Yesterday I wanted to clean up my 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 after hauling a Common Rail engine to Boise, ID to be rebuild. I looked under the bed liner and it was dusty, dirty, etc. So quickly jerk up in the center and released the bead liner and flip it out of the truck and fired up the pressure washer. There was packed sand in the corners, a few good sized rocked in there, leaves, oil and grease, you name it was in there. After a quick rinsing out here is what a 20 year old truck with a bed liner should look like if taken care of.

 

 

Fender wells have a few dents after a few years of wood hauling in the bed. No rust, and barely even wore through the paint in the ribs of the metal. Now you might be thinking I pull the bed liner all the time to wash the bed out. Sorry but no. This is the first time in like few years I've pull it out. Now with the tonneau cover I still haul trash, and stuff but have to either remove the cover (4 bolts) or folder the rear half forward to throw everything in the bed.

 

 

Edited June 29, 20168 yr by Mopar1973Man

23 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Yesterday I wanted to clean up my 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 after hauling a Common Rail engine to Boise, ID to be rebuild. I looked under the bed liner and it was dusty, dirty, etc. So quickly jerk up in the center and released the bead liner and flip it out of the truck and fired up the pressure washer. There was packed sand in the corners, a few good sized rocked in there, leaves, oil and grease, you name it was in there. After a quick rinsing out here is what a 20 year old truck with a bed liner should look like if taken care of.

 

 

Fender wells have a few dents after a few years of wood hauling in the bed. No rust, and barely even wore through the paint in the ribs of the metal. Now you might be thinking I pull the bed liner all the time to wash the bed out. Sorry but no. This is the first time in like few years I've pull it out. Now with the tonneau cover I still haul trash, and stuff but have to either remove the cover (4 bolts) or folder the rear half forward to throw everything in the bed.

 

 

It's always made me laugh when people say they rust-out and ruin the bed. I had a 96 Dakota that had one in it from the day my parents bought it with 15K. I got the truck at 120K and ran it to 150K. It was used to haul hay, wood, dirt, rocks, etc. When I pulled it out at 150K it looked just like yours!

I've got to pull the one out of the 2002 here today and clean the bed out well. So I'll get more photos of that one as well.

1 hour ago, TFaoro said:

It's always made me laugh when people say they rust-out and ruin the bed.

 

I've seen more damaged truck beds with spray in bed liners like Line-X or Herculiner. I don't know of a single person that lifts object up and puts them down nicely and the picks them back up to unload. I drag stuff in the bed chuck firewood at it everything. Just a few dents in the fender wells. The plastic bed liner flexs just enough to protect the floor from damage and anything you drag out isn't going to hurt the plastic liner much. I've seen spray in liners that have been completely peeled up on the floor from dragging heavy steel object in the bed.

Rubber mallets work very well to knock those dents out! My 02 wasn't pretty when I got it but the fender wells are good and smooth now.

For example this truck has been well used and abused...

 

 

6 minutes ago, TFaoro said:

Rubber mallets work very well to knock those dents out! My 02 wasn't pretty when I got it but the fender wells are good and smooth now.

 

Yeah I was going to do it but I've got the big skirted fender wells and really didn't want to pull them out. I've done that on the 2002 a few times...

20 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

For example this truck has been well used and abused...

 

 

 

Yeah I was going to do it but I've got the big skirted fender wells and really didn't want to pull them out. I've done that on the 2002 a few times...

I've got the big skirts in my 02 as well. Pulled em from a local junk yard for free out of a 1500. Dang dodge for going cheap.....

I really like the protection of the large ones instead of the little pieces of plastic.

If you bed is trashed to begin with a bed liner won't make it all better. I've seen them used to hide damage 

6 minutes ago, Royal Squire said:

If you bed is trashed to begin with a bed liner won't make it all better. I've seen them used to hide damage 

 

Good reason to lift the bed liner and look at the condition of the bed before purchasing the truck...

I put a rubber mat in mine when I bought it so stuff would not slide around on the bed. It worked fine and protected the bed well. Sure it is scratched up and the sidewalls are beat up some but it is not rusted out anywhere. The only real dent in the flat part of the bed is where my 5th wheel came out of the hitch one day leaving  parking lot. It landed on an empty propane tank and dented the bed. Saved the bed rails though. Not a scratch on them. Propane tank was toast however.

Here is my 2002... Bit more dents and wear but still in good shape. Spilled waste engine oil and about 3-4 years of road dust pack up under the liner. The bed liner has about the same amount of wood chips, dog fur, and dirt. Yuk.

 

I have a rubber mat in mine.  I really like it.  

My free rubber mat. Piece of used conveyor belt from work. I might make another one that fits tighter to the wheel wells.