[Webwader]

Scratched Truck Bed Paint: How to Deal With It

From the Honda Service News, courtesy of csimo.

The black paint on the sheet-molded compound (SMC) truck bed of an ’06 Ridgeline scratches easily, exposing the light SMC color underneath.
Like exterior paint scratches, truck bed paint scratches [FONT=ITCGaramondSWA,Italic]aren’t covered by the New Vehicle Warranty. If you get a service customer with this problem,[/FONT]
there are some options available you can suggest to help him or her deal with it
• [FONT=ITCGaramondSWA,Bold]Apply touch-up paint. [/FONT]
Use a paint pen (P/N 08703-NH533AH, H/C 8018046). These pens are available from any Honda dealership. A black felt-tip marker such as a “Sharpie” also works just fine.
• [FONT=ITCGaramondSWA,Bold]Dye the truck bed black with products available from retail auto supply stores.[/FONT]
For more coverage, try “Restore Black” from Bondo (P/N 800). This stuff works like shoe polish to give a consistent color and gloss to the bed. It works pretty well but you might need to reapply it every [FONT=ITCGaramondSWA,Bold]3 to 6 months to keep the finish looking good.[/FONT]
• [FONT=ITCGaramondSWA,Bold]Apply a do-it-yourself bed coating.[/FONT]
Because of the slippery surface and brittle nature of some of these products, we don’t recommend going this route. Also, long-term customer satisfaction can’t be assured.
• [FONT=ITCGaramondSWA,Bold]Pay a pro to apply a bed coating. [/FONT]
The durability of sprayed-in truck linings such as “Line-X” and “Rhino-liner” are excellent. But the weight of the material on the trunk lid causes the lid to close if it’s not in it’s fully open position. Because of this, we can’t fully recommend these products.

 

[Dnick]

OK folks,
Regarding the white skuff marks. I had plenty of them when I returned from camping this past summer. I really wasn't worried about them, but I should say that they appear to go away pretty readily with exterior "detail" protectant products. When I had our Ridgeline clayed/waxed at the local car wash a couple of months ago, they applied a detail protectant spray to the bed as part of the service, & "voila" . . . no more skuff marks.
The way I see it, if you want the bed to look like the interior of your car, you can't complain too much about the potential "slipperyness" of the bed once treated with a protectant spray like this (which very effectively removes the skuff marks). It has worked fine for me . . . but I did make sure I rubbed down the floor really well with a couple of towls before I tried standing/walking in the bed.
I don't think I would ever have bothered with "prettying up" the bed myself (as others have said), but since it is cleaned up, I'm happy with that too.
Sorry I can't tell you exactly what product they used, but I believe any typical protectant "detailing" material would do.

 

[mayfielh]

With the amount of rain we have had in Oregon this Winter I think my scuff marks have drown. Since the bed is almost always wet the marks are virtually invisable.

 

[Canuck]

Like many others, I ended up placing a 1/2 inch thick rubber mat on the bed, after I had a few scratches. But I did fix the scratches with something thats been around and used by sculptors on various metals for years...bootblack! Use the paste from the can. Rub a couple of coats into the scratch first and then on the entire bed to blend. They disappear.

 

[eric1build]

I agree with hiPSI. I'm a contractor and have already cut it (the tail gate) with a circular saw. this is after all a truck. If you are concerned about scratches use a trailer. I didn't know that honda came out with a scratch repair kit. Where can you get one?

I have owned many trucks of all brands in the past. My ridgeline bed does not scratch as easily as any stock bed on any other truck. Logic dictates that ANY surface will scratch. The trucks I owned with a painted steel bed scratched easily and rusted. When I installed a basic drop in bedliner, guess what...it scratched too. On one truck I had a sprayed in bed liner...yep, you guessed it...it scratched too. You could not notice it as bad because of its rough surface and flat finish. My Honda bed has some scratches in it and thats ok. I feel that if you shove cinder blocks across it ( or furniture or boards or or or) it will scratch. I even had a truck with a bed mat in it and the bed mat got scratched also! I don't feel Honda misled me because I listened and read their ads. It said "scratch resistant" not scratch proof and it did not compare the bed to anything else, such as paint, rubber, steel, titanium, etc. If you use a truck to haul stuff, and you push an object across the surface, it will scratch...period. Sorry I don't agree with you, but my bed does not scratch as "easily" as standard truck beds with painted surfaces,and this is what most trucks come with from the factory. Just my observation.

 

[ridged]

I didn't know that honda came out with a scratch repair kit. Where can you get one?

http://www.handaaccessories.com/ridgeline.html

 

[bjave]

Once you repair the truck bed, you can keep it protected with the Murdock Ridgeline Mat, a paying advertiser on the "Interiors" section of this ROC site... a direct link to the Ridgeline section is at:

http://murdockindustrial.com/elemmat/index.php?cPath=27

It will be interesting to see if they change the bed of the 2007 models.

Tony

 

[Erock40]

Like it's been mentioned already, I think, majority of the so-called 'scratches' are really just material caught in the surface of the bed. The rough texture does tend to catch stuff (like wiping it with a towel...come on, you didn't really think you scratched it with a towel did you??). It's no play on the English language, but the 'scuffs' are only a surface debris issue, not a 'scratch' that leaves a gouge into the surface.

Can somebody tell my wife this she tells me I'm scratching the bed constantly, I tell her it's a TRUCK!! She doesn't like me driving down dirt roads, but it's quickest way to the dump!! it's a TRUCK,nuff said

 

[Joe Mac]

BJave-

Good post.

