Sit back and relax, this is gonna be a LONG post from a LINE-X dealer.
There are basically three types of spray in bedliners on the market: 100% polyurethane (most common) like Rhino and Toff, a blend of polyurethane and polyurea like LINE-X and Viper, and 100% polyurea like Xtreme and Full Metal Jacket.
Both polyurea and polyurethane give the bedliner desireable properties, such as the polyurea makes the liner more tear resistant and gives it a higher temperature tolerance and polyurethane has more than double the abrasion resistance of polyurea. The chemistry gets deeper. Let me know if your interested and I'll take to the next level.
My opinion is that the bedliners that are a blend tend to be the better bedliners. Yes, I'm a LINE-X dealer, but so what. You can research the chemistry just like I did before I bought the franchise.
Now, about Toff, which operates mostly in Texas. Toff has recently downsized in the DFW area. Two LINE-X dealers and myself hired Toff's outside sales rep. Toff is owned by a company called Artlux. I have the inside story and I can tell you that there is currently a BIG problem between Artlux and Toff. That's all I should say.
Here's some interesting info:
Here are the market share numbers as compiled by Frost & Sullivan (
http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/frost-home.pag) for the 2004 fiscal year.
Line-X- 37% market share
Rhino- 26.5% market share
Ultimate Lining- 19.5% market share
Speedliner- 4.2% market share
Everyone Else- 12.7% market share
Last Year's (2003) Market Share #s
Rhino- 31.5%
Line-X- 26%
Ultimate Lining- 12.3%
Speedliner- 11.8%
Others- 17.8%
Now, for Bedrug:
Bedrug is a good product and a nice alternative to the other types of bedliners on the market. The only negative comments I have ever heard (and they are minor) are the following:
1. Only comes in gray.
2. Tends to sag a bit after a while.
3. Traps moisture between the rug and the bed.
4. You need to get used to looking at carpet in your bed.
Now, for drop-ins vs. spray-ins:
Drop-ins:
1. Rattle/vibrate
2. Warp
3. Can't be repaired
4. No warranty (or not much of one)
5. Trap water and debris
6. Rub the paint off the truck and can cause rust
7. Take up extra space in the bed
8. Generate static electricity
9. Does not conform to all contours
10. Can fly out of the truck bed
Spray-ins:
1. Don't rattle or vibrate
2. Don't warp
3. Can be repaired
4. Have a warranty (LINE-X offers a nationwide lifetime warranty)
5. Creates a permanent water tight seal
6. Does not create rust
7. Allows for more cargo area
8. Does not generate static electricity
9. Dampens road noise
10. Molds to every contour
11. Will not fly out of the truck bed
Now, warranty: Don't forget to measure up the warranty on these products. Most spray on bedliner dealers will offer a lifetime warranty. But, the warranty is usually only with the dealer that sprayed it. Hopefully, that dealer won't disappear. LINE-X offers a written nationwide lifetime warranty. I hear that Rhino has now changed their warranty to match LINE-X's warranty. However, Rhino does not mention this on their website (and you think they would).
Now, some NEW information regarding LINE-X (yes, I was at this meeting):
"...First Engineered & Cooperative R & D Partnership results with New Line-X-Xtra..."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dallas: Texas (April 2005) With 101 Line-X Dealership Individuals attending their Annual Business and Marketing presentation at the newly constructed Line-X Offices and Distribution Center in Grand Prairie: Texas, one of the eight business topics presented was a new and very unique product offering, Line-X-Xtra Spray-On High Performance Bedliner Top Coating.
Line-X-Xtra is the first product offering resulting from a partnership between Line-X and DuPont Performance Coatings. The spray-on high performance bedliner is a “new benchmark” in exclusive composite coatings, as it combines the world renown strengths of DuPont™ Urethane Technology and DuPont™ KEVLAR®.
Line-X-Xtra features include improved appearance, improved resistance to ultraviolet light and excellent adhesion to the bedliner. In addition, Line-X-Xtra is specially formulated with DuPont™ KEVLAR® micro pulp fiber.
KEVLAR is best known to the general public as the material from which bulletproof vest and military body armor are made.
”We discovered that Line-X-Xtra exhibits an excellent migration of the urethane topcoat with the warm Line-X coating at the application process”, stated Marcy R. Fernandez: DuPont OEM / Fleet Finishes Account Manager. “This migration means the two products become one. Combining this unique topcoat technology and a precise dealer application process with the strength of DuPont™ KEVLAR® helps Line-X-Xtra achieve world-class durability while maintaining the finished product appearance that is so very popular with consumers across the nation and around the world.”
“Line-X-Xtra is the next generation in the spray-on bedliner industry product offerings”, stated Claudio Burtin: Line-X Product & Company Founder. “With almost two million existing Line-X Spray-On Truck Bedliners, and the soon to be offered Line-X-Xtra top coating, specially formulated with DuPont™ KEVLAR®, this one plus two product combination better develops our product portfolio offerings to the marketplace…and continues to position Line-X as the industry leader.”
The Line-X and DuPont Partnership Team is currently working on the final details of the Line-X-Xtra product packaging, consumer advertising, applicator training and product rollout.
My understanding is the LINE-X Xtra will be out sometime in the next few months.
Had enough? Let me know if you have any questions.