Should Your TITAN Truck Bed Liner Be Spray-In or Drop-In?

March 18, 2022

When you've got a job to do, protecting your truck bed becomes just as important as protecting your TITAN's 400 horsepower engine. Whether you're carrying furniture in the bed of your truck or hauling heavy-duty construction equipment*, the right liner will help protect the bed from dings and scratches. But if you've never installed a truck bed liner before, you might be wondering: should I get a bed liner spray-in or a drop-in bed liner?

Keep reading to learn the pros and cons of these two types of truck beds and whether a plastic bed liner or spray-in bed liner is right for you.

Spray-In Truck Bed Liners

Applying spray-in bed liners involves coating your truck bed in a durable paint-like material. The material instantly adheres to the bed and may create a watertight seal to help prevent rust or corrosion. The coating is typically available in a variety of textures, like a grippy or hard texture, to suit your needs.

Regardless of the exact texture, spray-in liners help protect the cargo you're hauling as well as the truck bed itself. They can also help reduce road noise and bed vibrations, hide pre-existing dents or damage, and give your bed a nice, finished look. However, they also tend to be more expensive than drop-in liners. They can be difficult to remove if applied incorrectly, and their permanent application doesn't leave much room for flexibility or change.

Titan Spray-In Bed Liners are a factory accessory for your truck that you can choose to add when ordering your vehicle. Some drivers will purchase a truck without a factory bed liner and have an aftermarket spray-in applied later. Keep in mind that spray-in liners usually require extra prep work.

Drop-In Truck Bed Liners

Drop-in truck bed liners are typically made of either plastic or rubber. As the name suggests, they can be installed by simply dropping them in and securing them to the frame of your truck bed. A well-fitted drop-in liner can help absorb impact from cargo and protect the bed from scuffs and scratches. The liners are custom-fitted to the dimensions of your truck bed, like genuine TITAN Drop-In Bed Liners.

Plastic liners typically have ribbed flooring to help protect the bed and allow for water drainage. While most drop-in liners are sealed effectively against the truck bed, sometimes they may trap water, which can lead to rust or corrosion underneath the liner.

Similar to a spray-in liner, drop-in liners can help hide pre-existing damage to the truck bed and help prevent sliding cargo depending on the material used. Unlike spray-in liners, however, drop-in liners don't require prep work before application, no professionals are needed for installation or removal, and they are easy to replace.

While spray-in liners are permanent, drop-in liners can give you some more flexibility. If you need to clean or otherwise access the truck bed, drop-in liners can be removed easily and even transferred to other trucks. However, you want to make sure you're transferring the liner between the same model, year, and trim since a drop-in liner may shift if not well-fitted.

The Bottom Line: Plastic Bed Liner or Spray -In?

In the end, truck owners will find good choices in both categories of bed liners. The biggest differences to keep in mind when determining which type of bed liner is best for you are price, installation, flexibility, and durability.

Spray-in bed liners typically cost much more than a simple drop-in liner, but they also tend to last longer. Coating installation by a professional is usually recommended since the application can be challenging to do on your own.

On the other hand, drop-in liners are very cost-effective and tend to be easy to install by yourself. Drop-in liners that are custom-fitted to your vehicle can help protect your truck for years to come. Install your truck bed liner quickly when you order an OEM-made drop-in liner from Nissan Parts & Accessories.