More fifth wheel questions.

[grizz272]

These 2 came from my DW
1. The ventilated fifth-wheel tailgates. Do they do anything besides making it easier to hitch up? My DW was wondering about fuel mileage and wind resistance.
2. The mud flap brushes that go all the way across the back of the PU. Do they protect the front of the fifth wheel? Would I be better off just putting diamond plate on the front of the fifth wheel?

I am just setting here twiddling my thumbs waiting for March. That is when the truck will be here and the fifth wheel will be ready.

[rhagfo]

donn0128 wrote:
1. Louvered tail gates besides being ugly have only one function. They allow hitching without dropping the tail gate. When not towing they provide zero security.
2. Brush rock flaps again are b_<< ugly IMHO. They may pososibly help prevent some rocks from hitting the trailer. But how many times are you going to be pulling down a gravel road? I have some custom molded mud flaps that do just fine and dont make my truck look like a semi wannabe.
You should instead consider buying a lockable bed cover for times your not towing, keep the stock tail gate and if your really worried add nice custom molded mud flaps. At least the truck wont look okie that way.

Ugly is in the eye of the beholder, I have no issues with the looks. Security, Custom Flow makes a steel locking with a drop in filler for the that makes it secure!

[goducks10]

I remove my tailgate for most of the summer while towing. Makes it way easier to hookup without it. I've never lost a thing I put in the bed in front of the 5th hitch.
I don't like to looks of the black ones so I'd have to spend $500+ for a nice aluminum one. Just can't see spending that for a short part of the year.

[neal10a]

I was considering a tailgate, but decided against it. One must remember to lower the standard tailgate or there will be damage. So far after 5years I still remember to lower the tailgate :-). As far as fuel milage is concerned, I seriously doubt any improvement and it would take as serious wind tunnel test to convince me that they improve milage. Wind tunnel tests that I have seen on pickups do not justify bed covers and lowered stock tailgates. so I doubt they would show improvement with tailgate modifications. The cost of the tailgate can only be justified if one does not remember to lower the tailgate while hooking/unhooking up. If you do damage a tailgate it will cost at least a $1000 to replace it-- more if you have a step style gate that Ford offers. If one can not remember to lower the tailgate, they should increase their dementia medicine dosage.

[GoPackGo]

I wouldn't want a louvered tailgate for security reasons. I have a tonneau cover on my truck primarily to keep everything 'out of sight, out of mind' (aux fuel tank, hitch, 'stuff'). Replacing the OEM tailgate with a louvered one would leave everything under the cover open to view thru the louvers. I full time so it's one or the other all the time in the tailgate department.

I'm a believer that lots of crimes are crimes of opportunity. Not seeing what's in the bed of my truck may cause the bad guy to move on.

[DutchmenSport]

Um... the louvered tailgate? I think that depends upon what you use your truck for when NOT towing your 5er and if you need the original on there or not. Otherwise, you may be switching them back and forth, depending on need.

I think it's your call ... a mater of convenience ... really.

[cummins2014]

md_procouple wrote:
Hubby replaced our regular tailgate with a Louvered on last year, and says he gets about 3-5 more miles per gallon, as far as the mud flap brushes, we don't know, never installed any on our pickup. Good Luck and Happy Camping !!

Pretty sure everyone that tows a fifth wheel would have one if they got 3-5 increase, but it sounds a bit much :B

To the OP, only drawback ,and its been mentioned is having a tonneau cover, kind of defeats the purpose, but it still works as far covering things up from the elements. Just not much security. Not that a soft tonneau cover is great security, but its at least the stuff is out of sight.

[DutchmenSport]

I have a "Rock Guard" mud flap and used it with my previous hitch (travel trailer) as it secured to the hitch shaft. Then, when I changed weight distribution hitches, it no longer work, or can be attached now. I have mud flaps on each wheel well. Although I am towing a trailer and not a 5er, I really saw no difference with, or without, the Rock Guard. I think the mud flaps in the truck wheel wells do as good or more than anything. Regardless, with or without the Rock Guard, the trailer still got just as dirty from road grime on the front cap.

If you have mud flaps on your truck wheel wells, I won't mess with diamond plate either.

