Tailgate reinforcement skins/caps?

I've been doing a little research and there are a few companies that offer such products.

What I want to know is... Who has been disappointed? Do these skins really add a solid layer to the tailgate where it won't flex or dent the exterior skin via internals?
Are the caps strong enough to prevent damage if something bumps into the tailgate when down when loading, etc?

I plan to get a skin and cap on my new tailgate. Just want to see how they actually perform.

 

Cap from KB Voodoo strayed with Line-X. Whatever bumps into it will break lol

 

I went with a Mobtown cap. It's sturdy, really made the tailgate more rigid, but man is the coating on it rough. It looked good from the start. However, it has bigtime surface rust issues, and some of the rust is starting to go deep. I've had it about a year now.

 

how hard is it to pop off those side caps, I was going to try to pop them off on my truck cause dirt was under them but I thought I was going to break something.

 

KB Voodoo Tailgate cap is solid!

 

I think I destroyed mine while taking them off. I didn’t care so I didn’t try to be gentle. Little plastic tabs were flying everywhere as I pulled it off. I honestly don’t know if you can remove and put back.

 

I have the mobtown reinforcement plate and cap. I installed the reinforcement hardware about a month later and it was a total pain in the ass. I’m glad it’s on there now, but it took three of us to figure out and it was physically not an easy install. I’m an engineer, my buddy is a journeyman construction worker, and my brother has worked on plenty of cars in his day and it was still a pain in the ass. I could see someone less mechanically-inclined get frustrated with this install.

 

True, I Line-X mine also and tuff as hell.

 

When you take of the track it comes off pretty easily. I was able to take mine off starting from the back and poping it up with my hands. Just don't force it unless you don't plan on reusing it

 

You have 3 options:

KB voodoo cap - all this is is a metal cap that replaces the stock plastic.
Mobtown - separate cap + tailgate skin. Used to be either a flat metal tailgate skin or the option of getting a ribbed one.
Relentless Offroad - one piece cap and tailgate skin all in one.

There was a big debate on strength between Relentless and Mobtown's option. Pick whichever one you want.

I'll be going with a Relentless aluminum option at some point. It has been on my mod list backburner for a long time.

 

You can just fire a hose up from under the bedsides if you want. The bedside underneath the plastic caps is riddled with rectangular holes that the plastic cap connects to. Save yourself the trouble of taking it all the way off, cause it requires unbolting the bed tie down rails and then two plastic push pins on both sides.

 

so the track held on by the T30 torx screws must come of first then gently pull the piece up and off

 

That's right

 

thanx for that tip brother, I got the truck used and everytime I wash it I get dirt rivulets that run down the bedside. i'll try to pry up gently and hose the underneath as best I can, I did try prying it to take completely off but started hearing noises that sound like plastic getting ready to break.

 

only problem I stripped one of those torx screws doing a D ring hold down mod , might have to drill it out cause that sucker will not unscrew. I have nothing but problems with those torx screws even when I use the proper size bit. having to remove the bigger torx screws holding down the bed must be a motha I could just imagine those getting stripped easily.

 

Try cutting a groove into it so a big flat head screw driver can get it out

 

good info gents, thank you

 

I have the VooDoo cap, solely because it has an extended lip that i attach my ST window to.



As nice and stout it is, I'm not impressed with the PC job. When it finally gets bad enough, I'm going to have it bedlined like others have mentioned. And i was also one of the few who had the tailgate cap make contact with the bolt heads for the bed supports.