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Car Forum / Dodge / Dodge Trucks / November 2007

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tie-downs in 2008 Dakota bed?

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dakota2112 - 08 Nov 2007 04:37 GMT
Does anyone in here know if a 2008 Dakota SXT Extended Cab has tie-
down brackets in the front of the bed?

I just bought one, and had it for one night, and today I had to drop
it off so they could fix some paint chips and install a bedliner.  The
bedliner they're going to install does not have cutouts in the floor,
which makes me wonder if this truck has tie-downs there or not.  I do
recall seeing two rubber plugs in the bed floor near the front.
Before I left the dealer today, I asked the sales guy about this and
he said those are just drain plugs, but I'm not sure he knows what
he's talking about.  I looked on the Dodge website and found no
pertinent information unfortunately.

My '97 Dakota had tie-down brackets recessed under the bed floor near
the front, and its Mopar bedliner had matching cutouts - so I have to
wonder about those rubber plugs in the floor of my 2008's bed.  If
there are tie-downs under there, and my new bedliner covers them up,
then that ain't gonna fly... so I want to try and figure this out
before going back to the dealer tomorrow.

thanks!
dakota2112
Nosey - 08 Nov 2007 05:04 GMT
> Does anyone in here know if a 2008 Dakota SXT Extended Cab has tie-
> down brackets in the front of the bed?
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> thanks!
> dakota2112

Just take a walk around the dealer's lot and look at one before you go
inside.
Signature

Ken

Abby.Normal - 08 Nov 2007 06:01 GMT
STOP!!!!  Call off that bed liner insert AS SOON AS THEY OPEN!  They are
"ALL" crap and will ruin your paint and rust your bed underneath.  The
dealer installed one in my 07 Dakota Quad Cab and after a month the paint
was ruined around the entire bed on the rail tops and top of the tailgate.
I ended up having a Rhino squirted in and they had to come up over the rails
to cover where the clear coat was rubbed off.  Those inserts are just crap
and even look like it after a short time.  The Rhino squirt-in doesn't cost
much more.  Don't do one of those do-it-yourself kites either.  They are
stupid looking and are not much more than wrinkled paint.

You've been warned....

> Does anyone in here know if a 2008 Dakota SXT Extended Cab has tie-
> down brackets in the front of the bed?
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> thanks!
> dakota2112
jmc - 08 Nov 2007 09:55 GMT
Suddenly, without warning, Abby.Normal exclaimed (11/8/2007 3:31 PM):
> STOP!!!!  Call off that bed liner insert AS SOON AS THEY OPEN!  They are
> "ALL" crap and will ruin your paint and rust your bed underneath.  The
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
>> thanks!
>> dakota2112

Well, Rhino or Line-X.  I had Line-X put in my 2001 Dakota about 5 years
ago, and it's still awesome.  It hasn't faded much at all, even in this
really intense desert sun we live in presently.

jmc
Abby.Normal - 08 Nov 2007 19:10 GMT
A friend of mine had a Line-X spray-in done where the main material is
Kevlar.  It looks 10 times better than my Rhino and it never loses it's
sheen.  It also cost nearly twice as much.  I wish I had taken that route
but since the dealer was the one that ruined my paint in the first place
they were the ones that fixed the problem with the Rhino.  It was way
cheaper than repainting the bed rails and tailgate.  If I had a choice, or
had even known beforehand, I would have tried to go that route.

> Suddenly, without warning, Abby.Normal exclaimed (11/8/2007 3:31 PM):
>> STOP!!!!  Call off that bed liner insert AS SOON AS THEY OPEN!  They are
[quoted text clipped - 38 lines]
>
> jmc
dakota2112 - 08 Nov 2007 14:02 GMT
> STOP!!!!  Call off that bed liner insert AS SOON AS THEY OPEN!  They are
> "ALL" crap and will ruin your paint and rust your bed underneath.  The
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> You've been warned....

I had a bedliner insert for 10 years in my '97 and never had any rust
problems with it.  There were indeed a few places where the paint got
worn down, but none of it turned to rust.  (my rust issues were all on
the truck's front bumper!)
Abby.Normal - 08 Nov 2007 19:03 GMT
To get the paint repaired for my rails and tailgate the estimate was over
$1,400.  I nearly crapped a spare tire when I heard that!  I just paid $25k
for this truck and now the paint is ruined after such a short time?  I got
the dealership to put in the Rhino because they were the ones that put in
the plastic insert in a screwed up the paint.  Ruined paint doesn't mean
anything to someone else if it's not their vehicle.  It does mean something
to me when it's mine though.  When the esthetics of a vehicle goes down -
the resale value does too.  Ruined paint?  Given the choice - which vehicle
would you prefer?: one with the ruined paint on the bed rails and tail gate
or the one with clean paint?  To me that is a stupid question.  To some it
means nothing.  It's a personal pride thing.

>> STOP!!!!  Call off that bed liner insert AS SOON AS THEY OPEN!  They are
>> "ALL" crap and will ruin your paint and rust your bed underneath.  The
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> worn down, but none of it turned to rust.  (my rust issues were all on
> the truck's front bumper!)
Carolina Watercraft Works - 08 Nov 2007 16:31 GMT
If the plug is oval then  I'm pretty sure you will find an anchor
point for a tie-down underneath.  Stop by, pull the plug out and
you'll see.  Beyond that.....I agree with the others....cancel the
insert and go with a sprayed in liner.

