Testing...Testing...1...2...3...
There's
not much to installing the Penda. It takes about 15 minutes from
unpacking to backing out of the bay, and that included me stopping
them for a few pictures along the way.
Over the next
six months, I spent time using the bed as I normally would, but
I also took time to make sure I dropped stuff into it harder then
I would have if the liner wasn't present. Here's a sample of the
stuff I have hauled around over the past few months.
Delivering computer parts to TMTC
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Delivering tires and shirts to a club meeting.
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Plywood for decking in my attic.
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Notice that I didn't tie anything down.
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Barnwell Mountain clean up day.
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Industrial garbage from the old gravel mine.
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More garbage to be collected.
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Installing fence and posts for my father-in-law.
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As you can
see, my truck gets used for a large number of various tasks, including
towing my rig around to various events. I pile stuff in the back
from groceries and camping gear to garbage, plywood and fence
posts. After abusing the bed for over half the year, I pulled
the bedliner out just to see what damage was below it. I was surprised
by what I found.
While there was some minor scratching and dirt...
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...the paint wasn't any worse for wear.
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Now you might
look at these pictures and wonder what the gray stuff between
the ribs of the bed is. I can assure you that that is simply dirt
that would probably be best cleaned out every once in a while.
I would imagine giving it a thorough bath once every six months
or so would be a good idea. But other than the small accumulation
of dusty dirt, there was next to no wear on the ribs themselves.
Based on the horror stories I had heard, I half expected the paint
to be completely sanded off. Perhaps the new SR surface (rubberized
fill) helps to protect the trucks bed and finish as much as it
stops stuff from sliding around.
Notice these before pictures..
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where the same dirt and shading can be seen.
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I also had
next to no moisture buildup under the bedliner. When encountering
rain or washing the vehicle, water simply ran out the back of
the tailgate as it had done without the bedliner and airflow under
the liner was sufficient to dry the bed, preventing the "rusting"
problems so many of the drop-in liner opponents have mentioned.
What is not
shown in any of these pictures are the easy-access holes in the
bedliner that allow access to the stock tie-down hooks in the
front floor and rear tailgate area of the my Dodge truck. These
tie-downs become quite handy when carrying a large load and with
the removable rubber covers supplied with the Pendaliner, they
are easily accessible. However, you will need to store the covers
someplace to re-install when you are done.
I would expect
that over the course of a couple of years that you will lose one
or two of these covers and have to contact Penda to get them replaced.
There are also slots in the sides to place boards that allow you
to make a two-tier bed for more compartmental loading. This would
be great for hauling two by fours underneath and plywood on top
for those larger projects.
Overall, I have been pleased with the performance
of the bedliner. Unlike a lot of products on the market today,
it performs as advertised and it's easy to install. For the most
part, stuff no longer slides around in the bed of my truck, (even
plastic ice chests stay put as long as I drive normally), I still
have access to my tie-downs, and I don't have any additional dents
in the bed.
Unlike other drop-in bedliners I have seen, the
Penda does not curl up like an arc in the middle of the bed, nor
do the corners flap around and make noise. The liner cleans up
well, looks shiny and new and overall makes the bed of the truck
look much nicer. It is easy to clean with a hose or power sprayer
and I worry much less about what I'm putting in the truck bed.
If you are in the market for a bedliner for your
pickup, - make a decision that' s right for how you use the truck
and not one based on the hype of the different bedliner manufacturers.
But do be sure to have a look at Penda Corporation's Pendaliner
SR. It's something old that might just surprise you with what's
new.
Resources
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Penda Corporation
2344 West Wisconsin St.
Portage, WI 53901
(608) 742-5301
www.pendacorp.com
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Johnson GT
15967 Kuykendahl Rd.
Houston, TX 77068
(281) 637-0800
www.johnsongt.com |
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Shawn
Pagan is a staff writer for ROCKCRAWLER.com, as well as
Our Land Use Editor. Shawn resides north of Houston, TX.
Contact
Shawn at thepagan@rockcrawler.com
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