Replaced "factory" drop in bed liner tray and Tailgate with bedrug

[deanobc]

My 2024 XLT came with the drop in bed liner and I'm not really a fan of it. Before I bought it I had tossed around the idea of getting spray in and throw a mat down for protection but have seen a lot of folks say they really like bed rugs. I was going through the Ford accessories trying to figure out what to spend my rewards points on and saw the bed rug and decided to get it.

Arrived today so I ran out and picked it up. I was concerned that with my retractable tonneau it might be a pain in the arse to remove the bottom tray. Wasn't too bad, just had to take out the two hex heads in the corners and the lower rear tie downs in the back and the bed D-rings up front. Then it was a matter of manhandling the liner out from underneath the side walls. Tailgate part was just 8 star head bolts and the sink washers. (note: I got lucky I had some regular washers that fit to reinstall the plate that covers the latch mechanism that the liner is mounted to.)

After cleaning out some pine needles and debris and drying out the bed, I got to installing the rug. Putting it in, the hardest part is the fact that it was rolled up in the shipping box and does NOT like to flatten out.

The bed rug comes with industrial hook and loop strips, 2 long ones for the bed and a bunch of short 2" strips for the tailgate. I initially installed it without the bed strips and it slid into place super easy, but decided that was probably a mistake. So I lifted it up, eyeballed where they should go, laid them out, the tried to get the liner back in the right spot. It's much harder once the hook and loop is in place because it's very grabby, and very strong. But some wrestling and I got it in.

After that it was just a matter of lining up the hook and loops for. The tailgate. What I did for that was I attached the small pieces to the loop strips on the bed rug, then took the backing off the bottom strips and laid the rug in the right spot and pressed down to glue the strips to the bottom of the tailgate. The I did the same with the top. They lined up perfectly.

Whole project probably took an hour by myself, though part of that was cleaning the bed and drying it after removing the liner. And looking for washers that fit.

Extremely happy with the final product. SO much easier on the knees if I'm climbing around in the bed (which I've started to realize is pretty much only when I'm installing stuff like the tonneau and the liner...), cargo doesn't slide around, and I feel like it will actually protect the bed much better. I may eventually still get a spray in and then put this in over the top, but as Billy Blazejowkski would say "this one's better because it's free".

Had to re-read your post as I initially understood bed bug and not bed rug! Lol

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[VrtualOtis]

It looks like the bed liner is still in there.

The sides and the piece against the cab are still installed, I removed the bed tray the the piece on the tailgate

 

[VrtualOtis]

Tell me about "manhandling" the drop in tray out. How hard was that as I would like to remove mine. Did it get damaged while being removed?

No damage to anything, it's just there is a lip on the tray that slides up underneath the other pieces that surround it and they are all pretty stiff plastic. I had to really reef on the corners to get them out from under the side pieces, after that it popped right out.

 

[VrtualOtis]

The first post I saw referencing one, they did type "bedbug" and for the longest time I couldn't figure out what they were talking about. I googled "Maverick bedbug" "truck bedbug", nothing came up. I always read it as bedbug after that until one guy just posted "get a carpet mat, bed rug makes the best, you won't regret it" and I went back to the other threads and realized they were saying bed rug!

And I did have auto correct keep changing it to bedbug

 

[MistiT]

I got a bedrug installed before I took delivery, I love it. My only gripe is that the adhesive they used was not the best so the end on the tailgate needs to be re-glued. But even with almost 2 years, no smell or worries from Rain or dirt.

 

[SLJ]

I did the same only put in a thick rubberized Rough Country bed liner leaving the original Maverick drop in front and sides. Nothing slides around on it.

 

[Phimosis]

My 2024 XLT came with the drop in bed liner and I'm not really a fan of it. Before I bought it I had tossed around the idea of getting spray in and throw a mat down for protection but have seen a lot of folks say they really like bed rugs. I was going through the Ford accessories trying to figure out what to spend my rewards points on and saw the bed rug and decided to get it.

Arrived today so I ran out and picked it up. I was concerned that with my retractable tonneau it might be a pain in the arse to remove the bottom tray. Wasn't too bad, just had to take out the two hex heads in the corners and the lower rear tie downs in the back and the bed D-rings up front. Then it was a matter of manhandling the liner out from underneath the side walls. Tailgate part was just 8 star head bolts and the sink washers. (note: I got lucky I had some regular washers that fit to reinstall the plate that covers the latch mechanism that the liner is mounted to.)

After cleaning out some pine needles and debris and drying out the bed, I got to installing the rug. Putting it in, the hardest part is the fact that it was rolled up in the shipping box and does NOT like to flatten out.

