Fifth Wheel Tailgates

[eldee]

Wanting to put a louvered fifth wheel tailgate on my '14 Duramax.
Looked at several online, not sure which to use. Carlson makes a nice one and is reasonably priced, any thoughts or suggestions from those of you using these kind of tailgates?
Thanks in advance, Larry

[fj12ryder]

I bought one of the cheaper steel ones and had it powder coated to match the truck. Looks very good IMO, and works a treat.

[RockyMt]

I have a chrome tail gate that is pipe and wire mesh, I bought it when truck was new. Really like it and has served me well. Maker was in Oklahoma somewhere.

[Fisher_Bill]

I use a board in the bed to keep stuff in and I just remove the stock gate, I like the idea but don't think it's needed

[Second_Chance]

I've thought about them, but don't want to give up the backup camera and tailgate assist (step with handle that both retract into the tailgate) integrated into the OEM tailgate. Wind turbulence in the bed has more to do with the aerodynamics of the front cap of your fiver than with the tailgate, anyway. So far I've been lucky regarding pulling away with the tailgate up...

Rob

[eldee]

I had one of those high dollar aluminum ones on my previous truck and really liked it! Cut WAY down on wind turbulence and greatly improved hitching and unhitching.
Wouldn't mind paying the price for another aluminum one, but it wouldn't match my truck at all and I can't see painting aluminum, kinda defeats the purpose of having aluminum!

[the_bear_II]

On my first truck I had a louvered tailgate with the V notch cutout. I found that even with it I would still have to raise the front of the 5th wheel to clear the tailgate depending on how un-level a site was front to back. So I would usually just put the louvered tailgate down when hitching or unhitching.

With my current truck I stayed with the original tailgate. Hopefully as I get older I won't forget to put it down when hitching or unhitching.

[JIMNLIN]

I use the Custom Flow since my '03 Dodge/Cummins was new. I spray painted it with a rattle can the same color as the truck. Looks great .
Best part of using one for me was eliminating in the bed wind turbulence. Now I don't have to tie everything in the bed down when I pull the 5er....and the ease and simplicity of hooking and unhooking my 5th wheel and GN trailers.
Great investment for my use.

[ChuckV1]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Owned 5er's for about 20 years, thought about a louvered tailgate. Thought was as far as it went! IMHO a complete waste of money.

Till you pull away an forget to lower your tailgate, then you think "why didn't I buy that louvered tailgate " Ops now you have to spend another $350 for another tailgate plus another $200 or more for paint to match your truck ...

Say it won't happen to you, well after 20 years of pulling goose neck trailers an 5th wheels it happened to me !!! So don't say its a waste of money when you bend your tailgate so badly you have to replace one ...Ugh

[Cummins12V98]

Owned 5er's for about 20 years, thought about a louvered tailgate. Thought was as far as it went! IMHO a complete waste of money.

[eldee]

I certainly wouldn't want to see it sun faded, but I wonder how long, how well they would hold up in the sun? I do have the advantage of keeping my truck inside most of the time, and only put 5000 miles or so a year on it, so sun exposure is minimal. I did like the fact the plastic ones are already black, matches my black truck without painting!
Anybody have sun fading issues with the black plastic ones?

[RollandB]

I have an older Custom Flow I got from. Friend that changed trucks, it has worked well. I would favor the metal ones over plastic just for the fact of easy paining when plastic gets sun beaten from age.