Signature

------------------------------------------
Laszlo Almasi
----Cool Toys (formerly Carolina Watercraft Works)
----Mack Daddy Trailers
----Ice Angels

> Does anyone in here know if a 2008 Dakota SXT Extended Cab has tie-
> down brackets in the front of the bed?
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> thanks!
> dakota2112
dakota2112 - 08 Nov 2007 19:37 GMT
On Nov 8, 11:31 am, "Carolina Watercraft Works"
<coolt...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
> If the plug is oval then  I'm pretty sure you will find an anchor
> point for a tie-down underneath.  Stop by, pull the plug out and
> you'll see.  Beyond that.....I agree with the others....cancel the
> insert and go with a sprayed in liner.

I do think there's an anchor under there.  I just couldn't check
because they had already put this hole-less bedliner in the thing and
covered it up.  But it doesn't matter now - I've actually decided to
go ahead and get the spray-in.  I had already been on the fence about
it, but reading you alls' suggestions went ahead and made my mind
up :)

Dealer is giving me the upgrade at cost so I'm only paying a little
extra out of pocket, should be worth it.  That 2008 is one mean
looking truck by the way.  Much better than the 05-07 front-end, imo.

Thanks for the info and suggestions!
Abby.Normal - 08 Nov 2007 19:53 GMT
good decision and you won't regret it.  the plastic insert degrades the
value of the truck while the spray-in adds to it.

> On Nov 8, 11:31 am, "Carolina Watercraft Works"
> <coolt...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> Thanks for the info and suggestions!
Nosey - 08 Nov 2007 21:19 GMT
> On Nov 8, 11:31 am, "Carolina Watercraft Works"
> <coolt...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> Thanks for the info and suggestions!

The installer is more important than the brand name between Line-X and
RhinoLiner. I got lucky and got a good installer. I have a Rhino and I'm
happy with it. Many people have reported the Line-X is slicker than the
Rhino. If you want to be able to slide cargo around the bed for easy loading
and unloading the Line-X is better. If you want the cargo to stay where you
put it the Rhino is better. I haul 460 lb. HDPE chemical drums in my truck.
I always tie them down so they are secure but believe me, they don't move an
inch on the Rhino liner.
Signature

Ken

jmc - 09 Nov 2007 11:58 GMT
Suddenly, without warning, Nosey exclaimed (11/9/2007 6:49 AM):
>> On Nov 8, 11:31 am, "Carolina Watercraft Works"
>> <coolt...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> I always tie them down so they are secure but believe me, they don't move an
> inch on the Rhino liner.

Slicker?  Line-X?  Wonder if that also has something to do with the
installer.  My Line-x will take your knuckle skin off right quick if
you're not careful loading stuff, and it's hard to slide anything at all
heavy in it. And stuff I put in the truck, stays where it is, unless
it's light enough to bounce. I don't bother tying anything things down
when I'm just moving it about town.  Unless it's lightweight, or on
wheels :)

Neither the child's piano or the bane-marie (sp?) moved an inch when I
hauled them.  Even my saddle doesn't move around at all, no matter how
fast I take that corner...

And for those who know me a bit - no, I don't load the stuff.  I supply
the truck.  Whoever's talked me into hauling their stuff, gets to load
it into the Dak.  Lucky them.  I do warn 'em about the knuckles though :)
Nosey - 10 Nov 2007 01:44 GMT
> Slicker?  Line-X?  Wonder if that also has something to do with the
> installer.  My Line-x will take your knuckle skin off right quick if
> you're not careful loading stuff, and it's hard to slide anything at
> all heavy in it.

The Line-X liners that I've seen are a hard plastic like material and have a
slipperier finish than the Rhino. The Rhino lining material is very much
like rubber. Maybe your Line-X is different than the ones I've seen.
Signature

Ken

dakota2112 - 10 Nov 2007 02:51 GMT
> > Slicker?  Line-X?  Wonder if that also has something to do with the
> > installer.  My Line-x will take your knuckle skin off right quick if
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> --
> Ken

My new truck received a Line-X spray-in, and mine is a hard plastic
type material.  It has a coarse grained texture, but the surface of
the coating is not very rough, in fact it's smoother than it looks.
In terms of friction, it's inbetween slick and grippy.  I wonder if
they get rougher with age?  I saw a used truck on the car lot with a
Line-X, and it was noticeably rougher texture than my new Line-X.
jmc - 10 Nov 2007 13:57 GMT
Suddenly, without warning, dakota2112 exclaimed (11/10/2007 12:21 PM):
>>> Slicker?  Line-X?  Wonder if that also has something to do with the
>>> installer.  My Line-x will take your knuckle skin off right quick if
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> they get rougher with age?  I saw a used truck on the car lot with a
> Line-X, and it was noticeably rougher texture than my new Line-X.

Could be that they've changed the formula.  I would say mine's more like
a hard rubber than plastic. It's pretty grippy.  It's always been that
way, hasn't changed much at all over the years.

jmc
Abby.Normal - 10 Nov 2007 16:27 GMT
These are the guys that use Kevlar in some of their offers.
http://www.line-x.com/

Age will always play a part in the way things look - I know, I've aged.

> Suddenly, without warning, dakota2112 exclaimed (11/10/2007 12:21 PM):
>>>> Slicker?  Line-X?  Wonder if that also has something to do with the
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>
> jmc
jmc - 11 Nov 2007 12:45 GMT
Suddenly, without warning, Abby.Normal exclaimed (11/11/2007 1:57 AM):
> These are the guys that use Kevlar in some of their offers.
> http://www.line-x.com/
>
> Age will always play a part in the way things look - I know, I've aged.

Unfortunately, I'm aging way faster than my line-x liner.

:)

jmc
 
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