Ideas for a tailgate protector?

I am always hauling stuff - ladders, wood, pipe, etc. - that rests on top of my tailgate. It's getting scraped too much and I am thinking about some type of rubber or padded strip that I can easily put on and remove to protect it. Something like a section of foam pipe insulation with the slit down the center but I don't think they are big enough. Has anyone done anything like this? I would be interested in ideas....right now I am just throwing a rubber pad over it but it is really a jury rig. Thanks

 

I've wondered about the possibility of doing something like a steel plate to replace the plastic on the inside of the tailgate. Powdercoat it black, and make it shaped so that it covered the top edge, and maybe roll over a little to the painted side. That way things would be protected, and if you needed to put a lot of weight on the tailgate it would be reinforced.

 

That's a good idea and they sell metal plate tailgate cap protectors like this. However, I prefer a rubber removable fix......giving the tailgate top better reinforcement is a great idea though.....

 

Yeah I've seen a lot of work trucks that have carried heavy stuff and bent the tailgate on the top. Always makes me cautious about having stuff in there like that. Not to mention, the more weight is past the tailgate, the more force is on it. Just makes whatever is propped up transfer the force like a big lever.

 

Hmmmm....wonder if we could get one of these bright, young, metal fabricating vendors to come up with something that is soft (rubber or something close) on the inside and outside, is removable, and sits over the top of the tailgate?

 

If I'm not mistaken doesn't Chevy have one of these things for their silverado models. You could use that for a template....

 

Somebody did post a layout drawing for a 'diamond' aluminum sheet tail gate covering some time ago here or on TN. For the life of me, can't find proper search terms to bring it up. It had all necessary measurements though.

 

Probably easier to just buy an aftermarket one and cut it to fit. I'm still looking for a heavy rubber one though.....

 

Found it. Might be more than needed, but elegant solution just the same:
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/29117-weak-tailgate-reinforcement-solution.html

 

I need a tailgate protector for mine as well. I have searched for an aftermarket one, and there are several that claim to fit. You can get a diamond plated steel one or a vinyl one from various web sites. Just google "tailgate protector" and a lot of web sites will come up. I have found one vinyl one at this site: http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/20..._mechanical_-ar-_trim/tailgate_protector.html
for $72, but they want to charge $130 for shipping!!! Now this is basically a piece of plastic about 5' long and weighs maybe 2 pounds. I've heard of expensive shipping, but these guys have fallen off the deep end!! Anyway, I'm still looking if anybody else might know where to check. If all else fails, I'll go to a dealer and get one, but usually aftermarket is about 1/2 the price of dealer price.

 

I haven't followed the for sale thread for awhile but the guy at G Tek seemed to make a real quality door sill protector and it seems like there was mention of him checking into making protection for tailgates. You may want to shoot him a PM, if he doesn't have one now maybe he will if demand is high, never hurts to ask. If you haven't read his thread search G Tec.

 

You might check out Relentless Fabrication.com . Hes a vendor on here. Makes tailgate protectors...as well as several other items. I got one on order for my 2011.

 

Found the spot!! Took a lot of searching, but there is a place called Rockauto.com. They had the exact match that I needed and called it a weather strip instead of tailgate protector or cap. From what I could see, it looks like they have pretty much anything you need.