protective paint?

I've got a few weeks in with this 2012 2.7l 5spd Tacoma AC and I surprised how similar the feel is to my old 1989 2nd gen 22re pickup. I won't pound this new buggy as hard as I did the bullet proof 89, it wouldn't stand a chance. The rear mud flaps fell off the first day I had it home going around in some snow out back, useless. The paint job seems to be REALLY cheap as well.

I work construction and I can see that some sort of protective finish needs to be applied to the top of the rocker panels (at the bottom of the door opening) where you drag you muddy boot into the truck. I've heard of but never used plasti dip. For those of you that have would this be a good treatment or is it not much of a protective surface, is it more used as bling?
Thanks,
Pete

 

My truck's paint at the bottom of the doors and rockers is different from the factory. It's textured, I assume it has a second coating over it or the paint itself is thicker. There are no chips, so it must be doing its job.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2005-2015-TACOMA-DOUBLE-CAB-DOOR-SILL-PROTECTORS-PT747-35052-OEM-ACCESSORY-/271701225803?fits=Make:Toyota|Model:Tacoma

I got some of these because the area you described on my truck was worn down to bare metal. I like them so far. Btw i got the double cab set and they still fit my access cab. The front ones are identical, the rear ones are just a little longer

 

Didn't realize those weren't a standard thing--my truck has them as well.

 

Don't waste your time with plastidip. It is not meant to be anything except for looks, AKA that shit will rip off the first time you drag a boot over it.

OEM door sill protectors are fine. GTekFab sells some metal ones on here, I put the thread link below. Or even some antislip tape like they put at pools (the nonabrasive/nonsandpaper kind).

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/g-tek-fab-door-sill-protectors.306253/

 

If you want protection for your rocker panels I'd recommend Line-X. There is also someone on here that sells metal plates for the bottom of the door jams (the door sill protectors previously mentioned don't work. They don't protect the actual lip of the door which is where your foot constantly drags). I'm thinking of getting my Door jams Line-Xed for this reason.

Plastidip would be ineffective as a protective coating.

PS Toyota paint isn't cheap. It is actually pretty good. You want to see cheap, go touch a Subaru. I swear you just touch it and paint flakes off.

 

The stuff is called "rocker guard" and is applied *prior* to the paint. Its basically just a thicker rubberized coating to "guard" the "rockers" from "rocks".

 

G Tek Fab door sill protectors ... love mine

https://www.tacomaworld.com/media/g-tek-fab-door-sill-protector-1.452840/

 

Plasti-dip isn't for looks.
The "dip" in plasti-dip is because you are supposed to DIP something into a can of it.
When it dries, it is a rubberized coating, good for things like lawn mower handles.
The spray can version is for "dipping" things that can't be dipped into a can of it.
People who use it to paint trucks can properly be referred to also as a "dip".