The cost of a DIY Raptor Liner can vary depending on your location, the path, and size of the liner you are installing, and the type of liner you are installing. Many DIY liners are in the market, but this article looks at the Raptor DIY Liner’s cost.
Depending on your location, installing a raptor DIY liner that is 6 feet wide may cost as little as $140.
Raptor liner is not as expensive as other brands like, say, the Linex liner, and it is easy to install the liner on your own.
Check out the current pricing on Amazon here.
Many people find it easy to install the liner themselves rather than have a company do it. That is because these firms will have several trucks to install liners or some other work. Your truck will not receive the attention and time it deserves to install the liner. Follow along to determine how much this Raptor Liner costs and what is included in the entire kit.
How Much Does a Raptor Liner Cost?
One gallon of raptor liner is ideal for a typical truck bed. The gallon costs around $140 on Amazon. Typically, the gallon will cover 85 square feet after applying two-liner coats. Each coat will be about 7 – 18 MIL thick.
What if you want to spray the entire truck, what would the costs be? You expect the cost of the liners you need to be higher since you will cover a larger area. The costs for total amount of liner you need will depend on the truck’s size. If you have a bigger truck, the price will be higher than a small truck.
To easily calculate your car’s total square footage, you multiply the width by the length. Below are the number of gallons you will require for standard truck models:
| Vehicle Model | Raptor Liner Needed* |
|---|---|
| Ford F-150 | 3 Gallons |
| Chevy Colorado | 4 Gallons |
| Honda Ridgeline | 3 Gallons |
| GMC Sierra | 4 Gallons |
| Toyota Tundra | 3 Gallons |
| Toyota Tacoma | 3 Gallons |
Remember that these are the gallons required to cover the entire truck using the Raptor Liner.
Why Paint the Entire Truck?
Raptor has a wide variety of uses in marine, agricultural and automotive applications. Truckers are considering spraying the entire vehicle with this liner for several reasons. The truck will appear aesthetically pleasing and invincible. The liner will also:
- Prevent water damage on the truck
- Protect it from UV rays
- Look appealing in diverse colors
However, even as you look to cover the whole truck with the raptor liner, it is crucial to understand its downside. The liner will be permanent on your truck, affecting the vehicle’s resale value. Raptor liner could also add to the truck’s overall weight, and that could have a toll on the gas mileage.
Layers Needed
Typically, you will need only two or three coats of the liner to have a homogenous and alluring coverage. Spraying just one coat is not enough since that will fade away after a few days or weeks. That will mean you have to do another spray after a few weeks, which is a waste of time. For the first time, consider two or three coats, and you will be sure that they will be durable.
DIY Materials Needed for Raptor Lining Truck Bed
Raptor Liner Kit
The Raptor Liner Kit (check Amazon pricing here) consists of a few tools, a roll of raptor liner, installation instructions, and a squeegee. The amount of materials needed depends on the size of your truck. For a 6-foot-long bed, you will need to purchase the following materials.
- 6-foot x 24-inch Raptor liner
- Flat blade screwdriver
- 6-inch extension
- 6″ box end wrench
- 3/8 in. socket wrench with extension and ratchet set
This is all you will need to install a 6-foot-long raptor liner on your truck bed. It is important to note that these trucks have different types of beds, so make sure you follow the installation instructions for your specific truck bed type. You will also need a serene environment that is not too windy. You could decide to paint the bed in your garage as there is less distraction.
Prepping Your Garage
While painting in the garage, you will need to have some enclosing mechanism to ensure the paint does not spray all over the garage. That means you will need some polythene bags to cover the other parts of the truck. You could make an enclosure with polythene bags such that you will only have the truck’s bed in the middle. The stray spray will only go to the polythene bags and not other truck parts or your garage.
You will also need protective gear to cover your body as you work on the truck bed. Some of the essential protective materials you need include gloves and a respirator. You do not want to inhale the liner fumes as you spray. A respirator will come in handy in protecting your mouth and nose such that you cannot inhale the fumes. The gloves are great to avoid spraying your hands with the liner. You will also be working on metal and could easily injure yourself if you do not have gloves.
How Long Does it Take Raptor Line Your Truck Bed?
The time is taken to Raptor line the truck bed will ultimately depend on your bed. However, the installation process should take around two hours of work. If your bed was abused by the previous owner, of course, you will have more work to do. That is because you have to start by thoroughly sanding the bed.
Hit the truck bed with sandpaper to first remove the existing paint. If the previous owner had installed a plastic liner on the bed, you would have to remove it first. Make sure the bed looks in great shape before you apply the Raptor liner. If there are any bumps on the bed, you could gently flatten them with a hammer to have an even bed. This could take a few hours, especially the sandpaper part but not the entire day.
Applying the liner should take only a few minutes or roughly one hour. Make sure you cover the edges with tape such that the spray paint will only go to the desired places. Covering the edges will take you only a few minutes.
When applying the liner, you will have to remove the tailgate from the truck since you cannot perfectly apply the liner with the tailgate attached. Apply the liner on your tailgate while detached to make it perfect. Also, understand that the Raptor liner comes with a rubberized backing, making it easy to remove and even install. Several truckers say that the entire job took half a day to complete. After completing, you can drive out the truck to dry.
How Long Does Raptor Liner Last?
Typically, you expect the raptor liner to last for around 10 years if you do not abuse the truck. If you take good care of the vehicle, the liner will not crack or get scratched easily. The liner will not easily tear or fade, easily asking for another repainting job. How you clean the liner will also determine its longevity.
Make sure you use water and soap only to clean the truck bed. You could also use a soft cloth to clean the liner. Using a stiff, rough cloth will damage the raptor liner, which will only last a few months or years. The other thing that would reduce the liner’s lifespan is hauling dangerous things that scratch the liner. As much as you will haul different things in your truck bed, be careful not to scratch the surface.
You could protect it with a polythene bag if you feel that the object you are hauling could damage the liner.
Do You Need the Raptor Liner?
Your truck bed is a crucial part of the vehicle. This is the part you use to haul most of your belongings. Since you are using the bed to transport things, it could easily be scratched and damaged in the process of loading, unloading, or even during transportation. The raptor liner will protect the bed from such damage.
It will protect the bed from spills, dirt, dust, and harmful UV rays from the sun. The liner will also protect the bed from stones thrown in the air by the wheels when hitting the road. You will also store stuff on the truck bed during camping, and these could dent or scratch the bed. However, there will be no scratches or dents on the bed with the raptor liner.
Final Thoughts
Raptor liners may not be as expensive as other liners, but that does not mean they are not up to the task. One gallon of the raptor liner will cost around $140 and could be enough for the truck bed. If you wish to cover the entire truck, you will have to purchase several gallons to cover the whole vehicle.
Check out our recent article on the quantity needed to line your truck bed here.
