RAPTOR Black Kit: Mixing And Texture Control

U-POL RAPTOR Black Urethane Bedliner Kit

I used black RAPTOR on my Transit’s lower trim, wheel wells, hood and front bumper. My footage follows the preparation, the sprayed finish, the uneven sheen I noticed afterward and the roller coat that made the sides more even and glossier.

By Steven Smith · Camper Van Freedom

Read my build notes ↓

The Black RAPTOR Project Behind This Page

My kit photograph shows black RAPTOR packaging marked “spray gun included.” I recorded the preparation and application on the van, then returned to the finish in daylight.

Black RAPTOR Tough Protective Coating packaging marked spray gun included — The RAPTOR kit packaging in my black trim-and-hood project. Photo by Steven Smith.

The product card above is the RAPTOR kit in my purchase catalog. The project photographs below record the work on my van.

Watch My Black RAPTOR Trim and Hood Project

U-POL RAPTOR Black Urethane Bedliner Kit Project, including U-POL RAPTOR Black Urethane Bedliner Kit Project and U-POL RAPTOR Black Urethane Bedliner Kit Project.

The landscape film keeps the wide views of the van visible and follows the sequence from preparation through the daylight result.

Watch my black RAPTOR trim-and-hood project film — U-POL RAPTOR Black Urethane Bedliner Kit Project. Video by Steven Smith.

The Sequence I Recorded

I washed and degreased the surfaces, sanded them, cleaned again and used a tack cloth.
I masked the surrounding panels, windows, lights and wheels; my hood photographs also show the primer stage.
I sprayed the black coating, then inspected the finish in daylight and noticed areas with different sheen.
I rolled another coat over the lower sides. I reported a more even finish, with more gloss than the matte look I had originally wanted.

Steven Smith’s white Ford Transit with black-coated lower trim and rocker panels — My van after the black coating work and masking removal. Photo by Steven Smith.

See the preparation clip and primed hood Watch the roller correction Watch the daylight result

What Changed When I Rolled the Sides

Some areas of the sprayed finish looked flatter and others had more sheen. I returned to the lower sides with another coat applied by roller. After rolling, I described the finish as much more even and much glossier. I had wanted a more matte appearance, but I was happy with the final look.

For this early RAPTOR work, I used the roller and tray supplied with the RAPTOR kit. I later used other rollers, trays and foam rollers bought on Amazon for more RAPTOR and other bedliner work on the van.

That change in appearance is the useful comparison from my own job: the roller correction addressed the uneven look I had noticed, and it changed the sheen too.

This black trim-and-hood project is separate from my white Rust-Oleum exterior-coating project. The earlier white-coating diary keeps its own masking time, finish problems and planned touch-ups.

See the compressor context from this project · Find this project in my build diary

Product Details And Van-Build Uses

Specification	Product Detail
Coating	Two-component urethane bedliner
Mix ratio	3 parts coating to 1 part hardener
Equipment format	Bottle coating with application gun

RAPTOR’s black bottle coating is activated with hardener before application. The technical sheet covers preparation, mixing and different application methods, so equipment setup belongs in the plan before material is mixed. Mask the coating boundary, prepare the panels and arrange the hose so it can follow the work. Spray texture and roller texture are separate choices. When comparing the finish, look at the sheen and texture over a broad area rather than only at a small freshly coated spot.

Why Mix Only After Preparation Is Ready?

Adding hardener starts the usable working period. Masking, surface preparation and equipment layout are best completed before that stage.

Two Alternatives to Compare

Rust-Oleum offers a canned truck-bed coating. Herculiner changes to a roll-on kit, making preparation and application format central differences.

Product	What distinguishes it	Purchase link
U-POL RAPTOR Black Bedliner Kit	RAPTOR coating kit supplied with a spray gun	View on Amazon
Rust-Oleum Black Truck Bed Coating (alternative)	Black truck-bed coating in quart cans	View on Amazon
Herculiner Roll-On Bedliner Kit (alternative)	Black bedliner grouped with roll-on application accessories	View on Amazon

Rust-Oleum Black Truck Bed Coating

This black truck-bed coating is supplied in quart cans for coating work. It forms a textured finish and offers a different application format from an aerosol can.

View on Amazon

Herculiner Roll-on Bedliner Kit

This Herculiner kit pairs black bedliner coating with application accessories. The roll-on format spreads the coating with a roller.

View on Amazon

Questions from My Black RAPTOR Project

Why Did I Add a Roller Coat After Spraying?

I noticed uneven sheen on the sprayed lower sides: some areas looked flatter and others shinier. I added another coat with a roller to make the visible finish more consistent.

Did the Rolled Coat Keep the Matte Appearance?

The rolled finish looked more even to me, but it was glossier than I had wanted. My final daylight walkaround shows the appearance after masking removal.