Do You Need a Bed Liner if You Have a Tonneau Cover?

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A truck bed liner can be incredibly useful when it comes to maintaining the bed of your truck. It can be made of various materials such as rubber, carpet, hard plastic, or spray-on. On the other hand, a tonneau cover is layered over the top of your truck bed and gives extra protection from rain and added overnight security. 

You don’t need a bed liner if you have a tonneau cover, but it’s advisable, since it offers dual protection for your truck. You can install a bed liner as long as the products are compatible. Most tonneau covers will work well with various bed liners, such as spray-on and below-the-rail liners. 

If you are looking for a way to increase the protection of your truck, it may be worth considering combining a truck bed liner with a tonneau cover. Read on and find out whether you need a bed liner if you have a tonneau cover.

Pick-up truck on a dirt road in the mountains.

The Advantages of Having a Bed Liner and a Tonneau Cover

The common misconception is that a tonneau cover and a bed liner are the same, which is incorrect. A bed liner is installed under the truck’s bed, while a tonneau cover secures the bed from the top.

You don’t necessarily need to have both, but it’s often a good idea if you use your truck a lot to transport cargo. It offers you dual protection

A truck bed liner is a protective lining for the inside of the bed of a pickup or flatbed truck and protects the bed of the truck from scratches and dents. Tonneau covers are installed over the bed of a pickup truck, protecting its contents from outside elements. 

Tonneau covers can be removed when not in use, while truck bed liners are often a permanent addition to your vehicle. One can choose to install both a truck bed liner and a tonneau cover on their vehicle for maximum protection against rain or snow, cargo theft, and other external elements.

While a truck bed liner is an excellent option if you want to prevent damage, a tonneau cover is designed to protect your cargo from the weather and provide safe transport for your equipment and luggage. Combining these two things will provide you with the ultimate protection for your truck bed and cargo.

Pros of Bed Liners

Bed liners are a great way to protect your truck from damage, saving you money in the long run. The benefits of bed liners are numerous and can be broken down into five categories:

  • Protection: Bed liners protect your cargo from damage caused by objects in the truck bed. They also protect against dents, scratches, rust, and corrosion. They help to keep your truck clean and dry.
  • Convenience: Bed liners are easy to clean, and you can remove them quickly when needed.
  • Durability: Bed liners are made from a durable material that will last many years without breaking down or deteriorating.
  • Cost-effective: The cost of adding a bed liner to your truck is relatively low compared to other ways of protecting your cargo.
  • Safety: A bed liner provides a buffer between you and the cargo you’re transporting, which increases safety while driving or loading/unloading your vehicle.

The best thing about bed liners is that they are easy to install. You only need a few tools and a little time to install them on your truck and it doesn’t take long at all. 

Spray-on bed liners are considered the best to use with a tonneau cover, since they don’t interfere with the integrity of the tonneau. To protect your pickup truck bed, you can buy the Rugged Restore Sprayable DIY Bedliner (available on Amazon.com). It is ready to use and offers long-lasting protection from abrasion and corrosion.

Watch the YouTube video below and learn how to use the Rugged Restore Barricade Sprayable DIY Bedliner:

Pros of Tonneau Covers

Tonneau covers are an excellent way to protect your truck bed from bad weather and other potential damages. They cover the entire truck bed and offer protection for your cargo.

Here are five of the top advantages of adding a tonneau cover to your truck:

  • Tonneau covers are a great way to protect your cargo from theft or bad weather conditions.
  • Tonneau covers can help you save money on fuel by streamlining the vehicle in heavy winds.
  • Tonneau covers provide a great place to store items you might need while driving, such as tools or safety gear.
  • Tonneau covers will help keep your truck bed clean by keeping dirt, debris, and other contaminants from getting inside. 
  • Tonneau covers can save you time cleaning your truck bed after a long day because they prevent dirt and debris from getting inside.

Bed liners and tonneau covers go hand in hand. The bed liner protects the truck from the inside, and the tonneau cover protects it from external elements. Check out this Tyger Auto T1 Soft Roll Up Truck Bed Tonneau Cover for your pickup truck on Amazon.com. It has thousands of 5-star ratings and is dual-coated for ultimate protection. Mounting it is straightforward and it comes with all the tools you need. 

Cons of Combining Bed Liner With a Tonneau Cover

Bed liners and tonneau covers can benefit your truck, but sometimes the two are not a perfect match. Combining these two products can have some adverse effects.

  • You may need to install a weather seal around the edges of the tonneau cover so that water can’t seep through and ruin your cargo.
  • Installing a tonneau cover on bed liners that go over the rail can be challenging. You may need to install special clamps on the bed liner to hold the tonneau cover.
  • If you use your truck to transport large cargo that goes over the rail, such as cleaning or gardening equipment, it may not be practical to use a tonneau cover.
  • It’s much more expensive to install both a bed liner and a tonneau cover than installing one product on your pickup truck.
  • Sometimes it can be challenging to find the perfect size for both products to fit on your pickup truck.

I’ve also written a guide on whether a spray-in bed liner stretches. Click on the link to learn more about the material spray-in bed liners are made of and the reasons to consider them. [Does a Spray-In Bed Liner Stretch?]

White Truck Bed, empty bad of an modern white truck, daylight

Final Thoughts

Some bed liners are specifically designed for use with tonneau covers. The two pieces work together to provide all-around protection for your pickup truck, and combining the two provides many benefits. You don’t necessarily need a bed liner if you have a tonneau cover, but it certainly helps.

Tonneau covers are made from water-resistant material and have built-in locks to keep them in place. Bed liners are made of rubber or plastic and protect against scratches, rust, dirt, and moisture. They also help to reduce noise while driving.

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