One common misconception of people not involved in the sport truck industry is the assumption that none of us ever actually use our truck's bed for anything other than storing the truck cover. Top the bed off with a tonneau cover and that analogy really seems to draw some merit. However, has anyone ever considered that a truck with a lockable tonneau cover is actually one big trunk? This may be especially important for men out there whose wives drive the trucks and actually use them just for such purposes.
Sure, you can go the custom route and have the most highly detailed truck bed known to man, but then if the truck is actually a driver and functional, what is really the point? Case in point: our long-term 2000 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab. After fitting it last month with a brand-new Stockland hard tonneau cover painted to match the exterior sheetmetal, we further required a nice, soft, and comfy place to rest our backsides when the truck is used for camping expeditions. Furthermore, with the hard tonneau cover's locking features, storing extra camera gear, photo props, or any other sport truck paraphernalia we may need or want becomes a very real possibility with a nice, soft padded rug.
Wise Industries offers an extensive line of semi-custom molded Bedrugs that easily adapt to most any truck. Constructed from molded foam rubber with marine-grade carpet glued to the top side, these Bedrugs offer the ability to be easily cleaned. So, the next motor project we have we'll throw all of the dirty, grimy, greasy parts in the back, and a simple wash with mild detergent and a water hose will have the backside looking just as fresh as before.
Another unique feature found in the Wise Industries Bedrug is the fastening system. The manufacturer provides plenty of industrial-grade hook and loop fasteners that can be easily applied by peeling off the backside of the tape and placing them onto the truck's bed floor, front box wall, and sides following the manufacturer's instructions. Follow along while we highlight the details of this installation. Then judge for yourself if the Wise Industries Bedrug is the right item to complete your truck's bed. We think you'll agree that it is the perfect finishing touch.
1. Upon receiving the new...
1. Upon receiving the new Wise Industries Bedrug, carefully remove the carpeting from the box and lay it out in the sun. Due to tight shipping constraints, the sun will warm up the Bedrug and facilitate an easier installation. The heavy-duty industrial-grade marine carpeting comes glued to a dense poly propylene foam backing, whose contours form to the opposite of the bottoms of the truck's bed floor.
2. To merge the sides with...
2. To merge the sides with the floor piece, Wise Industries outfits each Bedrug with super-durable industrial-grade zippers. Carefully zip the sides together with the floor pieces, taking care not to get the carpet stuck in the zipper of the two sides. Once the pieces are attached together, looking from the reverse side, the zipper is invisible.
3. After removing the Bedrug...
3. After removing the Bedrug from the sun, lay the soft rug into the backside of your truck's bed. We highly recommend washing the inner truck bed prior to beginning the installation. A clean surface will allow for better adhesion of the double-sided tape. After the Bedrug is laid out on the inner floor, you can take notice of how the carpeted material will take shape in its new home under the tonneau cover.
4. These are the multiple...
4. These are the multiple heavy-duty hook and loop fasteners. Trust us, you only want to attach the rug to these fasteners once. If, for some reason, the hooks attach themselves to the Bedrug, they are very difficult to pull loose. However, the plus side to that equation is that even if the Bedrug goes into a truck bed without a tonneau cover, and these are specifically designed for exterior use without a tonneau cover, the Bedrug is assured of not flying out while driving down the freeway.
5. Sewn to the backside of...
5. Sewn to the backside of the Bedrug are two very long strips of loop fastener. Simply match these up with the bed ribs to determine where placement of the corresponding hook fastener should be put into place. Upon removing the protective layer of tape, secure it to the floor of the truck's bed. Attach the new Bedrug to the fastener. At this point, the floor carpeting should be stuck in place, and the sides and front walled portion should be hanging free.
6. Here is where the numerous...
6. Here is where the numerous smaller pieces of hook and loop fasteners come in very handy. Align the backside of the wall looping with the plastic hook tape portion. Note that the even spacing of the additional pieces that may be needed to properly secure the Bedrug front wall portion to the actual bedwall.
7. By repeating the same procedures...
7. By repeating the same procedures on the other two sides, each piece simply pulls or sticks into place. With all three walls and the bed floor firmly attached, now is the time to look back and take note of any excess gaps in the Wise Bedrug. If there are any edges, seams, or walls not firmly seated against the truck's metal walls, use more hook and loop fasteners. On the tailgate portion of the bed, repeat the same intermittent placement of hook and loop fasteners.