Tailgate... Liner?

I'm looking to put something new on the inside of my tailgate that smooths it out. When camping, the current plastic liner is rough on my knees getting in and out of the truck (I sleep back there) and the ribs make it difficult to use the tailgate as a cooking surface.

Does anyone know of a solution here?

I'm aware of the MobTown Tailgate Skin but the $100+ price tag and the extra weight are not very appealing. Ideally there would just be a drop-in plastic replacement liner with no ribs that comes in ~$50.

 

I used a Bedrug tail gate mat from 2nd gen.

 

@RelentlessFab makes some

 

This what you are looking for? https://bedrug.com/bedrug-pickup-tailgate-mats

 

That might do the job.

 

1/4 in 4x8 sheet of plywood?

 

This was my first thought, but I can't remember why I decided against it....

 

We sell our reinforcements to a lot of the guys that overland out of the back of their trucks to make it easier on their knees when climbing in and out (especially those with Flippac's or AT Habitat's), or those that like to use the tail gate as a table at camp. Making it flat and smooth certainly has its benefits.

 

Assuming you're not crawling and cooking at the same time..............

An appropriate sized piece of 1/8 or 3/16 aluminum should make a great cooking surface.

Done cooking, move it and lay a piece of nice scrap carpet on it to crawl on.