Long time listener, first time caller 
For a while now, I've really wanted one of the aqualu storage tailgates, but I'm always stunned by how expensive it is, and can never justify the cost ($675!!!). So i've been rocking a tailgate panel for a year or two, which does the job, but barely so. So a couple weeks ago, I asked myself the question: Can I make my own and have it cost half as much? Yes I can!
Before we begin, a couple notes:
- My rig is not a garage queen nor anything resembling a stock 40. It's my fun rig that I roll on the weekends that I pretty much saved from the crusher. Nothing that I do to my rig is expected to be perfect, and I'll probably hand it over to my kids, so I'm not worried about devaluing it
- When I bought it, I told myself that I wanted to do all of the work on it myself. There has been some limitations, but with my rig, I've learned to weld. I've learned how to build exhausts, paint, etc.
- ill be using some items/tools that I already have on hand, so don't expect everything to be in the budget
So. a $300 or less budget. I started with a purchase at my local metal supermarkets:
Then I put in an amazon order for some hinges and latches
All of that came in last week I got to work. I didn't think to document this procedure until I was halfway in, so i apologize for the missing photos.
For a while now, I've really wanted one of the aqualu storage tailgates, but I'm always stunned by how expensive it is, and can never justify the cost ($675!!!). So i've been rocking a tailgate panel for a year or two, which does the job, but barely so. So a couple weeks ago, I asked myself the question: Can I make my own and have it cost half as much? Yes I can!
Before we begin, a couple notes:
- My rig is not a garage queen nor anything resembling a stock 40. It's my fun rig that I roll on the weekends that I pretty much saved from the crusher. Nothing that I do to my rig is expected to be perfect, and I'll probably hand it over to my kids, so I'm not worried about devaluing it
- When I bought it, I told myself that I wanted to do all of the work on it myself. There has been some limitations, but with my rig, I've learned to weld. I've learned how to build exhausts, paint, etc.
- ill be using some items/tools that I already have on hand, so don't expect everything to be in the budget
So. a $300 or less budget. I started with a purchase at my local metal supermarkets:
| item | size | cost |
| 1.500 X 1.500 X 0.125 ST STRUCTURAL TUBE SQUARE | 52 | 50 |
| 0.120 ST SHEET STEEL SHEET | 42x15 | 83.56 |
Then I put in an amazon order for some hinges and latches
| latches | 39.95 | |
| hinges | 52.95 |
All of that came in last week I got to work. I didn't think to document this procedure until I was halfway in, so i apologize for the missing photos.
- welded the sheet directly to the rig so that it wouldn't move and cut out some holes for the hinges
- The PO welded a 2x2 square tube to the rear body to account for some rust. I just welded a steel rod to the tube to make it flush with the rest of the body, and drilled and tapped some holes for bolts to hold the hinges in place
- finally got to use my cheap plasma cutter to cut out the holes for the latches. they're not very straight, but it got better as i went. in the photo you'll see that one is much worse than the other. I'll end up cleaning them up with a grinder at some point
- cut the square tube into sections, and split them in half to make the container of the storage section and keep the tailgate rigid
