Jeep Cherokee Forum

Jeep Cherokee 1984-1996: How to Paint Bedliner

If you’re doing a quick touch up job on your Jeep Cherokee’s bedliner, it’s a good idea to do it yourself. A larger job might mean going to a vendor with the right equipment and experience. Here’s what to consider.

By Jon LeSage - August 26, 2015

This article applies to the Jeep Cherokee XJ (1984-1996).

If you’re looking into options for coating your Jeep Cherokee’s bedliner, much of the decision will depend on how much you want to spend and how much experience you have in doing the job. It can be simple touch up work for about $150, or it could go as high as $3,000 to pay for a complete refinishing. Here are some options to consider for getting the job done.

Materials Needed

  • Bedliner paint (two gallons)
  • Paint brush
  • Sandpaper

Step 1 – Look at paint options

For painting your Jeep Cherokee’s flooring with bedliner, there are at least four recommended coating products to consider.

  1. LINE-X
  2. Raptor Truck Bed Liner Kit
  3. Monstaliner
  4. Herculiner

Pricing is in the $100 to $150 per gallon range. You can buy a kit in the $250 range, but at least two gallons are usually needed to get the job done. The price can go up quite a bit to repaint all of the flooring and the other areas, maybe in the $1,500 to $3,000 range, based on bids provided by a few of these vendors. As for colors, blue, red, black, and white colored bedliner are usually chosen.

Figure 1. Blue, red, black and white coatings are widely used with black being probably the most popular.

Step 2 – Choose bedliner paint

Some of it will depend on the texture you want in the Cherokee. One product may have a smoother, softer texture than the others. One may be considered more cost effective than competitive brands. Research whether it would be better to spray on or roll on the bedliner, and find out which paints are best suited to that method.

One Cherokee owner of the CherokeeForum.com prefers LINE-X because it makes the most sense for the specific areas covered - the rocker panel and inside the door jams. Another owner is going with Monstaliner because it seems more cost effective. Raptor Bedliner has been getting good reviews in the forums.

Figure 2. You can choose whether you’d like a smooth coating or a rough coating, depending on how you’re typically using the Cherokee.

Step 3 – Prep the bedliner

You can start prepping the bedliner by cleaning the floor with a pressure washer. If the bed has been rusting, you’ll probably need to use a protective coating such as Rustoleum.

You can spray the Jeep and let it dry, then sand it lightly to remove the texture before placing on the next coat. That can also give it a textured look. A light sanding will take the excess texture off and provides a better base for the top coat. You might need a few days to prep and sand the bed before putting on the top coat.

Figure 3. You can spray the Jeep and let it dry, then sand it lightly to remove the texture before placing on the next coat.

Step 4 – Spray top coat

Having sanded the coating will get it ready for the top coat, especially if you’re spraying on the coating. The texture in the aerosol cans isn’t very solid, and needs a good sanding and texture to get it to stick. You should have a good base ready for the top coat. Much of this depends on whether you want to end up with a smooth or rough texture, which will depend on how you’re using your Jeep.

You’ll need to decide whether it makes the most sense to spray or roll the top coat. Roll on might be the simplest and cheapest way to go on a small area. Spraying will need a paint gun and having access to an air compressor, and that can be much more costly. You may need to outsource it to a vendor that has expertise in doing the spray on.

Figure 4. You may need to hire a vendor to spray on the coating, or look into what’s being offered at contractor stores.

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