crazyfritz
Columbia, SC
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Joined: 04/05/2008
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I'm on the road now and I knew It was best to leave the tailgate at home when we shoved off. I saw at least one post on this before but I figured I'd beat a dead horse. I had an airgate on a previous truck and considered it but with all the innovation coming through this forum I wanted to see what kind of ideas would pop up. I am a good fabricator in aluminum and also could weld something together but I was looking to be original as well. Any ideas from you all would come as a great help. Thanks.
FRITZ
CRAZYFRITZ(29), Christina(26) & Riley(3)
Origin: Columbia, SC
1991 F-350 CREW CAB 4X4
460 GAS (BREATHING GOOD!)
6x12 enclosed hauler (mobile welding)
1989 LANCE LS9000
1957 CHEVY BEL-AIR
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Matthew_B
The boonies near Dallas, Oregon
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Joined: 08/18/2005
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I just use the net. Sorry, no innovation this morning 
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Steve_in_29
29 Palms (SEMPER FI), CA 92277
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Joined: 01/08/2004
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We just leave the tailgate at home and run without one if needed while on the road. Though if we found ourselves having to haul much cargo we would pick up one of the net versions as well. Easy to store and hardly any weight.
2007 F350,SC,LB,4x4,6.0/Auto,35" tires,16.5 Warn,Buckstop bumpers
2007 Outfitter Apex9.5,270W solar,SolarBoost2000e,2 H2K's,2KW inverter,2 20lb LP on slide out tray,4 Lifeline AGM bats,Tundra fridge
95 Bounder 28' ClassA sold
91 Jamboree 21' ClassC sold
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SoCalDesertRider
SanDiego, CA, USA
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Joined: 12/14/2003
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Hey Fritz, how's the trip goin?
On my old Chevy, I welded two approx 20" long pieces of steel channel (about 1.5" legs x 2.5" wide, if I remember right) oriented vertically against the inside rearmost vertical wall of the bed, just in front of the tailgate, where the rear stake pocket is. That surface was flat on my Chevy and is flat on our year Fords too.
My Chevy bed was wider than the camper in the tailgate opening section, so the channels protruding into the bed didn't interfere with the camper. How wide is the back section of your camper? Newer campers and some older ones are about 60" wide, though alot of older ones are about 64". Your truck bed should be about 65" wide at the rear, like mine. My last camper I had on the Ford only had about 1/4" clearance with the truckbed on each side at the tailgate opening, so I didn't do the channel mod to the Ford, though I would have liked to if the camper wasn't so wide back there.
Anyways, I used two 2x6 boards that I would slide into the channels and use as a tailgate so stuff in the truck bed would not roll out onto the road. It didn't provide a fold-flat, open tailgate work surface, but at least it kept stuff in the truck and the cops happy.
I made this modification shortly after a few pieces of wood I had in the bed of the truck just happened to slide out and drop onto the road as I was pulling away from a slightly uphill stop, with a cop stopped right behind me. It was rather comical, but I wasn't laughing about it when he handed me the ticket!
Another thing I have seen on a truck going down the road with about an 8'6" camper on it was the guy bolted a set of about 1/4" thick by about 6" wide plates to the truck bed and mounted the tailgate to those plates, which held the tailgate out a few inches further to the rear so the gate could closed up over the end of the camper and folded down like a regular tailgate. Pretty ingenious idea.
I studied it as he drove next to me in traffic but I didn't get a chance to stop and talk to him about it and get a closer look. I had been thinking about doing something like that with my last camper since mine was just a wee bit longer than the truck bed and I could have used the tailgate with the camper on if the bed was just a few inches longer.
* This post was
edited 08/29/08 09:28am by SoCalDesertRider *
92F350 CrewCab 4x4 351/C6
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69Bronco ATC250R CR500
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JeffPritchard
San Diego California
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Joined: 07/13/2003
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My tailgate has been chain-locked to my water tank ever since I got the truck. I just use one of those web-like things, but in order to make it easier to get it out of the way, I thread two bungie cords through it (one at the top one at the bottom) and just stretch it accross and hook it on. The original silly attachment for the web thing was some straps you were supposed to tie on. That got to be a pain.
jp
Jeff Pritchard in San Diego
2008 Lance 1191 on 2008 F-350 DRW 4X4
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petekerwien
Camano Island, WA
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Joined: 06/28/2007
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Sorry to admit, I just a finished piece of plywood for a tailgate (at least I put a piece of carpet on one side!) and put it unter the TC when I am loaded. Price was right (I had the plywood)
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Itchey Feet
Wyoming
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Joined: 07/29/2005
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I put a (Flatbed) on the truck no tailgate problems.
My feet are fine as long as they are traveling.
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Hawthorne
Oregon
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Joined: 02/28/2006
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Pressure Treated 2x12 chamfered to fit flush @ the sides. Sits vertical in-front of the camper when loaded.
2004 Ford SRW 6.0 PSD, Gauges, Ranchos, Airbags w/ Cab Controler, 4400lb Rear Springs, Torklift Superhitch & TieDowns,
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wsdepa
Raleigh, NC
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Joined: 12/22/2004
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I too use one of the web/air type gates. When the camper is on the truck, I roll the web thing up and slip it into the bed besides the camper in front of the wheel well where it rides until the camper comes off again.
2006 F-350 S/C 6.0 DRW 4x4 3.73, Airlift,Energy Suspension bumper stops. 2005 Lance Max 981,Polar Cub a/c, both awnings, EU2000, Yakima box.
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fuelhauler
Southern Oregon
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Joined: 07/25/2006
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What is the concern with having a tailgate when dropping the TC? Is it Illeagle to run around in some states without one? Or is it just to keep something you may want to haul from slidding out the rear? I've only droped off my Tc once at my daughters place to haul some junk to the dump & I just use rachet straps across the back to hold things in.
2005 Dodge q/c 4x4 dually six speed pac brake
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2003 Everest 32' 5vr
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