Spray-in + Drop-in Bedliner: power move or overkill? Vote & win gear.🔥🔥😎

[3Wliners]

We’re seeing more builds running spray-in + drop-in together. And yeah, the first reaction is usually: “If I already paid for a spray-in, why add a drop-in—isn’t that wasting money?”

Short answer from a lot of real-world users: extra cushion, less rattle, better grip, and a sacrificial layer that keeps your spray-in from getting gouged when you chuck sharp or heavy stuff.

And we’ve been combing through pickup forums across models and the theme is consistent, check what they've said.

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[3Wliners]

So here's the conclusion:

1. Spray-ins are great and look clean, but they’re not perfect.
2. Stacking a drop-in on top can solve specific pain points (noise, slide, impact).
   Owners shared a ton of useful experiences—we figured it’s worth a proper poll here.

And...here comes our question:
If you already have a spray-in, would you add a drop-in on top?
• Yes — extra protection/grip is worth it
• Maybe — depends on price/fit/weight
• No — spray-in is enough
• Not sure — convince me in the comments

To make this useful and fun, we are hoping you can share your opinion down below this thread, and we are select one winner giving away 2 sets of bed mat to him/her or his/her friend from this forum

Here's the rule:
• Comment your take on spray-in + drop-in (real experience or what’s holding you back).
• @Tag one forum friend who’d have an opinion.
We’ll randomly pick one comment and send two bed mats — one to the commenter and one to the tagged friend.
• Multiple thoughtful comments = better odds, but one set max per person.

House rules

Keep it friendly, respect different setups, and skip the brand bashing. Real-world experience beats hot takes.

Dropping a few use-case screenshots below to spark ideas. Your pics welcome — especially that “one load that sold me” moment. Fire away

 

[WXman]

I have a rubber mat on top of my spray in. Just to reduce sliding around of objects and protect the floor which takes most of the abuse. But when I hear "drop in" what my mind thinks of is those plastic bed liners that cover the floor and sides and bulkhead. There's no way I'd put one of those on top of my spray in.

I wonder if @chl uses a rubber mat already?

 

[sotek2345]

OK - it wasn't an option, but my preference is a bed mat to keep things from sliding around and nothing else. I have had spray in and drop in before, but they don't hold things in place nearly as well as a good rubber mat.

As for the sides, it is a truck. It is meant to get used and scratched. Since Ford went aluminum for the body, there is no risk of it rusting, so why worry!

 

[The Weatherman]

I also put a bed mat in over the factory spray in to preserve it and to reduce things sliding around. It works great for that purpose and adds a level of comfort for my knees when I need to crawl into the bed.

 

[KingStraasha]

For me, it would depend on the use cases. I don't tend to haul too many heavy things (e.g., Bikes, mulch in bags), so just the spray liner would be enough. If I found myself hauling heavier things that could gouge the spray liner, then I would add a bed rug.

 

[chl]

I have a rubber mat on top of my spray in. Just to reduce sliding around of objects and protect the floor which takes most of the abuse. But when I hear "drop in" what my mind thinks of is those plastic bed liners that cover the floor and sides and bulkhead. There's no way I'd put one of those on top of my spray in.

I wonder if @chl uses a rubber mat already?

Yep

 

[Lytning]

I had a 2000 SVT Lightning with the OEM drop-in liner. I had the truck painted in 2017. There was a little scuffing on top of the bed floor ridges (seen on the 2 ridges on the left in the photo), but no wear through to bare metal. We decided not to repaint the bed, and reinstalled the drop-in bed liner.

 

[snowy_91]

I have a rubber mat on top of my spray in. Just to reduce sliding around of objects and protect the floor which takes most of the abuse. But when I hear "drop in" what my mind thinks of is those plastic bed liners that cover the floor and sides and bulkhead. There's no way I'd put one of those on top of my spray in.

I wonder if @chl uses a rubber mat already?

I have a spray in with a rubber bed mat to keep things from sliding around.

 

[Mike G]

I said yes on the poll because I’d actually done that on my 2018 Raptor. In retrospect doing the Line-X and then putting a bed rug over that was indeed overkill. I traded my ‘18 Raptor for a ‘20 when the cam chain phasers started making noise and took the bed rug with me. I then sold the ‘20 Raptor back to my dealer, they really wanted it bad, but I kept the bed rug and put that in the ‘21 Powerboost I’d ordered when I sold back the Raptor. When my Lightning arrived I moved that bed rug over along with the hard tonneaux I’d bought for the Powerboost.
I take the bed rug out once a year and clean and wax the bed and then put everything back.
I don’t miss the spray in liner one bit and I’ll never get that again.

 

[rdr854]

My volunteer fire department, which averages approximately 4,000 calls per year, has not had any issues with the spray in bedliners despite their heavy use/abuse from hauling firefighting equipment and other bulky items and debris. The average life expectancy of our pickup trucks is 15 to 20 years. During the winter months, the pick up trucks have bed sanders so that they can respond on calls during snow storms.

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