Applying Herculiner To A Vanagon's Bumpers And Trim Panels

To cover up all those fissures, faded gray paint, and small cracks, I chose to apply truck bed liner paint to all the panels.  The product I selected was Herculiner, the 1 Gallon Kit which includes the rollers.  It was a cost effective solution to cosmetically fix the Vanagon's bumpers and fiberglass trim panels.  The front radiator panel up to the bottom of the headlight grill was also done in Herculiner.  This created a blacked out bra-like look without the hassle of trapping grit and grime under the fabric.  The bed liner also acts as a rock and chip guard, and covered up some small rust spots.

Supplies Needed:

• Two 1-Gallon cans of Herculiner (other bed liner paints may vary)
• Herculiner UV Topcoat Protectant (apply when bed liner is cured)
• At least 6 rollers total.
• Painters tape.
• Rubber/silicone gloves.
• Acetone for cleaning.
• A few kitchen scouring pads for paint and panel preparation.

Recommendations:

• Be sure to spend some time masking off properly, I didn't in some areas, and it shows (only close up)
• Use a drop cloth and gloves.  I think I got more on the garage floor than the van.
• Don't use too much bed liner on the roller, it will drip and sag. (see last photo)
• Do rough up all surface areas (its hard step to take a scour pad to the paint and panels)
• Explore a spray on option if you desire a finer grain.
• Discard the rollers after each application.
• Keep extra rollers on hand in case you need a change in the middle of the application process.  We used finer rollers which worked well.
• Apply the Herculiner UV Topcoat Protection after bed liner has cured (This was out of stock when I applied my bed liner)

Other Popular Truck Bed Liner Options:
Hippo Liner
Raptor Spray On Liner
Dupli-Color