Tailgate Strength

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May 20, 2011 | 11:14 AM

#16

sy628109

Freshman User

Joined: Apr 2011

Posts: 39

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Quote:

Originally Posted by buckmasters

The sticker on my man step says 350 lbs. I'm guessing it's the same for the stripper pole as well (man, that could hold a BIG stripper).

The man step makes more sense, I was going to say 350 for the whole tailgate seems light. I drive a 700LB ATV up there with loading ramps resting on the tailgate.

May 20, 2011 | 11:29 AM

#17

transferred

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Joined: Oct 2009

Posts: 207

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Quote:

Originally Posted by flyinnuts

So every couple of weeks I have to haul a 2k# round bale in the bed. Up to this point I have removing the tailgate (which I believe to much heavier than my 04 ) and doing the ole back up really fast and braking quickly to let the momentum roll the bale out of the bed and on to the ground. Kubota tractor doesnt have enough umphh to handle the bale with the front loader. I have to move it around with the 3 point spear.

My question is....what are the thoughts on leaving the tailgate on while performing this manuever? Will the cables hold? will the plastic inside liner hold up? Bad idea all the way around?

I've done exactly this when helping at my brother's ranch and haven't had an issue. Weight is spread over almost the entire area of the 'gate and on there for only a fleeting moment. It's going through a ditch loaded up that's more likely to bend the tailgate, well that's what happened on my brother's 2005 F350 anyway but that thing has more dents than smooth parts so it's no big deal. Also, I've only done it three or four times so may have just gotten lucky.

However, I CANNOT stress enough the importance of having a heavyweight headache rack in place. If for some reason (sheep dog or something getting in your way) the bail was to roll back into the bed you could lose more than just some metal work. Sure, a bail may be stopped by front of the box wall but assuming you haul a variety of things I'd get one. Headache racks should be factory fit options in my opinion. Be smart, stay safe.

May 20, 2011 | 08:28 PM

#18

flyinnuts

Thread Starter

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Joined: Jul 2006

Posts: 234

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From: Texas

Transferred you wouldn't happen to have an "Epic video" to offer as proof? Lol.
Thanks for the offering up your experiences. I do use a couple of 2" tie downs til I get to the pasture but I will be looking into the headache rack.

May 21, 2011 | 04:28 PM

#19

Mr. Mcbeevee

Elder User

Joined: May 2011

Posts: 551

Likes: 4

We have hauled 5x4 rolls like this for years on a 95 F350. You can leave the tailgate in for a while and not damage it, but eventually it will get the bowed. Ours did after one winter of feeding. Something else to think about is that by taking the tailgate out your bed uprights give the bale more support on the sides, unless you shove the bale all the way up in the bed. We always left about a foot of the bale hanging off, put a rope across the front of the bale and you can push it out by hand if you need to. Hard to stop quick enough to throw it off when it is muddy. No harder than it is to remove the tailgate it probably would be easier to just remove it, unless you want it to look like a farm truck quicker than it probably will.