Composite Bed Splintering / Rehab

I was installing a soft-topper on my truck a couple weeks ago, climbing all around the bed to get everything installed. Afterward I noticed some nasty rashes all over my arms and legs, like I'd been working with fiberglasss insulation all afternoon unprotected.

My bed is in pretty rough shape from the previous owner, lots of scratches and sun damage, but I didn't realize it was splintering quite as bad as it is until I went and looked after this install (and after a couple showers and various home-remedies for removing fiberglass from skin). Now I'll be hesitant to sit back there on campaign trips, tailgating, etc.

Anyone re-habbed their bed at all? Couldn't find any threads on it through searching, just a couple that mentioned that Line-X or Rhino-liner might not hold up due to the releasing agent, and that the Rustoleum crap is non-durable.

Only option I see at this point is to get a rubber mat and try not to touch the sides, but if there's a way to improve the condition of the actual bed I'm inclined to try.

Any ideas?

 

Never heard of this. Pics?

 

Maybe call one of the wood/concrete deck restorer manufacturers and ask them if there is anything in the product that would react with the be material?

Or, ask a spray-on bed liner manufacturer if their materials will work with a polymer bed...

Deck would probably be cheaper and easier, but sometimes they really do put "wood and concrete" on the can for a reason

edit: i would start with a power wash and maybe a mild detergent if you haven't already. maybe you just got into some residue prior own left from a haul?

 

Will try to get some pics. Hard to capture visibly, but in the sunlight you can tell the bed is... sparkling, like there are little needles sticking out of it (like you can with really aged/damaged fiberglass).

Good ideas, anyone happen to have a link for the actual composition of the bed material? Might be able to find something similar in the decking world, though probably not too many people painting their deck boards black Must be something out there for boats, though.

 

Tried to get a few macro shots of the damage. Not sure if the pictures really help to explain, but you can certainly see the abuse. I think "furring" is maybe a better word than "splintering".

I just took a strip of duct tape and laid it down on the bed, then pulled it back up, and sure enough you can see a bunch of little black fibers and it sparkles in the sunlight.

Although you can't see the fibers themselves in these pics, you can see little white specks, especially on the sides of the ridges, which are reflections from the ends of the fibers in the flash.

 

I can't say I notice anything in the photos....

How old is your truck? You mentioned 'previous owner'

Perhaps the previous owner had something in the bed to cause your concerns.

Maybe you should start by giving it a really good cleaning. Scrub it down with brush and some solvents (or soap or degreaser) or something.

 

I can see what you are talking about but it looks like normal results of rough use.

 

buy a 50 dollar rubber bed mat and move on down the road... I love my mat. great mod.

 

yeah i have my OEM tacoma mat and love it, stuff doesn't slide around any more!

 

Bed rug products have the bed mat and side pieces, and will be soft and comfortable when camping.

 

Thanks for the suggestions guys. It's an '06 w/ over 100k on it, so it's done some time.

Hadn't thought that the previous guy might've been running insulation or something back there. Good call. I'll give it a good scrub (probably ruin one of those car wash brushes ) and try to find a mat to buy, then report back.

Thanks again!

 

This has held up well for me http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/284688-raptor-liner.html

 

As another alternative...

If it is either persistent/hard to get rid of residue or if it is part of the composite bed...I'd perhaps have to wonder if a respirator and a torch gun aren't your best options...as long as you back well off and don't light your bed on fire. Any thin fiber under heat should either go away or melt back into the substrate.

 

Just chasing up my thread here. I ordered an OEM Tacoma mat from Amazon and took the truck to a self-wash. Sprayed the bed down with the pressure washer and then used the soap brush to scrub the bed. Once it was all dry I laid down the bed mat.

This weekend I took the truck camping, crawled all over the bed loading stuff up and actually ended up sleeping in there one afternoon during a rainstorm. No more itching, so I guess it must have just been something left over from the previous owner.

@oldswab - Great ideas, but glad I didn't have to take a torch to my bed

As a thank you to the community, here's a truck camping photo with a bonus dog.

 

Another product you might consider is a Bed Rug,look up their web site ,nice if you sleep in your truck bed.