RAM TRX - TRX-Forum.com Bronco Raptor - BroncoRaptorForum.com

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="unw153" data-source="post: 914624" data-attributes="member: 15899">I realize that this is a bit late, but since 2 of the pictures in this thread are of my truck I figure future interest could benefit from my experience.Every Raptor owner I know asks the obvious question – why? For me the decision was easy – I hunt a lot (20+ trips a year). Shortly after getting the Raptor, I was in some thick brush in West Texas and ended up with several deep scratches down the passenger side of the truck. Paint was going to cost more than $2k and a wrap was not enough to protect future brush run-ins without the additional wrap work (though obviously less than the initial investment). The liner was a once and done solution.I spent a lot of time researching liners before making the leap. The treatment is permanent and I was extremely nervous that I was not going to like the finished product. I settled on Camoliner for a couple of reasons – primarily warranty. Even with the extra UV coating, Linex would not warranty finish outside of the truck bed. None of the shops I spoke to carried the new external armor product, so this might have changed. Camoliner warranties the finish for fading, chipping and cracking.  A close second for my decision was experience – Camoliner has done hundreds of vehicles and many Raptors. The Linex team in Houston had done a couple jeeps and at least “one Raptor”. I was not about to entrust my baby with limited experience. Camoliner’s shop is in Denton TX (North of Dallas) and I either had to drive 4 hours or eat the additional cost to ship. Since I was pretty nervous I made the drive in order to put hands on work. The team was extremely professional and the number of vehicles in various work stages was impressive. They basically disassemble most of the truck to line, which keeps the lines clean.  I even had the door wells finished. The picture in the thread above (with the lights on) was the truck in the bay as I was taking delivery. If you are considering a full line, I cannot recommend these guys enough.Here are the benefits:The thing looks bad ass. I got lots of compliments on the truck prior to the treatment, but never on the freeway. At least once a week another driver will pull up next to me and roll down their window to have a conversation at 70+ mph.  It’s not limited to the freeway – someone asks about the truck every time I stop. Traffic, bars, restaurants, stores, gas stations, the DMV. Men and women. Drives my wife nuts and she hates to drive it because of the attention (bonus).I spend virtually no time washing and I never have to wax again.  Every couple of weeks I run through the touch free car wash to get the grime off the windows. Even running though recently painted road stripes comes off in less than an hour with a pressure washer. Only added about 70 lbs of weight and I noticed significant road noise reduction. I have a Roush exhaust, and could immediately tell the difference on the drive home from Dallas. There is also an insulation benefit – cab is considerable cooler after short stops in Texas summer heat. While no real benefit for long stops, I greatly appreciate not sweating for the first 10 minutes for the ac to cool when running errands.There are a few negatives:The finish is extremely rough and there is no such thing as a minor door ding. You bump anything (including skin) and it leaves a mark. I had another driver in a parking lot bump me with his door and tried to blame me for the mark left on his Tahoe - about 3 inches of paint missing from his door edge.  After verifying I had no damage I invited the guy to go jump off a cliff. I have to tell my kids to be careful getting in/out every time we stop. Great news is that I don’t worry about scratches and any blood easily washes off.I regret having the door wells done. They look great – Camoliner even worked around the well stickers. Unfortunately the door seals do not do well with a rough contact surface, which leads to an occasional drip at the top of the doors during heavy rain. I have added tubing to reinforce the seals (thanks FRF), but I still get a drop or two. Not major as nothing really gets wet, but it’s embarrassing to explain to a passenger when the drop hits their arm.Time and cost. My beast is a daily driver, so the week to have it lined was difficult – not to mention the drive to/from Dallas. The time taken by the added attention can also be a pain. It was awesome for the first few months, but now I’m extremely rude when in a hurry and someone wants to talk about the truck. It’s even more difficult when the victim is standing in front of the vehicle – did I mention that blood washes off easily?Cost was in line with prior comments – about the same as a premium repaint. The last question I always get – would you do it again? Without hesitation!Cheers,Mark</blockquote>

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