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Cladding W/ Line X, Rhino Speedliner Or similar product

M

mdmull

Charter Member
SM 2003
Full Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2002
Messages
54
Location
Chicago area
Seriously wondering if removing the rubber mat and spraying in Line-X isn't a solution to the water /grit/dirt problem eventually causing rust in the bed. I had line-X on my silverado Z71 and loved it. Almost indestructible, and you could actually slide things into the bed. The applicator would need to be careful about the drains, but the silverado bed had drains in it and they kept them open. I think the main purpose for the mat is to keep stuff you put in the bed from getting wet from leakageat the covers that accumulates on the bed floor. My covers don't leak at all as near as I can tell. - Any thoughts on this?
 
Couldn't you still throw in the monster rubber mat over it? It would seem to provide additional protection.
 
How about IF it rusts in the future then get the spray in liner?

You will still get condensation under the mat no matter what is under it.
 
I have thought about this also - I guess the main issue is making sure that all of the drains on the water management system are accessible.
 
If GM would just redisign the underside of the mat to one with closely spaced ribs either verticle or horizontal then air could travel underneath. The waffle pattern now just traps the air and creates that condensation.

I bet we could modify our mats by cutting out the little walls so that it would be able to breathe and still provide support.

I will pull mine out tomorrow and if deemed reasonable, I will do it.

I'll let you know..

Sarge, I'm goin in :eek:
 
Ok say it sounded plausible. No way to modify underside of Bedliner.

I pulled liner out and let dry. Cleaned and dried bed. Sprayed bed with 3M 5 way penatrant. The 5 way penatrant causes moisture to dry and also protects metals from rusting. It is also non greasy.


We'll see !!
 
I have an additional problem/question. Noticed that when I drive on dusty roads, the whole bed (and everything in it) gets a nice coating of dust. Has anyone found a way to make the vents and bed more dust-proof?
madmax
 
Hmmmmmm.

Well maybe you could make a flapper type thingy and hook it onto the bottom of the drains.

Flapper thingy being a thin rubber hose that the bottom is kinda closed together until water coming throught the other side forces it to open and let the water out.

OR a little piece of rubber in the holes attached on one side so it kinda closes the holes until water pushes it down and drains.

Anyone creative with rubber?
 
I thought I had originally seen another post on this, somewhere, but it's not in this "Maintenence & Care" section so, I'll reply here with the info I learned today.

From two different sources, today, I was told that the bed in your Av is NOT made of metal. It is a composite material and can not rust. I heard this from my local mechanic, while I was there getting the tires/wheels rotated on my Jeep. So, I then drove immediately over to the nearest Chevy dealer to get this info confirmed. And, the dealer's people all say it is so. Now, before I went into the dealer's building I stopped out on the lot and opened the tailgate of a "North Face" Av. Why that tailgate was not locked I'll never know. But, I lifted the rubber-mat and knocked on the floor, all over the place, and although I heard nothing that sounded like metal, I could find no way to verify what it was. But, when I went inside the showroom there was a Silverado PU on the showroom floor and one knock on that bed-floor sure sounded a lot different. You could tell, right away, that it WAS a metal floor. I asked everyone I could find in there and they all insist that the Av had a composite bed.
I'm not to prone to believe everything that 'car-dealers' say so, I present this to my fellow CAFCNA members to determine the fact or fiction of this info. I, for one, hope it is true.

Now, if it is true, that the bed-floor is not metal, then rust is no longer the main concern of all that moisture under the rubber-mat. But, mold and mildew certainly are. Phew stinky!! So, keeping that bed dry is still a good idea.

Please let me know if you can verify this as true or not.
CAFCNA members are the best source for getting the real scoop on everything "Avalanche". Thanks gang.

~ Mick.
 
The load floor of the Avalanche bed is steel. The composite pieces are the midgate and the tailgate. Take a closer look at the load floor and where it's welded. You don't weld composite material like that.
 
Hey take that piggy magnet off the frig. door and check it out. You'll find that the bed floor is all steel. :rolleyes:
 
Most of us will own our Av 3 to 5 years. Some 5 to 7 years and only a few over 7 years. Why the big deal about rust? How many people see into your bed right now? I know this is could become a problem, but I don't understand. All AV's will meet the rust pile sooner or later. If mine lasts 5 years with no rust I will be happy. Remember this is steel we are talking about. It started rusting the minute is was make.
 
Thanks for setting the record straight, on this issue.
As I said, I do not yet own an Av and the one I looked at, on the dealer-lot, did not provide me an opportunity to make a proper inspection of the bed-floor.
But, at least now I'll know where NOT to buy my Avalanche.
I do not like being BS'd by dealers. They just like to tell you what they think you want to hear. Ok, maybe not all of them. But, I'll keep shopping for a better dealer in S. E. PA.

Thanks again. Sorry for the misinformation.
 
Evidently GM isn't too worried about the moisture under the bed. I stopped by the Dallas Auto Show for an hour yesterday where they had four Avalanches and one Escalade EXT. Every vehicle was soaking wet under the mat. There was more water under the mat of every one of them than I have ever found under mine. I was suprised that with all the effort they put into polishing up these machines, they even didn't bother with the water under the mats.

helmet
 
Removed the Cargo Mat, had a local Perma-Tech dealer spray the bed floor. Replaced the mat 2 days later. Now when I lift the mat, no more surface rust.

Finally got the Bedslide tray. This product is a must have for the Avalanche.
 
The Bedslide Tray is the best addition I purchased for the Avalanche. Its makes your bed area 100% usable. You can check it out at www.Bedslide.com.



 
Any type of coating would be added protection. Once the factory coating breaks down ,you get a pin hole or a chip exposing bare metal you get corrosion. At the seal mated sufaces the joint sealing compound will also break down you get crevice corrosion . So as an answer to your question to a spray in bedliner I would say go for it. Your bed will never corroded as long as it been applied properly. My Avalanche is on order. Once we get it my first spot is to Line -x to get the bed coated along with the wheel wells(steel parts) . Remember not to plug up the drain holes.
Later!
 
Hi,

I'm a new Av owner and wanted to get opinions regarding line-x in the Av.

Searched the archives; however, I have some questions I couldn't find the answers to. I'd appreciate your thoughts on the following:

1. Did you have any problems w/the line-x/were you happy?

2. Did the add'l height interfere w/the bed mat & how it lays, or did it interfere w/the midgate? Or have you completely removed your bed mat?

3. What was the cost for getting the bed-deck sprayed?

4. Anybody use any of the line-x dealers around Atlanta, GA/have any recommendations?

5. Any words of advice re: line-x/things to watch for (I spoke to 1 line-x dealer and he hadn't sprayed an Av yet...).

Thanks for the help,

Frank
 
Did the Line-X thing the first week I had the truck. No problems at all. Took the rubber mat out and put it in the basement.
Had it done at Line-X in Alpharetta, first one they had done. Price was $150.
 
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