Looks good! I'll be getting one in a month or so!

Someone should sticky this! :thumbsup:

 

Will the discounted price be for the first batch only or will you extend it for TN members. I really WANT one, but I NEED tires. It'll be ~3-4 months before I can justify the cost.

 

I need to pick up some more overtime.


When I do I'll buy one.

 

I'm going to hold the cost for the TN member indefinitely.

 

Have you looked into how much weight the tailgate w/ Tailgator can hold?

 

I'm going to hold the cost for the TN member indefinitely.

Excellent! Thank you.

 

Have you looked into how much weight the tailgate w/ Tailgator can hold?

Yeah!

Hey Seth, where are those pics of your 1,000lb polaris on this thing?

 

The panel, with 2 90* bends in .104" thick steel is EXTREMELY rigid.

As PT mentioned, I put my 250# neighbor on his 800+# Polaris 800 EFI and had him ride it up the back of the truck. As the pictures show, the panel held dead straight, but the cables stretched and the tailgate rolled on the hinges.

I have run engineering numbers in a form that isn't useful in the real world (factors out the tailgate entirely and only give deflection number for the panel). In the real world, the panel appears to be stronger than the hardware that Toyota attachs the tailgate to the truck with.

I gotta mention though, that its just a tailgate. If you want to park a Pinto on it, bad things are gonna happen.

 

400# Dead in the middle:

 

Someone should send this thread to Toyota headquarters. Toyota should spring for the cost of the TailGators for all of us.

Since when do trucks call for tailgates made of aluminum foil???

 

this will definatly be mod I will be purchasing. Just give me a couple weeks and I'm getting it.

 

400# Dead in the middle:

Not to doubt the strength of the new tailgate, but weren't almost all of the bent tailgates from something bouncing on the tailgate, rather than sustained weight?

 

Is there going to be a mat black / rough powder coating available?

i got this done to my 600RR clutch cover and it matched the frame exactly... nice and Gripy too!

 

Not to doubt the strength of the new tailgate, but weren't almost all of the bent tailgates from something bouncing on the tailgate, rather than sustained weight?

i'm sure some where, but i'm sure some where from sustained weight. ie, motorcycles, etc. but i don't recall the exact stories of bent tailgates.

 

The panel, with 2 90* bends in .104" thick steel is EXTREMELY rigid.

As PT mentioned, I put my 250# neighbor on his 800+# Polaris 800 EFI and had him ride it up the back of the truck. As the pictures show, the panel held dead straight, but the cables stretched and the tailgate rolled on the hinges.

...

I have run engineering numbers in a form that isn't useful in the real world (factors out the tailgate entirely and only give deflection number for the panel). In the real world, the panel appears to be stronger than the hardware that Toyota attachs the tailgate to the truck with.

I gotta mention though, that its just a tailgate. If you want to park a Pinto on it, bad things are gonna happen.

:thumbup: FREAKIN' AWESOME :clap:


Nice work -and "the proof is in the puddin'."
(Although, you never know when you may have to tow some
poor Dodge Hemi(roid) with the wheels off the ground.
Guess we can't use the tailgator for that. )

 

Not to doubt the strength of the new tailgate, but weren't almost all of the bent tailgates from something bouncing on the tailgate, rather than sustained weight?

As I understood it from the posts on here it was when people were loading bikes or ATVs. Have yet to hear about someone's gate breaking while bouncing down the highway and sending the ATV off into traffic behind them.


Either way, is a 500lb bike bouncing a few inches really going to put more than 1000lbs of pressure on the gate? Ideally, it shouldn't be bouncing at all. It should be strapped down and moving with the truck over the bumps. It shouldn't be jumping up 6" as you cross a speed bump then slam into the tailgate. Of course if someone actually DOES that they're asking to break a tailgate! :lol:

 

800#'s right smack in the middle is what's bending them. 500#'s on either end is not gonna bend them.

 

I just drove-up to Seth's shop today to pick up my Gator-Saver. It took him about fifteen minutes total to remove the old panel and install the new one. I was really impressed with how well it fit and look, not to mention how solid it feels.

To anyone who ordered one: you won't be disappointed. Defintely worth the money.

 

800#'s right smack in the middle is what's bending them. 500#'s on either end is not gonna bend them.

true, but for this to bend in the middle it'll have to crack the bend over the top of the tailgate, the bend Seth put in about 2" below the top, and maybe even the bend over the bottom edge. That's going to require a lot of force.


I also think it says something when Seth can support nearly the entire bed capacity on the tailgate. (total bed capacity is what? 1100lbs? 1300?)

 

If i had a harley, I'd load it. I have a Yamaha 250, but it ain't heavy enough for you guys! I have an Iron Horse, but its WAY to low to go into the back of a truck and also isn't heavy enough.

I guess I just don't have heavy enough toys!

Thanks to boydestruction for letting me use him as a test mule. I'm pleased to report that everything fit great with no surprises.

 

Hey Seth, where are you located? I live in Fredericksburg north of Richmond and would like to come by and pick one of these up in person. I think you have done this new Tacoma a great justice. Awsome job!

 

Richmond (Midlothian to be exact).... Give me a ring next week, if you're interested in coming by. I'm already through the first run of panels and are in the 2nd production run... so its gonna be another week before I can ship the 2nd batch.

 

Richmond (Midlothian to be exact).... Give me a ring next week, if you're interested in coming by. I'm already through the first run of panels and are in the 2nd production run... so its gonna be another week before I can ship the 2nd batch.

So the second batch is going to ship around the 22? I might be able to scrap up some funds for one by next week.

 

Richmond (Midlothian to be exact).... Give me a ring next week, if you're interested in coming by. I'm already through the first run of panels and are in the 2nd production run... so its gonna be another week before I can ship the 2nd batch.

Yep, I know where that's at. I will give you a call next week.
Thanks
Tom

 

Installation Instructions (6.5mb file)

http://www.offroadmarketing.com/toy/tailgate instructions.doc