The bed rug comes with industrial hook and loop strips, 2 long ones for the bed and a bunch of short 2" strips for the tailgate. I initially installed it without the bed strips and it slid into place super easy, but decided that was probably a mistake. So I lifted it up, eyeballed where they should go, laid them out, the tried to get the liner back in the right spot. It's much harder once the hook and loop is in place because it's very grabby, and very strong. But some wrestling and I got it in.

After that it was just a matter of lining up the hook and loops for. The tailgate. What I did for that was I attached the small pieces to the loop strips on the bed rug, then took the backing off the bottom strips and laid the rug in the right spot and pressed down to glue the strips to the bottom of the tailgate. The I did the same with the top. They lined up perfectly.

Whole project probably took an hour by myself, though part of that was cleaning the bed and drying it after removing the liner. And looking for washers that fit.

Extremely happy with the final product. SO much easier on the knees if I'm climbing around in the bed (which I've started to realize is pretty much only when I'm installing stuff like the tonneau and the liner...), cargo doesn't slide around, and I feel like it will actually protect the bed much better. I may eventually still get a spray in and then put this in over the top, but as Billy Blazejowkski would say "this one's better because it's free".

Why not just get a Bronco sport? If you wanted a carpeted, weather protected storage area, the Bronco would give you more cargo space and better weather protection than the tonneau cover can.

 

[Phimosis]

Had a friend who did the drop-in bedliner, over 10 years, in northern Michigan, and bed was totally rusted out underneath the bedliner.

I had a friend in northern Michigan that used no bed liner at all and his bed was totally rusted out in 5 years. So what you’re saying is that drop in bed liners protect the bed from rust?

Or do you think that there might be a confounding factor? You know, an unknown mystery variable in northern Michigan that causes pickup beds to rust? Maybe we should submit this to Unsolved Mysteries and see if they will make an episode about it.

 

[SLJ]

Why not just get a Bronco sport? If you wanted a carpeted, weather protected storage area, the Bronco would give you more cargo space and better weather protection than the tonneau cover can.

I had a Bronco Sport. It didn't have enough towing capability and if you have passengers you can't drop the back seat for the cargo space. Besides, The Mav with a little longer wheelbase tows and rides a heck of a lot better and will carry just about anything. It's much better at hauling wood, dirt, etc.

 

[Phimosis]

I had a Bronco Sport. It didn't have enough towing capability and if you have passengers you can't drop the back seat for the cargo space. Besides, The Mav with a little longer wheelbase tows and rides a heck of a lot better and will carry just about anything. It's much better at hauling wood, dirt, etc.

I agree that the Maverick is better at hauling wood and dirt, etc, and better towing than the Bronco. But my comment was not directed at you. You have an open bed with a rubber mat. Your situation is similar to mine; open bed with spray in liner. However, the OP has a hard tonneau cover, a bed rug and a bed box that looks like it permanently resides there. That is set up for holding groceries and luggage, not fire wood and dirt. A bronco better handles groceries and luggage, while the maverick better handles fire wood and dirt.

 

[dadd75]

I had a friend in northern Michigan that used no bed liner at all and his bed was totally rusted out in 5 years. So what you’re saying is that drop in bed liners protect the bed from rust?

Or do you think that there might be a confounding factor? You know, an unknown mystery variable in northern Michigan that causes pickup beds to rust? Maybe we should submit this to Unsolved Mysteries and see if they will make an episode about it.

Retired and moved South three years ago, no salt on the roads, no rust on the vehicles

 

[Meeka]

I had a friend in northern Michigan that used no bed liner at all and his bed was totally rusted out in 5 years. So what you’re saying is that drop in bed liners protect the bed from rust?

Or do you think that there might be a confounding factor? You know, an unknown mystery variable in northern Michigan that causes pickup beds to rust? Maybe we should submit this to Unsolved Mysteries and see if they will make an episode about it.

I had to re-read these posts a couple of times and I still don’t understand the point.

 

[Meeka]

I had to re-read these posts a couple of times and I still don’t understand the point.

With the bed liner it rusts, without the bed liner it rusts.

 

[SLJ]

I agree that the Maverick is better at hauling wood and dirt, etc, and better towing than the Bronco. But my comment was not directed at you. You have an open bed with a rubber mat. Your situation is similar to mine; open bed with spray in liner. However, the OP has a hard tonneau cover, a bed rug and a bed box that looks like it permanently resides there. That is set up for holding groceries and luggage, not fire wood and dirt. A bronco better handles groceries and luggage, while the maverick better handles fire wood and dirt.

I disagree. I also have a tonneau cover. It was just removed while I installed the bed mat. The Mav hauls more groceries, camp gear, etc. than the Sport did without loosing the back seat and I can use the back seat of the Mav to haul even more.

 

[RR - All the way]

Looks very good and with a tonneau cover should work well. How many reward points did your "free" bedliner cost???

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