As costs for light trucks continue to rise, owners are increasingly looking for ways to protect their investments. One way is to install a bedliner, which along with bed caps are the most popular accessory for light trucks. As this trend continues, savvy buyers are choosing the performance and aesthetic benefits of spray-on bedlining.
"The fairly new spray-on bedliner aftermarket is growing substantially, and was expected to reach about $90 million in 1998," according to an April 1999 study by Frost and Sullivan, an independent researching firm. "As the price of pickup trucks continues to rise, buyers are anxious to protect their vehicles from rust, abrasion, dents and chemical corrosion. By offering permanent protection with a weather-resistant, contoured-fit, spray-on solutions will increasingly be the choice of new truck buyers."
At Creative Coatings, a spray-on bedliner and truck accessory company based in Monroe, Louisiana that has sprayed over 6000 trucks, a combination of market forces led them to provide spray-on liners. After trying several different suppliers of chemicals, they turned to a urethane spray produced by SWD Urethane in Mesa, Arizona, a leading processing and manufacturing company specializing in polyurethane foam systems, specialty coatings, and polyols.
Said Paul Hansen, owner of Creative Coatings, "I used a different chemical but I found there were a lot of fillers and it didn't perform as well. I tried almost every product and was completely blown away by the SWD product. There isn't any doubt in my mind that it is the superior product on the market. It is a pure lining spray with no fillers, no graininess and the best performance."
Spray-on linings are made of long-lasting, scrape-resistant urethane for a permanent, flexible seal that prevents rust without wasting bed space. Spray-on bedliners suffer from none of the drawbacks of conventional bedliners. The material adheres with a water-tight seal directly to the bed surface, leaving no room for air or water underneath. The form-fitting spray penetrates every nook and cranny, minimizing loss of space, and it won't crack, split, peel, chunk-out or warp. In addition, the lining protects against vibration, road noise and load slippage with its no-slip textured surface.
The application process involves masking the truck with a special wire tape, lightly sanding down the bed and the area to be sprayed to aid adhesion, then spraying the vehicle in a booth. Spraying takes only ten minutes and the SWD 951 Quik-Shield urethane cures in eight to 10 seconds into a hard protective surface. The entire process, if done by experts, can take only an hour and a half.
A spray-on lining finish is more aesthetically pleasing. Available in many colors, the SWD urethane lining can be ordered to match the truck's paint or even altered with custom logos to match the vehicle maker's emblem, and the colors will not fade.
"Spray-on lining gives you more control over texture as well. I can make it slick or I can texture it to prevent slippage," said Hansen. "If you want it no skid, I can inject aluminum oxide into the mixture for a sandpaper finish."
While the spray-on lining can cost more than drop-ins up front, its longer life span and higher performance pays for itself over the truck's life. If the liner requires repair, the operation is simple and inexpensive; and Creative Coatings does it free for routine nicks and scratches.
"I also recommend applying the lining to used trucks; it can boost resale value and revitalize the vehicle's appearance. There is a car dealer in town who has me spray all of his used trucks and he adds $1500 to $2000 per truck," Hansen said. "These farm trucks are perfect except the beds. I fix up the beds for free because he brings me so many trucks. He gets more money for them because of the quality and the confidence people have in the lining technology."
The protection of spray-on SWD 951 Quik-Shield urethane is also effectively used in commercial and custom applications such as ambulances, fire trucks, dump trucks, boat hulls and floors, trailers, RV roofs, and Jeep floorboards, to name a few. Creative Coatings has sprayed off-beats items including baptismal tanks, matching the tank color to the colors of murals, and even the toes of baseball cleats. A special coating to restore the appearance of most existing truck bed liners is also available.
"I am very confident in this product," Hansen said. "Truck owners will benefit from sound deadening, rust resistant, anti-slippage, beautification and better resale value. It is only advantageous for them to protect their investment."
For more information on the advantages of spray-on truck linings with manufacturer-direct pricing and no franchise fees or to learn how to become an applicator, contact SWD Urethane Company, 222 South Date Street, Mesa, Arizona 85210; call (800) 828-1394; fax (480) 461-6926; or visit on the web at www.swdurethane.com.