Max Weight allowable tailgate?

Hey guys,

This forum is awesome. I went from looking at getting a AC I4 PreRunner to a double cab V6/Shortbed after looking at everyone's cool doublecab.

One thing I'm wondering is what the max allowable weight on the tailgate is. The reason for this is that i have a BMW F650GS Dakar bike and the back tire will most likely sit right in the middle of the tailgate once loaded onto the truck. One of my buddies has a AC taco and he threw his (obnoxiously loud) Harley on the bed and the back tire sat on the tailgate. Add a 45 mile trip with a few bumps and now he has a bent tailgate. What can be done to avoid this?


Also just to add this in. I just got quoted $29,500 out the door price (includes TTL) for a double cab V6 automatic with the sport package. Sounds like a decent price to me. Any opinions on this?

Thanks guys!

 

how much does the bike weigh? and also there is a way to get in there and renforce the tailgate if you think it will be an issue

 

If you are worried about it could you just use a 2x4 or something to distribute the weight? What is the weight 350-400 pounds?

 

My bike weighs about just a hair under 450 lbs. I know the tailgate can probably handle the weight itself. I'm mostly concerned about bumps that will strain the tailgate to bow down wherever the bike is.

 

The tailgate is the weakest point on the whole truck, imho. They can easily be reinforced though.

 

This is how my Katana travels. So far I've driven several thousand miles like this (300 mile trips at a time, not all in one shot) no bent tailgate. The Katana is a 750 and weighs in around 450 +/-. Your 650 should be fine, if you're still concerned you could cut a piece of plywood that lays from the front of the bed onto the tailgate. This will help spread the weight across the tailgate more evenly.

 

That is a sweet katana. Diggin the color on it with the chrome contrast of the yoshimura exhaust.

Didn't think about using something to distribute the weight. I'm gonna have to keep some wood around for when I load the bike up.

 

Thanks! That Katana is fairly long, especially for a sport bike, so yours might not sit back that far. I'd just put a piece of plywood so it fits tight against the front of the bed and you could even screw a couple 2x4's at the front to act as a wheel chock so the front tire can't turn. A piece of advice, make sure the plywood is secured somehow to the truck when you unload, otherwise the bike is rolling backwards down the ramp, you hit the front brake and the whole platform starts sliding out (unless you have a rubber mat). Not a fun situation.

 

I would use a piece of 3/4" pressure treated plywood behind the wheel arches to the tip of the tailgate to spread the load better.

 

Oddly enough same with me...i was shopping for I4 or Access Cab, and since they had none i bought the DC Prerunner. Very glad that i did though!

 

OP , you said you are going to get the Sport package , I was wondering if you had considered the longbed ?

It would certainly solve your tailgate concern , but not everybody wants the extra length .

Just a thought you might not have considered .

 

DC's are awesome

The closer to the center of the bed you place the bike, the better the truck will handle. No need to offset 450 lbs if you don't need to.

 

yeah the first thing i thought of was like 3/4 inch plywood to distribute the weight. that should be good!

how can you reinforce the tailgate?

 

i drove from hinesville georgia to las vegas to northern california like this....and had no problems with a bent tail gate or anything

 

thats what i would do!!! but thats why i got the long bed...rear tire sits in bed..tail gate wont close but its ok at least there no weight on it..

id go nuts if the cables broke and my ducati dropped down crushing the bottom fairings

 

DCLB FTMFW

 

there is a write up here somewhere on how to take apart the tailgate and metal metal supports through out the tailgate

 

Tinker_troy did a nice fix on his , I can't seem to isolate that thread on my Tapatalk search though .

 

It's a hell of a lot easier to load it straight on than try to turn it once it's in the bed...

Plywood works just fine. Plywood on it's own is flexible (although 3/4" is pretty rigid) but it's added support. In order for the plywood to bend, the tailgate would have to give underneath it. The plywood helps spread the weight so it's not a point load on the tailgate (for a bike this size, you don't really need anything, it's just added security). Angle iron is overkill for a 650 cc dualsport.

 

Get a piece of 1" plywood , it will not bend at all .