Advice on painting the plastic bed

My truck's bed is starting to fade and in general looks kind of beat up so I want to respray it black. I want something durable like a bed liner but I do not like the texture. I am afraid rattle can will flake and chip off when I put stuff in the bed. Some guy at http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/4548-spray-painting-bed.html mentioned shoe polish. Any advice on painting the bed?

 

Lets see some pics. OEM bed mat is black. Throw that thing in there.

 

@Beavis0076

Thanks that dye looks pretty good. Have you ever used it? How many bottles do you think I need?

 

i'd look into rhino lining it before I painted it.

Not sure how well it'll hold to the plastic but worth the look.

Maybe a 2part epoxy?

 

Click the quote button if you want to reference someone.

 

I spray some back to black on mine every now and then. Brings back the shine and makes the bed look almost new.

Keep in mind, it is a work surface and any restoring you do perform will come back off quickly after some use.

 

Do you ever get any residue on items you transport in the bed after doing that? I used Back to Black on my '02 Tacoma's fender flares and they always seemed to be a bit tacky until the first wash.

 

If you give it a night or two to dry there are no residue issues.

I have thrown stuff in the bed right after and it leaves a clear "film" on whatever touches it. I've just learned to give it a little time.

 

What I understand is none of the spray-on liner places will warranty a tacoma bed. Because they know its only a matter of time before it starts to chip off after its been applied

 

^^This. I got one and its great

 

If you want to repaint a plastic bed, it can be done. The key is prep-work. The plastic bed must be cleaned VERY well, to include being wiped down with a degreaser product. After that you can apply a coat of adhesion promoter, then a good primer. After that dries, use the proper automotive paint that has had a flexible additive mixed in. Then your clear coat.