Necessary to cut plastic bed liner to fit camper shell clamps?

wondering who has a camper shell? I'm looking at picking one up for my truck but i'm not sure if I need to cut my plastic bed liner to fit the clamps for the shell. I don't want to drive all the way somewhere and not be able to take the shell home because I wont be able to properly secure it to the bed. if you have picture please post! thank you.

 

If yours is and under the rail bed liner, it should work. Mine also has rail protectors for the top of the rail, but these were separate from liner.

 

There's a pic w no liner, my weird cap inner diameter, and a type of clamp.

Even if you had to cut it a little, a couple passes w a razor knife wouldnt be so bad

 

My oem bedliner on the front side goes over the bed railing. I had to cut that off. The sides were fine.

 

i had to cut mine! bring a serrated knife it’s not too bad.

 

Either bedliner you have you need to be ready to make cuts, or just remove it to go pick up the shell and do your cutting once you are back home.

My Olfa box cutter sliced through my oem under the rail bed liner like warm butter (needed to cut the lip over the rail by the cab).

I'd recommend laying down some clear protective film on your bed rails and the cab where the rubber gasket will contact the truck to protect your paint.

The shell really scratched up the paint on mine.. oh yeah, and so did the bed liner for that matter

Mine was an under the rail and small hooks were used that didnt require cuts on the side rails, but the cab rail had to be cut off.

 

I've never cut my UTR bedliner. plus you are supposed to use "cap tape" to go under the sides of the cap/camper/shell to keep it from scratching up the paint

like dis:

$17 AP Products 018-141125 Cap Tape, 1/4" x 1-1/2" x 30', Grey

https://www.amazon.com/AP-Products-018-141125-Cap-Tape/dp/B00DRZOVF0?th=1 (many many choices are available other than this)

 

This is what I used. And I got away with leaving the bed liner (aftermarket branded "ALL-STAR") lip that only goes up behind the cab. Doesn't cause any leaks so I didn't modify the liner.

 

i left mine on, use a foam seal between the camper and bed.

 

Same here as Tony2018. When I bought my Leer shell for my '02 with over-the-rail Duramax liner, the installer asked how long I'd had it on. It was a few years, he said it's not worth it to remove the bedliner now since it rubs & scratches the paint underneath. He was able to place it on top of the over-rail bedliner. My mounting has 2 bolts per side in holes drilled through the rails and shell. It has round access plates to get to the underside bolt and washers. Even though bolts are strong, I like those clamps, less damage. Maybe Harbor Freight has some C-clamps that would work!

 

To get my first shell home (used, found on CraigsList) I had no clamps, and I have a bedliner that wraps over the side rails. I secured the shell to the bed rails with several ratcheting cargo tie-down straps (hooked to holes in the frame under the bed) such as these found at Harbor Freight I drove immediately to a local camper shell dealer who sold me the proper clamps (there are many different profiles) and installed them, and, yes, he had to cut holes in the bedliner to fit the clamps to the rails. He used a drill-mounted hole saw, made a nice clean, round hole.

 

Suggested:
Remove that rust/mold/moisture holding bedliner and go Reflex liner, linex whatever.

 

Got a new Snugtop shell that mounts differently than my ARE. Leaning towards going linex but I wasn't sure how well the textured finish would seal with the shell.

 

You could probably run a rubber gasket (just a thin strip of rubber) inbetween the rail and the bed shell if you're worried about seal.

 

My new to me 03 has the OEM bed liner that goes over the sides. Thanks for making this thread because I was wondering myself. I may remove it and go line x in the future. I was thinking of using bike inner tubes like a gasket around on top of the bed.