Rubber cargo bed liner - Keep it or trash it?

[nickd]

When I bought my 2005 Chevy Express, it came with a rubber liner that covers the entire cargo area of the van. It's a little dirty right now, but it's flat, not ridged, and has a little bit of insulation underneath.<br><br>I'm going to be removing it to deep clean the bare metal underneath and take care of any little rust spots. After that, I could either insulate and floor the van from the bare metal up, or leave the rubber bed liner, and then floor on top of that.<br><br>What do you recommend? Keep the liner or get rid of it and just start with the bare metal?

 

[MrNoodly]

I'm reminded of what the spray-on bed liner folks say. They <em>claim</em> moisture condenses between the metal and things you lay over it, like plastic bed liners or plywood. Then, as the vehicle &nbsp;vibrates and moves, &nbsp;the plastic/plywood scrapes against the bed, wearing through the paint in spots and exposing them to rust because of the trapped moisture. <br><br>I can imagine how that might be true but I don't know if it is. If you have rust spots now, that might be a contributing factor.<br><br>So I'm tempted to cover the floor and even the walls with spray-on bed liner before building out anything. A less expensive alternative might be to apply peel-and-stick Ice &amp; Water Shield -- the rubbery membrane they use on roofs. The idea would be to have something between the floor and other layers that wouldn't trap moisture or grind against the floor.<br><br>But I could be worrying about nothing. Or my solutions might not work.

 

[nickd]

That's a good thought. I'm interested to hear from anyone has experienced that. <br><br>Luckily, there isn't much rust (if any) that I've found as of now. Dirt, yes. Rust, no.

 

[James AKA Lynx]

My 97 smelled so bad that I tossed it. If you can clean it well top and bottom, you may want to keep it. The square mats are easy to take out and clean underneath for any spills you might get.<br><br>James AKA Lynx

 

[ZOFCHAK]

.<br>So I'm tempted to cover the floor and even the walls with spray-on bed liner before building out anything. A less expensive alternative might be to apply peel-and-stick Ice &amp; Water Shield -- the rubbery membrane they use on roofs. .

<br><br><br>&nbsp; Be careful on what spray on bed liner products you use. Many of them off gas for a very long time and it might not be best for an enclosed area that you will be sleeping in.