Rhino liner??? Thoughts please!!!

[mike-srt4]

So here is my dilemma. I absolutely cannot stand the black factory plastic trim on my '12 EX. I would like to color match all the trim to match the factory ingot silver, however I don't think I can afford a good quality paint job from a professional. Plastic dip has been suggested but I don't really care for that either. So earlier as I was browsing the internet looking for different options, I came across rhino lining. Originally I though this stuff was just for truck beds but wow was I wrong. Apparently this stuff has come a long way since it's inception and can now be color matched to factory codes. It also seems to have some + benefits over paint and plasti dip as it is chip resistant, fade resistant, chemical resistant, fully cured in 4 hours, and cheaper than paint. My question is this...what are your guys thoughts and opinions??? Like I said my ride is a '12 XLT and I just got 22" gloss black wheels and H&R lowering springs but am waiting till after this winter to put them on. The below pics I found on google are from a truck project and show a metallic silver rhino lining applied to front bumper and fender flares.

 

[Halwg]

Go for it!

 

[mike-srt4]

Halwg... Thanks for the reply. With 126 views so far I thought more ppl on here would have voiced there opinions. Still exploring options, costs, and deciding how I want my EX to look. Still a long time to decide before I pull the trigger in the spring. Again I am looking for opinions...bad or good! Any experiences with this product on any application?

 

[mike-srt4]

So I came across these pics....shows a 5th gen with rhino liner...doesn't look to bad...although I wouldn't go up as high on the paint as this guy did and like I said before I want to color match. Also digging the semi lifted look with the aggressive tires. Anyone know if this guy is a member? Wouldn't mind picking his brain with some questions.

 

[mike-srt4]

I've seen rhino liner "paint jobs" before. it is very noticeable. Even if you paint match you will easily see the difference in the texture. So it just depends on whether or not you'll like the look of it. One thing for sure, yours will be different and it will stand out from the other explorers out there, and it will be easier to find in a parking lot full of them

Thanks for the reply. I am aware of the textures of the rhino line. Have you ever seen color matched rhino in person....I have not...wondering how close it is. I am from northeastern PA and the winter can get rough and with all the road salt, horrible road conditions year round, back country roads, etc....the fact of the toughness of the rhino is what is appealing. It would be nice if it could be applied smooth but I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too!!!


I am also liking the look of the ex in the post above...maybe leaning in that direction instead of 22's and low,profile tires?... Too many decisions! I love the look of both styles.....damn....what to do, what to do!!!

 

[jran76]

Have you actually gotten a quote for the Rhino liner? I have a feeling once you pay a professional to remove all the trim (and not break anything), apply the Rhino liner, and reinstall, it is not going to be any cheaper than painting. If you really want the Rhino liner look, then I think it's an option. If you truly want a paint matched look, waiting until you have the cash for the painting is the way to go. The Rhino liner is not going to be a perfect match on any metallic paint- both texture on color will be different.

 

[Halwg]

My actual thoughts on it is that it is going to give the trim a different look. It's still going to be different from the body paint, but not so different as the black cladding. Might look good, might not.

Are you thinking of doing this yourself without removing the trim? If so, I would not do it that way. I would want the trim removed and fully coated, then reinstalled. Personally I like the black trim on my Ruby Red Explorer, so there isn't anything I would do to it at this point.

 

[javelin71]

Rhino liner??? Thoughts please!!!

If you are going with Rhino Liner, make sure the distributer you are dealing with has been applying this product for a number of years. Ask for customer names so you can get comments from former customers.

These folks seem to come and go with the wind. Had a bad experience with truck bed coverage and because the substandard job was done by a distributer who was no longer dealing with Rhino Liner had to move heaven and earth to get approval for warranty repair and a new distributer for the product was over 150 miles away. The new repair was almost 100% but I had to leave the truck for 2 weeks because all of the original liner had to be stripped prior to recoating.