Stainless tailgate cap and sail panels

[Lowcoe]

I've asked multiple times for someone to step up and produce a replacement tailgate cap and sail panel covers in stainless. As far as I know, no one has stepped up. As a result I've commissioned a scrappy young lad who works at a commercial metal fab shop with creating such a product. I'll keep you posted on the progress. As of now he has my plastic pieces and is in the process of prototyping.... Curious as to what people think such a 3 piece product price point would be fair... American made...

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[kpanda17]

Interesting
Can you have too much stainless?

 

[Jack27]

I would love to see the finish product. Seems like it might look good to me. Def the tailgate top for protection alone.

 

[Lowcoe]

2 out of 3 are already dented and scratched from doing mild truck stuff. It's embarrassing how cheap the sail panels are and how flimsy the weather strip connection is. When I took the panels off I expected the weatherstrip to be pressed into some sort of channel but no, just a 1/8 inch bead of adhesive working against gravity...


Too much Stainless? Never... we're kicking around the idea of doing wheel arches as well....

 

[mcm4ss]

nice!! I am working on making a set from diamond plate.

 

[jpeterk1]

I like the idea.

 

[Gundo]

I like this idea - the plastic is cheap and far too easily damaged.

Maybe $200 for the tailgate topper and $250 per sail?

 

[Lowcoe]

Apparently the cost of stainless went through the roof and is just now coming down. We'll see what material cost turns out to be. I want it as thick as the rest of the truck not some thin cheap version...

 

[Jack27]

Apparently the cost of stainless went through the roof and is just now coming down. We'll see what material cost turns out to be. I want it as thick as the rest of the truck not some thin cheap version...

I have a metal store near me that sales half sheets and cut offs for a decent price but the sail panel is 66” so it might be hard to find a cut off that long. You might be forced to buy a entire 4x8 sheet , I’m willing to bet if you have him cut 1 make sure it fits good then half him finish off the sheet with a few sets you could sale them and end up having your entire project paid for from that

 

[Lowcoe]

Heading down to the fab shop this morning to test fit the first prototype.. this one is made in mild steel....I think that's the tailgate cap standing up... I'm encouraging the youngster to get his ducks in a row with his website as I believe there will be a lot of interest in these pieces....

 

[aeroguy]

What's the planned mounting method? Would love to see something like this bolted down to the substructure with flush L-track down each side.

 

[Lowcoe]

Sail panels will be secured using roof rack studs.. and stainless Rivnuts... the tailgate cap will be secured to 4 threaded holes on the inside lip of the tailgate that are revealed when plastic cap is removed... for the sail panels this means if your gonna run a roof rack the panels would need to be removed revealing the plastic ones underneath. This is version 1.0 there probably will be a better solution for using the roof rack down the road...

Installation of these pieces will require removing the little trap doors on the sail panels. Simple to do just open half way and then pry out one end with a very small flat head screwdriver. Tailgate cap will also need to be popped off. Mostly this can be done by hand but maybe a flathead screwdriver would make it easier..

 

[Lowcoe]

Some prototype pics

 

[Jack27]

Yeah you’re definitely on to something here. I think it will be a popular mod and probably copied by a bigger site sponsor pretty quickly! The stock dull plastic is terrible IMO I’m happy with the after market X Pel I got. It looks way better at least. The tailgate stainless for sure is needed for us who Haul wood and things over the tailgate .

 

[bosshog]

I really like it ...way tougher now ...

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