Wayne -
This is going to be a great thread. I'm looking forward to it.
I will offer one bit of contrary experience, regarding bed liners. I have a 1998 Ford Ranger (mini-pickup truck), which I bought new. As soon as I took possession, I went to one of the local bedliner seller-installer places, and had a pre-formed liner popped into the bed. It was advertised as being specifically sized for my vehicle, and I guess it was - it fit perfectly.
In my case, the important thing is that the liner is preformed as one piece, and waterproof. This truck spends 3 seasons parked outdoors in the driveway of my house. I live 50 feet from the ocean, so salt is a big problem for anything metal. At any rate, during summer thunderstorms, it is common to have as much as 2 inches of water collect in the truck bed when it is parked facing down the slope. Since the bedliner is waterproof, the water just sits there until I drive away, when it sloshes out of the tailgate.
Each year, I pop the bedliner out, to check the condition of the bed. While it is out, I hose out the bed to get rid of any accumulated grit. Let it dry in the sun, and pop the liner back in. After 15 years, the bed looks good, and the liner is still flexible. No paint abrasion in the bed, though I carry nasty loads on occasion. And no rust at all.
I am no expert, but I'm of the opinion that a sprayed-on liner relies on being stuck/glued to the metal of the bed. Eventually, the asphalt "glue" bond fails and allows water to penetrate between the liner and the metal of the bed. Since the sprayed-on liner is not removable, the water just sits there in the dark, until the paint is penetrated and the metal rusts. I think Consumer Reports reached the same conclusion a few years ago.
I'm just a voice in the wilderness, but that is my experience. A bed liner prevents the loads from scratching the paint in the bed. And a one-piece pop-in bed liner keeps water out of contact with the bed.
Bill
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