Bedliner Colors
Color Match,
UV & Fading

Black is the most common, but professional liners can be pigmented to almost any color. Speedliner lists 11 factory colors, from black and dove gray to red, white and purple. LINE-X and Rhino Linings match paint codes, and Rhino says to ask your local applicator what colors they spray. Colored liners need an aliphatic system or UV topcoat to hold their color.

Yes. LINE-X says its technicians can match any color code with its XTRA topcoat, and Rhino says its liners can be pigmented to match virtually any color code, including pearls and metallics in its UV Top Coat. ArmorThane's STS ColorCoat is mixed to an OEM paint code. Bring your paint code and make sure the color has UV protection.

Most liners do if they sit in the sun without protection. Common aromatic liners yellow, darken, fade or chalk under UV, while aliphatic liners and aliphatic UV topcoats hold color and gloss. The fading is cosmetic: ArmorThane's polyurea guide notes that the discoloration of aromatic polyurea does not affect physical properties.

No manufacturer publishes a timeline, and we found no lab data giving years. It depends on the chemistry, whether there's a UV topcoat, the color and how much sun the bed gets. A garage-kept truck or a covered bed sees less sun, and so less fading, than one parked outside with the bed open.

Aromatic liners change color and chalk in sunlight, and owners report black liners going gray. If the liner is intact, it's cosmetic. Clean and degrease the bed, then use a restorer such as Rhino Shine Ultra for a quick refresh, or have an aliphatic UV topcoat such as STS ColorCoat applied for a longer fix.

Aromatic isocyanates contain chromophores that interact with light, so aromatic liners tend to yellow, darken and chalk in sun. Aliphatic liners hold color and gloss but can cost more than double in material. Many projects use an aromatic base for performance and an aliphatic topcoat for appearance; a full aliphatic liner like Rhino SolarMax needs no topcoat.

Yes. For a DIY liner, Herculiner says to use a polyurethane-based paint, not lacquer, within 24 hours of the liner becoming dry to the touch; after that, lightly sand and clean it first. For a professional liner, the usual route is an aliphatic polyurethane topcoat such as STS ColorCoat, applied by brush, roller or HVLP gun.

Raptor Tintable from U-POL, Monstaliner, Al's Liner and SEM Rock-It XC Tintable can all be tinted, and Durabak comes in 16 factory colors. Rust-Oleum's truck bed coating says do not thin or tint, Dupli-Color Bed Armor comes only in black satin, and Herculiner Original is black. Tint changes the color, not the UV resistance.

U-POL's data sheet says to add one 1.5 fl oz (45 ml) color pouch per 750 ml bottle, with tint up to 10% by volume depending on color and typically 5% for good opacity. One reseller, Pros Distributing, says 3 oz per 24 oz bottle, roughly twice as much. When they disagree, follow the manufacturer's data sheet.

Probably, based on paint and roof data, though we found no bedliner-specific test. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory reports solar reflectance of about 0.05 for black paint and 0.60 for white or silver, and a silver car's roof ran up to 45°F cooler than a black car's. Dirt and age cut the benefit.

It can, but pro brands don't publish the upcharge; Rhino says each applicator sets its own price. Speedliner's pro-applied MSRP is $650 to $850 depending on vehicle size and options, and aliphatic material can cost more than double aromatic. On the DIY side, Durabak's specialty colors add $10 to $30 per gallon.