I'm leaning toward's Tim's explanations. Things on my truck, including rear fenders, were painted after being bolted to the bed, as evidenced by runs down the bed side under the fenders. They didn't paint trucks piece-by-piece like I'm doing at the factory.
Bolt-on parts, such as bumper brackets were all black, and the bed side spare tire carrier, were probably painted black before being put in stock, then painted with the truck after installation if at the factory, but not repainted if installed later.
Although with the requirement for a different fender [on edit] but not on a 1-ton, a dealer installing a side mount spare would have to swap that and paint it to match the rest of the truck. They may have also painted the spare carrier.
Bottom line for me - Paint it however you want. Who's going to dispute your choice?
