Gauging interest in a new tailgate cover

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TrekboxX said:
Anybody know much about anti-fatigue mats? We have a bunch of them (house and shop) and they are tough and would be way more comfy than the other foam. They look molded vs cut, so that's probably $$$...
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Look at 1/4"-3/8" textured EDPM. 50-80 Duro range and you can get it in a few colors. Heat and chemical resistant (up to 250-300F IIRC)

AKA -- playground flooring

J
 
There may be some other options as well. What about a removeable pad that is washable? Like a snap-on or velcro-on ballistic nylon or vinyl polyester covered foam pad? Just thinking out loud, but I do have a very heavy industrial machine and do a lot of heavy sewing. Everything from seat cushions to holsters.

Just thinking out loud here.
Here's a bag I made for the SEMA project.

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I would imagine that a snap-on pad or cover would need a hard backing to cover the tailgate access hole, correct?

Why not offer your standard LineX panel with an optional snap-on panel to go over it?
 
WingNutLG said:
I would imagine that a snap-on pad or cover would need a hard backing to cover the tailgate access hole, correct?

Why not offer your standard LineX panel with an optional snap-on panel to go over it?
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Yes, any option would need a backing plate. Hmmm. I will be prototyping some padded bags for the camp table I'm working on for the 5th gen 4runner systems. It will be a good time to test a few options...

Just to reiterate- it's totally up to the guys who want the padding. But whatever we do, we'll need more guys who want padding.
 
I like the EDPM idea.
For the record, I'm in for a LINE-X panel without reservation, but would ultimately prefer something a little more amenable to sitting on, and less likely to abrade skin. Some kind of rubber sounds ideal. Some texture so it doesn't get slippery, but not so much texture that dirt and debris gets trapped.

My tailgate usage:

1. Sitting and consuming beverages in the desert and in the ski area parking lot.
2. Cooking and preparing food while camping.
3. Work platform for various activities.
4. Helping the 150 lb dog get in an out of the cargo area.

No butchering of game on the tailgate in my case.
I've lost count of the diapers I've changed on a Cruiser tailgate, but that time is in the past for me now.

Carpet is great for #1 and #4, but sucks for everything else.


TRAIL TAILOR said:
Look at 1/4"-3/8" textured EDPM. 50-80 Duro range and you can get it in a few colors. Heat and chemical resistant (up to 250-300F IIRC)

AKA -- playground flooring

J
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Hayes said:
I like the EDPM idea.
For the record, I'm in for a LINE-X panel without reservation, but would ultimately prefer something a little more amenable to sitting on, and less likely to abrade skin. Some kind of rubber sounds ideal. Some texture so it doesn't get slippery, but not so much texture that dirt and debris gets trapped.

My tailgate usage:

1. Sitting and consuming beverages in the desert and in the ski area parking lot.
2. Cooking and preparing food while camping.
3. Work platform for various activities.
4. Helping the 150 lb dog get in an out of the cargo area.

No butchering of game on the tailgate in my case.
I've lost count of the diapers I've changed on a Cruiser tailgate, but that time is in the past for me now.

Carpet is great for #1 and #4, but sucks for everything else.
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I like the EDPM idea as well. Here are some issues, though. First, cutting any foam or rubber by hand looks like s$^&. So, you need a CNC knife, water jet, etc. That takes $$$ for setup and minimum order. Not to mention ordering samples, prototyping, etc. Right now we have 4 who want padding. We'd probably need 20 plus to make it worth anyone's time.
 
A Line-X or Richlite lid with snaps / connectors for a cushion is ideal, imo. Prep on it, stand on it, whatever, then snap on the cushion to relax.
 
crimsonaudio said:
A Line-X or Richlite lid with snaps / connectors for a cushion is ideal, imo. Prep on it, stand on it, whatever, then snap on the cushion to relax.
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The durability issue definitely has me a bit worried. Although my primary mission calls for a soft grippy lid, admittedly there may be times when a permanent soft lid is too much compromise. Washable, removable soft cover over line-x hard lid could possibly be the best of both worlds for me. Take the cover off for sliding in heavy items, put it back on for trips with the dogs. I also like the neoprene with soft ballistic nylon idea.

Either way, I'm in for tan or black.
 
PM sent.

I'm in the sitting with a beverage usage group, most often after some type of water sport. Prefer something simple.
 
Visceral said:
Do we have enough for the R50 yet? :D
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Definitely enough for the R50. The shipping is outrageous on the Richlite, so we're going to try to order it all at the same time. They build a custom 5'x10' plywood crate whether you order 1 sheet or 10. Right now we have 8 for R50 and 2 for Black, 3 for Slate. Since black and slate are identical, we will combine them and just do one or the other. I'm trying to get some 80 series guys in here as well to make up some numbers.

We do need to get a consensus on the padded material. As of now we are nowhere close to making a Gatorstep order. So the padded guys will need to decide if a nylon or vinyl padded snap on cover will work. I've ordered some vinyl polyester and some more ballistic nylon. The nylon color choices are black, black, or black, but the vinyl is available in gray and tan as well. I will make samples when the materials come in.

We're probably a week or so out from wrapping this up and ordering material.
 
WingNutLG said:
Did you get your vinyl/nylon in? Just curious
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I got some black 18 oz vinyl in. It is really nice but seems a bit overkill. I am also waiting for samples which should have different weights as well as colors. The ballistic nylon in enroute, but I already use and know that stuff. It's very tough, but like I said, pretty much just comes in black.
 
Made a sample of the polyester. It's the same stuff heavy truck tarps are made from. It looks like it would wipe clean a bit easier than the nylon, but the drawback is that while it is super tough, the nylon is tougher. The last pic shows where I took a key to each one about 6 times, pretty hard. The polyester shows some slight marks..

Thoughts?

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