I noticed their ad here on the ROC yesterday and bought the whole package (bed, tailgate & trunk liners). The pictures look like they are of an exceptionally high quality, and "only" $250 for everything. I'll find out if the quality is as good as it looks in the pictures soon enough.

I was a little disappointed in the shipping cost (as I stated in the "comments" section of my order) of over $40.

BUT, the good side is that they are probably super-heavy and durable.

I will post my opinion of the liners after I receive them if y'all are interested.

This purchase is a compromise to myself (I know, that sounds kinda strange). I have always planned and definitely will use it as the truck for what it is, no matter what.

Problem is, I believe in taking care of things. I don't mind spending money on quality. So... I'll spend $200 on a coffee maker that I will be able to "will" to my children.

Also, I think it would be very cool to own an early model year classic of "the truck that changed the rules" thirty years from now... in mint condition!

So, I spent less than $300 on quality liners that will take care of both conflicting desires.

And yes, it is theoretically possible that I could still be alive in 30 years. Barely.

 

[lindag]

I purchased a ProTecta SkidGard Bed Mat from TruckCustomizers.com. The one I ordered was #5008 and was 77.25 inches by 49 inches, which would fit between the wheel wells and would have to be trimmed on the end. When I received it, they had sent me the wrong one. However, this turned out to be a good thing, because when I called him he told me that they now have a mat that is made just for the Ridgeline and will fit around the wheel wells. The cost is around $49.00, and shipping was only $13. Unfortunately I have to wait now for them to send me a shipping label to return the one I have before they will ship me the new one, but I think it will be worth the wait. It seems to be good quality, but not too heavy to interfere with opening the trunk. The part number for this mat is 6968. They were extremely pleasant to deal with.

Don't know if this info has already been posted. If it has, I apologize for the repitition.

 

[RidgeLI]

While the bed may not be scratch resistant, the interior on alot of trucks is not waterproof!

So, many of us not only have scratched beds, but wet interiors. Be glad you if you only have a scratched bed........

RidgeLI

 

[Perkolater]

I'm not sure but I think RidgeLI may have had a water leak.

 

[BillB]

I too have the Truckcustomizers Mat, the one that doesn't fit perfectly (but I knew that when I bought it. Does yours need to be trimmed so that it ends where the bed ends? I just roll it up when I use mine and it has kept scratches to a minimum and cleanup is easier when hauling mulch like stuff as the mulch dust doesn't get into the trunk seams.

 

[schwejo]

I'm not so concerned about the scratches, but one thing I didnt previously consider was how much more difficult the texture of the bed makes it to load certain things, especially if you dont have help. With the bed liner, if I can get one corner of almost anything on the end of the tailgate, I can generally lift it up and slide it in the rest of the way. I have borrowed my fathers Tundra on previous occasions to move things. He has a plastic bed liner which was a great help loading/sliding furniture wrapped in moving blankets. The bed texture on the Honda will sand holes in your blankets pretty fast. Obviously a slippery surface could be a bad thing in other circumstances. I'll just plan accordingly next time, and may consider another solution like an aftermarket spray on which some seem to be almost as slippery as the plastic liners or just a piece of plywood. I want to live with it as it is for a bit before doing anything permanant. In some ways it seems hard to beat the durability of a 1/4 thick piece of poly ethylene like an aftermarket bed liner, however, they never look completely like a factory integrated 100% part of the truck, and they are slippery so... I can see that traditional bed liners are for specific needs and I like them for what I'll do most with my truck, but I can see why the Honda engineers probably (must have) considered a whole range of options, and went with they did based on general appeal and safety??

 

[lindag]

BillB - The new mat that is made for the Ridgeline does not need to be trimmed. It is made to fit just the bed area.

 

[scottg918514]

Like some of you, I go back and forth on the whole bed scratching issue. But, you will probably sell your RL some day, and it would open your market up more w/o the scratches. I don't think any potential buyer would walk away because it doesn't have scratches. But, scratches or not, the clincher for me getting a bed mat is the dogs. They'll slip and slide all over the place w/o a gripper surface. And my Doberman has long claws that will scratch the hell out of the surface.

I'm looking at the Murdock mat, since it seems to have the best form/fit/function. For those that have this mat, does the trunk lid stay open? If not, solutions?

 

[bgessle]

I do not have the Murdock mat but I did buy another one that was suggested on this site. It was $65 shipped, but off hand I can't remember who I got it from. I had to trim one of the ends, but it looks great and protects from the scratches.
As far as I know, they don't make a mat that will allow your trunk to open freely. I thought this would be a big hassle, but it really hasn't. If I have two hands free, I open the trunk with one and grab what I need with the other. If I only have one hand free, I flip the mat back and then open the trunk. Easy!

 

[Guest]

But, you will probably sell your RL some day, and it would open your market up more w/o the scratches.

Not me...no..no..no way...I'll drive Ridgena til she dies and then I'll bring her in the house and turn her into my bed.

 

[Coach19]

I'm not concerned with the scratches in the bed area - mine seem very much like small surface type ones, that go away with a good washing and I've had 2x4's and an entire backyard swing set/play area carried in the back of it.
Think of it as a small trade off - little scratches for the wonderful use of the in bed trunk

 

[BIGGUY]

Its a truck get over it. If you bought it to be pretty then go back and get a pilot. I dont understand why people are crying about scratches in a truck bed, if you dont want to scratch it then dont use it.

I agree I've owned a few pick-up's and they all had scratches in the bed If your that worried about it put a rubber mat down or carpet. Hey! they don't show up as rust marks after a few months