Bed Liner Restoration

I'm looking at options to restore the darker color of the spray-on bed liner on my 04 DC and wondering if anyone had any suggestions or experiences to share.

After 15 years, the liner has unsurprisingly faded a bit and my current project is to clean/restore as much of the truck as possible (I'm also working on interior cleaning, paint correction, and plan to de-haze the headlights). The bed itself is physically in good shape, so it's mostly color (plus a few small dings). The fading isn't even that bad, but the truck is black so the lighter bed stands out.

I believe the original liner was professionally done but I don't know by whom, as there's no badging from Line-X or Rhino Lining etc.

I've heard people recommend trim restorers like B2B or protectants like 303 but these seem to need reapplication every few months.

Not sure what the experiences have been applying a layer of Raptor liner or another new liner material over the existing liner, or even just spray paint since the liner itself is mostly fine.

Line-X quoted $450 to restore the bed, which seems to be a lot for cosmetics so I'm not interested.

 

You can buy alot of 303 for 450.00

 

I'd wait 6 months see if it still bothers you.
Idk if some kind of spray may brighten it up but if you try coat over it will most likely not stick or hold up well.
What about a tonneau cover or canopy?

 

Just applied this semi-permanent plastic restorer to my faded front bumper and it's amazing. However, you could probably buy a new Tacoma with how much you'd need to restore the bed liner...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008L17JF4/

 

do you have any pics of the bed and liner?
$450 does sound like a lot to restore just a top coat, that is almost the cost for a whole new liner without the premium (dark black)

 

I’m surprised LineX said they would even throw a top coat on someone else’s liner.

But you should see my bed liner. A diy from 8 or so years ago. Looks like shit now, but it’s not like I’m taking the truck to car shows. It’s a pickup truck.

One of these days I may throw another coat or two of hurculiner on it, though.

 

No kidding. And a lot of my own time, too. I'm all for saving labor, but not at those rates.

I'm not really a fan of tops or canopies. I've been considering a tonneau, but good ones are still a few hundred each.

I tested a small patch with Chemical Guys VRP and it got slightly darker but I doubt it will last long. I just shined the tires with it this morning and it already looks like it's almost gone. VRP does a great job restoring the grille though.

The bed itself is still fine, I'm just going wild with a bit of a detailing obsession and restoring a truck bed doesn't get the same attention in terms of resources and suggestions as more common things like paint correction and which sealant to use. So I figured I'd ask here.

I didn't mention the fact it wasn't theirs.



Does anyone have any experience putting an additional layer of liner on their existing one? And have anything to say about the results?

 

yeah that does stand out a bit on a black truck, I am having to pay xtra $$$ to get the most black liner they can do at Line-X
if your truck was white?? it probably would not stand out as much with being graying

 

I use Turtlewax ICE wax on my line-xed rockers and bedliner. Only wax that wont leave white crust on it and does a really good job of darkening it up. Thats about all its good for though, that stuff sucks to use on painted surfaces. Super thin, which is probably why it works so well on bedliner.

 

There is an ask a detailer thread on TW somewhere.