Louvered tailgates

Would not travel without mine.

However, if we are going to be home for an extended period (say six weeks or more) I put the factory tailgate back on so I can lock up the bed with my Pace-Edwards retractable cover.

I also leave the hitch hanging on the pin during such stays.

I really like not having to deal with the stock tailgate every time I hitch or unhitch!

Back up camera in my tail gate, which I would lose if I changed. Big advantage, you do not have to drop and pick up when hitching and un hitching! Any increase in mileage would be minimal.

I like to lock my bed - can't do that with cut down louvered tailgate.

I pull GN and 5th wheel trailers and have a Custom Flow V gate for my Dodge/Cummins. Eliminates OEM gate damage and air in the bed turbulence. Allows me to carry stuff in the bed without it being blown out.
Sure makes the hooking and unhooking procedure simple for my use.

Mine comes off when not towing......takes a couple of min to change the OEM gate.

Ive seen more of those hit with the pin then oem....

Tho I don't have one, one word of caution if I may. With newer trucks, they have the back-up cams in OEM tailgates and associated wiring. Unless the factory wiring and cam can be mounted onto the louvered tailgate, your going to have wires dangling unless tied up and cam will be useless.

We have a plastic one but that was because we bought a used truck that had damaged tailgate and it was cheaper than a new OEM tailgate.

Overall I like it. It's nice when you have to pull it off because it only weighs like 10lbs.

Big trucks and towing mean you get lousy MPG. I wouldn't count on a noticeable effect towing or not.

I also wouldn't count on being able to just leave it up and ignore it while hitching. Ironically, the prior truck had the standard tailgate. Never came close to hitting it with a couple hundred hitchings. First time with the new truck and the V-gate the pin caught on it while pulling out from under the hitch. Luckily being plastic it just flexed and popped out of the hinge. If it was metal, it would have been permanently bent and in the trash.

I swapped out OEM for a louver 'U' tailgate back in 2006 for ONE reason......we were going FT traveling weekly so that was going to involve a lot of hitching/unhitching.

As a weekender, vacationer I would NOT have swapped it out.

I prefer the FULL tailgate for using truck as a truck...loading/unloading items, being able to sit on the tailgate comfortably, using it as a semi work bench etc.

Home Skillet wrote:
MIT did a study on those tail gates. They actually lowered fuel mileage.

Did they do the study pulling a 5th wheel??
Mythbusters did a test also, but no 5th wheel, I guarantee you that the 5er will change the results.
I have one and like it very well, Custom Flow I got on Craig's List for $100.
I like not having to drop the tailgate to hookup or unhook. When unhooked the combination of my roll up tonneau cover and the lovered TG keep the bed very dry.