DIY Tailgate Inner Panel Cover

Amazon. Search RV cup holders and you’ll find em.

No issues. Post a pic of what you’re describing please.

 

I actually just found a thread that also describes what I'm seeing.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/mountain-hatch-tailgate-panel-problems.656937/

I think I'm going to try and use a routing bit in my dremel and cut out a channel.

 

Odd I didn’t run into this issue.

 

If you can clamp a straight edge to it as a guide it will go much easier.

 

Thanks for the inspiration guys. I ordered the 54" HDPE from the ebay link and what I actually got was 55" so that was a nice surprise. I got to cut a little bit of the OEM shape into mine. I did everything with a 3/4" forstner bit and a circular saw. I'm still waiting on my dremel routing bit to fix the channel on the bottom. It works now but there it a bit of flex to it that I don't like.

 

Just went to the tap plastics website and you can order abs cut to size for ~$55 +tx. They’ll round corners, radius edges, and drill holes. An easier way to deal with the raised rib along the bottom might be to glue pieces of 1/16 or 1/8” material along either side since the stock panel has turned down edges instead. I think 3/16” is about right for my panel(exclusive of backing) to flush out with the bed and maybe even extend the bottom edge without binding but we’ll see.

 

Is anyone selling a version of this that isn't as expensive as MH? I'm surprised there isn't a cheap knock off yet.

 

Ive had both its not that much lighter than the Mobtown plate

 

Not sure if anyone has seen this one or not but it's 1/8inch aluminum. Still seems a bit pricey for a sheet of aluminum and plastic cup holders.
https://bareoutfitters.com/collecti...cts/toyota-tacoma-tailgate-insert-2nd-3rd-gen

 

Try making one. “Sheet of aluminum with cup holders” doesn’t quite do it justice.

 

Made mine out of 1/4” ABS (might be 1/8” cant remember right now) jigsaw and bingo.

 

Stainless insert cupholders aren't all that expensive or hard to find for boats and RV use. All it takes is a sized hole saw and you can have one in the tailgate cover. I haven't pierced mine - want it to have full bending strength.

 

I think I paid right around $116 for my mobtown one shipped. I think that's a pretty solid deal considering some of the ones being made start out as a sheet of material that is $60 anyways.

 

Anybody have an Autocad or Creo drawing?

Or, if someone has hand drawn sketch with dimensions, I'll be glad to model it up and do a print to share.

 

There was a dimensional drawing shared earlier in this thread i believe.

 

post #16

 

i managed to throw a quick and dirty .dxf together in cad off of those measurements if anyone wants it. I havent tested it for fitment but i will try to send it to our large format printer at work tomorrow to test.

 

The original CAD drawing was reduced to make the 2D view in my TW photo album. We used a water jet to cut it out of 1/8 aluminum diamond plate and I beveled the edges slightly with a mill file. The thinner material avoided some problems on the lower edge.

When installing, I took measurements of the internal stamping to locate and then added a center row of fasteners. Dunno that it added much to the assembly, but made me feel better. I haven't managed to bend it yet.