[DetroitDan]

I had a brand new drop in plastic bedliner in my truck when I bought it. Took it out because I don't like them, particularly because it was an over the rail type and it wore the paint off the top of the bedsides in no time it all. I put stainless bed caps on to cover that up. I considered a liquid type bedliner, but never did it because I sometimes want to be able to slide things around. I have a roll off cargo unloader, ez-handler I think it's called. That requires a slippery surface to work. Also I carry sand salt mix in the bed in wintertime, and it makes it easier to shovel off, then when it's almost gone I can just drag the tarp out the back.
My bed was several years old already when I got it, it had holes from a gooseneck hitch and dented inner fenders from axles sliding around. Took a year or so to wear off the paint, then another year to wear off the primer, then the galvy, then I still had a few years worth of metal to wear and rust through. My goal wasn't to preserve the bed indefinitely, it was to use the bed as it was intended for it's entire useful life. I finally broke down and bought a good used replacement bed when the old one was 13 years old and still totally functional but looking a little rough. Before I could change it over a tree fell on the truck and wrecked the old bed. I bet my new replacement bed will last the life of the truck no matter how I take care of it. And my replacement bed cost less than a spray in liner. I was going to try the roll-on liner because I could do it myself and it's affordable, but I never got the time and had to put the sander in service this winter. Probably use it on the 82 instead, just to try it.