When it comes to bed liners there are basically two choices for the 2022 Ford Maverick, a spray-in bed liner either from the factory or aftermarket or you can choose a hard plastic drop-in style again from the factory or aftermarket.
As of the making of this video only one drop-in bed liner is available for the Ford Maverick, the factory one. Whether you order it from the factory, have your dealer install it or order it at your Ford Dealer parts counter it is the exact same bed liner
The good news is that it’s a very well designed one and well made at that. It’s OEM quality.
Having ordered a base Ford Maverick XL for our long term tester we avoided the factory spray-in liner to assure our truck got built in the shortest possible time due to production constraints of most optional items.
Having seen the drop-in bed liner at the SEMA show last year I had decided I liked it better than a spray in liner so after the truck arrived last January, I ordered the drop-in bed liner from a local dealer which at current retails for $415.
It arrived in a cardboard box, about the size of a water heater. Because the bed liner is a modular kit consisting of five pieces that are all installed individually instead of a large single tub as most do it was able to all fit as packaged.
After pulling it from the box and taking inventory of the parts kit I used the included QR code to pull up the installation instruction on my phone. Upon laying out the parts there were a few more items here than I needed for my own installation such as a slew of washers and screws, which is always unnerving. But as with all projects like this, read the instructions thoroughly and know what your needs are and are not for your individual installation before you begin.
You will need a variety of tools for the project including a drill, hole cutter, a jig or hand saw if you plan to cut out for the access panels or cubbies, Torx bits and ratchet, and a good afternoon to spend doing it all.
First tasks at hand start with making sure your cargo box is clean and then removing the various tie-downs your truck may have as well as the cleat rails if you have them. Because we have a base XL there were only a couple items.
Next up is the application of the black tape squares for various locations where your hardware will be reinstalled. This helps keep the look finished where the steel bed is exposed, hiding the paint color from showing behind the bed liner holes for a cleaner appearance.
The head panel is the first item to go in. You want to clean the steel surface at the top front of the cargo box with alcohol as the top trim of the head panel has a self-adhesive strip that will need to stick to it. Before you pull that tape, get the panel slid up underneath the side rails and make sure it all fits together nicely on both sides.
The instructions actually tell you to leave pulling of the adhesive tape until the very end which is what I did and agree with. That way you can move it around and adjust when you set the sides and floor in.
Next up is the floor piece. Because it was rolled up to fit in the box I had laid it out in the sun for a bit to flatten out. It still took some coaxing to get it to lay flat and slide the front lip up under the head panel Relax, it time will fully lay flat.
A side note, if you have the factory tie-downs at the front or none at all, there are already holes cut in the floor panel for them. Because I am installing my own DIY floor tie downs at the front, I pre-cut the holes for them larger to account for the flush mounted flanges. A separate video on these tie downs is linked below in the information section and can be found on our Maverick video playlist.
Once the floor is in then the side panels can be installed. You have to do some preparation for them first however. Depending on your level of tie-downs and cleats that your truck has there is a varying level of drilling and cutting that needs to be done.
The backs of the panels have molded marks for the holes that need to be cut for various pieces of hardware. Refer to the instructions to determine which cuts you need to make. After the bed liner is in I plan on installing my own DIY rail and cleat system so I am cutting these holes now.
Also needed are cutouts for the side access panels or cubby doors if your truck is equipped. While there are guide lines, you will want to measure and work it wisely to make sure your own installation works and meets your aesthetic standards.
I used a power jigsaw to make the cuts after a pilot hole with the hole cutter, the filed the edges to give a cleaner finished edge. It was not the best combination of tools to use, but worked well enough.
Before installing the side panels you need to set in place the steel brackets that hold it all together. Steep threaded clips slide on to them for the tap screws and they can be held in place by the same black tape squares used for other hole locations.
Now you can slide the side panels into place. The tops of the panel slip up underneath the top rails and extra care is required to make sure the ends close to the tailgate seat properly up underneath. It takes a little working but they do fit well. The lower lip of the side panels snaps in behind the outer most rip of the floor panel.
You then finish up by attaching the tap screw into the L bracket at the back of the cargo box to hold it all together tight.
The last piece of the puzzle is the tailgate panel. First you remove the eight bolts that hold the inner panel on and then set the plastic liner in place over it. Using the included stand-off washers you can then thread the bolts back into place.
These stand-off washers help support the thickness of the liner panel while also allowing the bolts to be reinstalled and torqued down without warping or deforming the plastic panel. The instructions ask that they be torqued down in a particular sequence so I followed orders.
The last finishing touches are to pull the head panel away from the steep slightly to remove the adhesive strip on the top trim, then press it hard against the body for a good bond. I forgot to hit record on my camera for this step so imagine it. You can then reinstall all of your hardware, cleats and other items.
One side note, at the time of installation I saw that the floor panel was still not laying completely flat at the back but don’t worry too much about it. After a couple days in the sun it lost its wanderlust and now lays flat. It’s all good now.
So whether you buy this as a factory option, a dealer option or install it yourself – this is what it looks like inside and out. The installation with all of my hardware both factory as well as the DIY floor tie downs is much to my satisfaction and this particular accessory has well met my expectations of both quality and design.
