line-x and xzilon

Peteandsharon

Well-known member
I'm picking up my new Ford F250 this weekend and I am getting Fords full protection package. This includes an application of XZILON-3 which is applied to the exterior and is supposed to be great for protecting the finish. Having said that, I will also be getting a spray in bed liner after that and I will instruct the Ford dealer not to apply XZILON to the truck bed. I spoke with a guy at a Rhino linings shop and a guy at a Line-x shop about the interaction of XZILON and their spray in liner. The issue is that XZILON could hinder the application of the liner. Rhino said that it is very difficult to remove and absolutely don't apply XZILON to the bed. The line-x guy said no problem - our solvent will remove it fine. Even though I am instructing Ford not to apply it to the bed, I'm afraid someone will mess that up or at least I will get some overspray in the bed. So..... does anyone know anything about this? Have you had any experience bad or good with the combination of these products? Thanks. Pete
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
I have a Rhino liner but don't know about the other products. Can't you get the liner put in first?
 

Peteandsharon

Well-known member
Jim, The dealer is over 85 miles away and while it is not impossible, I would rather have it done when I pick the truck up rather than make another 170 mile round trip to get it done later. I would also have to wait the 6 hours it would take to wash, apply and dry. All reasons that I'd rather have the dealer do his part first and the aftermarket liner second.
 

superduty08

Tennessee Chapter Leaders
I had the Rhino liner in my '03 F350 and have Line-x in my '08 F350. Both are great products. I watched them take the bed down to the metal to hot spray the Rhino and I know some sanding was also done on the Line-x before applying the spray. That said, I don't really see where some over spray would hurt.
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
Pete and Sharon,
I see why you are doing it that way now. When I got my Rhino liner put on the dealer told me he would rather was several weeks to give the bed time to get scratched up as he was going to have to really rough it up in order to get the Rhino liner to stick. I guess there is a lot of sanding etc. It seems to me that over spray would not be a problem then. Good luck ... I love my Rhino liner and linerx is a great product too. After 10 years it still looks great.
 

Peteandsharon

Well-known member
Thanks guys. I also had the Rhino in the F250 that I am trading in. It was in there for 11 years and was wonderful. I mounted the fifth wheel hitch on top of it and it didn't phase it. This time around I think I'm leaning toward the Line-x. First it is cheaper by about $40 which is really not a big deal. I think the Line-x guy just gave me more of a warm fuzzy feeling about this XZILON deal. The Rhino guy seemed more afraid of it but maybe he actually had the better understanding of how tough it is to get the XZILON off. I dunno. As I understand it, the Rhino is more rubbery and spongy while the the Line-x is a little harder. I don't believe I've seen the Line-x application up close and personal. Anyway, the Line-x is finished in half the time which means I can actually wait for it to get done. That's the way I'm leaning now but who knows. I know they are both good.
 

Larryheadhunter

X-Rookies Still Luving it
Hey Pete, I have both the line-x in my truck bed and the Xylon on my exterior and I researched all the alternatives. Read up on both Rhino and Line-x and you will see Line-x is a much better fix and has more protectorants. Also the Xylon or whatever u call it, is a bit of a hoax, as its supposed to protect the exterior in multiple ways and I have had it applied twice already and there are water spots galore, and the shine didn't last. Hope you have better results than I did. Then again I live in socal.
 

Peteandsharon

Well-known member
I'm a little surprised you had issues with the XZILON. I guess these things happen. Did you have it on the bed of the truck before you got the Line-x? If so, it doesn't sound like it hurt anything in regards to applying the liner. I am leaning toward Line-x for the reasons that I already stated above but I have to say that the Rhino has served me extremely well in my previous truck. The thing that I liked about the Rhino is that it seemed, at least to me, to be thicker than anything else I've seen on the road. My truck is a recreational truck. It's not a work truck so I don't go dropping engine blocks with sharp edges in there or spilling diesel fuel all over it. But it's good to know that it could take it if I did.
 

jrrhino

Member
Hi Pete and Sharon, Xzilon serves as a paint protector type clear coat, like many in the industry. When having a spray on bed liner applied to any new truck the dealer is merely roughing up the clear coat with usually a disc sander or cup brush. This is no different with the Xzilon product. The only time the paint is removed down to the metal is when there is rust present and/or the paint is flaking up and a primer is needed. Regarding the time and thickness of the liner will depend on the product and the type of machine it is being sprayed from. The Line-x signature liner is usually sprayed at about 1/8" where the Rhino Linings signature product, TuffGrip, is sprayed up to 1/4". The difference in thickness is due to their different chemical make ups. Both Rhino Linings and Line-x offer a good liner, but Rhino Linings offers more choices, depending on the vehicle and the cargo it's carrying. You can check out their website at www.rhinolinings.com.
 

Uncle Rog

Well-known member
I used the Turbo Liner brand spray liner. It is durable, about $100 less, and I would recommend doing the bed rails also. It is a clean look and keeps the rails looking good.........
 

Larryheadhunter

X-Rookies Still Luving it
Good luck on whatever u choose to do Pete, I still objectively think the line-x it the best bet, but keep us all apprised on what u do.
 

Peteandsharon

Well-known member
Thanks Larry. I will. First task is getting it home today. I have to drive about 85 miles up into Wisconsin to get to the dealer and we have a winter storm warning with 4-7 inches of snow. Not a good omen. I'm thinking the snow will hold off until tonight. I should be able to beat the storm home. But that's not the way you're supposed to bring a new truck home.
 
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