Rethinking bedliner cab floor coating. (1 Viewer)

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I thought I had my mind made up to use Monstaliner on my cab floor. I got no response from them so I was checking out Raptor liner. Anyway, while I was reading reviews from people that coated their floors I realized it might not be a good idea after all. Just about all of them loved the look and durability. However, that faded fast because of the heat and noise in the cab. I thought I'd better just paint the floor and go back to a factory carpet or molded vinyl mat.

Any other options? Can the products like Dynamat be put UNDER the cab floor or would it get tore up? I really like the look of the bed liner floor but, I don't want excessive noise or the heat. Especially here in Arizona.
 
I thought I had my mind made up to use Monstaliner on my cab floor. I got no response from them so I was checking out Raptor liner. Anyway, while I was reading reviews from people that coated their floors I realized it might not be a good idea after all. Just about all of them loved the look and durability. However, that faded fast because of the heat and noise in the cab. I thought I'd better just paint the floor and go back to a factory carpet or molded vinyl mat.

Any other options? Can the products like Dynamat be put UNDER the cab floor or would it get tore up? I really like the look of the bed liner floor but, I don't want excessive noise or the heat. Especially here in Arizona.

I did my whole interior with Dynamat with excellent results in reduced exterior noise, and insulation from heat and cold in my 96 80-series LC.

👍
 
When i look at old classics, all vinyl floor vehicles, not matter if they are in south Texas or not, have lots of rust in the floor pannels. Carpet or something that can breath seems to keep the floor panels in the best shape.

So i would recommend carpet with insulation and a sound deadener such as dynamate in select places.
 
My '84 had nothing but the vinyl floor when I got it. The truck was so loud, it was hard to talk on the phone while driving on the highway. I just thought that was how these old trucks were.

I gutted the interior, cleaned and painted any worn areas, then put FatMat (like Dynamat) everywhere but the roof of the cab - floor, sides, inside the doors...
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Next up was carpet - I used ACC's mass-backed (thickest backing) carpet.
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The difference was amazing - like taking off headphones in a loud room or like rolling up the windows on the highway. But be prepared... you're going to hear all the other noises and rattles the truck makes ;)
 
My 88 was bare floor and it was pretty loud. I didn't mind so much since it wasn't my daily driver anymore. When I went to poly T-case mounts I could hear gear whine big time. It was like driving a military or industrial vehicle. That's why I never went to poly engine mounts. I used a cable to limit movement so I didn't tear out my driver side mount.

I really don't want carpet or vinyl but, I choose one of those over the excessive noise. I was just looking at different products to see if it would be possible to put it UNDER the cab. Sounds crazy I know but, they all say they do not absorb moisture and reviewer's say it sticks so well it's almost impossible to remove. Hush Mat tolerates 30 below zero to 400 degree temps.

I used a DEI stick on radiant heat shield on my 88 firewall inside the engine bay because of the exhaust crossover. It's still holding up after many years and I wash my engine bay regularly.

Even if it would work I'm not sure it's worth the effort. You guys are right. Carpet is easy. Except for the fit where my triple shifters are.

I'm still going to think about it.

ADD: I just read that it can be used in wheel wells. Yet it says interior only? Hmmm, I might be bed lining my cab floor after all. Maybe.....
 
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I could gnob. Would it help? I mainly wanted it on the cab floor because I liked the look and didn't want carpet.

My original plan was for the bed, cab floor and wheel wells. Then I read that the cab noise is going to be bad.
 
Bedliner has no 'R value' and offers virtually no heat insulation. In a super-dry climate, you could likely get away with bedlining a floor, but when water gets to the other side and you get rust under the bedliner, it's evil to repair. I won't use bedliner on anything, after my '82 mini bed issues. The inside was lined in the 1990s, and it rusted greatly from underneath.
 
I like the look but I decided to insulate the heck out of the cab and go with either replacement carpet or maybe the vinyl.

My wife and I were thinking vinyl until someone mentioned how carpet breaths and vinyl traps moisture under. Dang it you guys. Looking like carpet.

Thanks for all the replies.

Scott
 
I always figured that if I went with bed liner inside that I'd first coat the inside with one of the moisture curing polyurethane paints (POR-15, Rust Bullet, etc). That would seal off that side of the metal from any moisture. Those familair with them will tell you that I-H Scouts are made from pressed rust. MISF has used about 15 gallons of POR-15 on his Scout II and it only rusts where he hasn't painted it first with that.

Have you looked at the LizardSkin products? Another friend building a Scout 80 (no idea how I got so lucky to have two Scout owning friends) used it on the underside of the Scout's tub. Not driving yet, so no report on effectiveness.

Another option, more for heat than noise, is vacuum micro-spheres in the paint. A friend used them in the paint on the roof of his F700 based Overland machine and the results on a mild day were impressive! In the case of a cab floor I'd use these in paint going on the bottom of the floor for max effect.
 
ntsqd, thanks for that info. Yes I have looked at the Lizard Skin stuff. I have also heard of the microspheres but in fiberglass applications. Might look into it for my house paint.

There are times I have to reel myself back in on my projects or it morphs into a never done mega buck project. This is one of those times. Yeah I'm building a crawler but, my wife and I have been on trips where we were in it ALL day. We have to be comfortable or it's not fun anymore. Just throwing a couple thick carpet floor mats on the bare floor of my 88 REALLY knocked the noise down. My manual trans and gear drive cases are whiners. I got tired of all the whining. Then I start whining.

Thanks for setting me straight folks. Carpet and insulation it is.

If anybody tries that high tech stuff please post up.
 
I fully operate well within the scope-creep range on all of my projects. Sometimes managing the scope-creep takes more effort than managing the project itself!

FWIW not all micro-spheres are created the same. Those intended to be used as thickening agents in resin are usually full of air and don't provide the same level of insulation that those linked above do because of the vacuum in them.
 
Another option, more for heat than noise, is vacuum micro-spheres in the paint. A friend used them in the paint on the roof of his F700 based Overland machine and the results on a mild day were impressive! In the case of a cab floor I'd use these in paint going on the bottom of the floor for max effect.
I was planning on trying that stuff on the firewall.
 
I used dynamat in the extra cab if I were to do it again I would use Lizard skin, the heat from the chevy 4.3 and 4l60e trans makes driving in the summer kinda suck. It's nice in the winter. It is quiet with the dynamat.
 

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