move fast enough. I did get some good results on the tailgate latch cover plate. I'll post pics later

[DETN8R]

Heres the test piece I did on the inside of the tailgate. You can see the areas that look a little rough. I think maybe I'll buy a can of the roll on bed liner and see how that looks in another spot.