If you don't have mud flaps on your truck, get them. It's money better spent than on the gigantic brush that hangs from the bumper.

[filrupmark]

ford truck guy wrote:

md_procouple wrote:
Hubby replaced our regular tailgate with a Louvered on last year, and says he gets about 3-5 more miles per gallon, as far as the mud flap brushes, we don't know, never installed any on our pickup. Good Luck and Happy Camping !!

Once you get the make and model of that, I WANT ONE ! ! !

3-5 MPG increase by going to a louvered tailgate? I am thinking that your hubby is either saying that to justify the purchase with you... OR he is mistaken.....

sorry, not meant to be rude, just a realist ....

I agree ,really 3-5 mpg I don't think so. We have factory Ford splash guards and we never suffered any rock damage to our fiver.

[MFL]

The flaps I have pictured, are custom fitted to the truck, no drill, bolt right on, plate is SS. In my case, often using SPs, with gravel, or camping on the grass, in other parks, I do pick up rocks in the tires, and mud, after heavy rain, and then pull out onto hi-way. A quality flap works great for me when towing, or while using truck on back roads for hunting.

Jerry

[agesilaus]

MFL wrote:
I would rather use OEM tailgate, that is more secure when parked in CG. I don't think you would notice any mileage difference, but maybe a little less turbulence. I would just make sure to have some good flaps on the truck, to deflect rocks/mud. I would not bother with diamond plate either. If you tow off hi-way, on gravel etc, your experience may be different than mine.

Jerry

People worry more about mudflaps when they go up to Alaska since many of the roads up there are gravel. The only problem I've ever had with a rock is one that came flying off a rock truck going the other way. On paved roads it's not that much of an issue tho I saw some posts about CA roads being a problem.

[fj12ryder]

I have the louvered tailgate and would buy another if necessary. It takes one step out of the ritual necessary to hitch and unhitch. And my tailgate would hit the trailer if I had it down when hitching at an angle. I have had to do this in the past, and the notched tailgate makes it easy peasy. You'll get no mileage improvement, at least not measurable, IMO anyway.

Don't have those brush flaps, never felt the need for them, and I think they look really really ugly. We don't venture offroad so it's a non-issue anyway.

[agesilaus]

MFL wrote:
I would rather use OEM tailgate, that is more secure when parked in CG. I don't think you would notice any mileage difference, but maybe a little less turbulence. I would just make sure to have some good flaps on the truck, to deflect rocks/mud. I would not bother with diamond plate either. If you tow off hi-way, on gravel etc, your experience may be different than mine.

Jerry

People worry more about mudflaps when they go up to Alaska since many of the roads up there are gravel. The only problem I've ever had with a rock is one that came flying off a rock truck going the other way. On paved roads it's not that much of an issue tho I saw some posts about CA roads being a problem.

[laknox]

grizz272 wrote:
These 2 came from my DW
1. The ventilated fifth-wheel tailgates. Do they do anything besides making it easier to hitch up? My DW was wondering about fuel mileage and wind resistance.
2. The mud flap brushes that go all the way across the back of the PU. Do they protect the front of the fifth wheel? Would I be better off just putting diamond plate on the front of the fifth wheel?

I am just setting here twiddling my thumbs waiting for March. That is when the truck will be here and the fifth wheel will be ready.

I inherited a louvered gate and like it for 2 reasons. 1) easier to hitch, overall, but you do have to raise the FW higher to clear the bottom of the notch. If you =don't= get it high enough, or there's a bump you run over with your back wheels, you then hook it with the king pin. 2) Much less turbulence in the truck bed, at least with my old Komfort. I had so much turbulence that I could easily lose 12" 2x4s out of the bed and did lose a couple garbage bags that were't secured properly. Oops...

Mileage? Nothing I could measure when towing, but I never really took a long enough trip with it to really tell. My 3 longest trips all happened before I got the gate. Not towing? I never left it on long enough to tell. The =best= mileage I ever got in my truck was when I had a 14 cu ft chest freezer in the back end, tucked right up behind the cab. Got just over 23 mpg running at 75 between PHX and Cortez, CO, empty. Aerodynamics!

My old Komfort had Al diamond plate on the front end and I know it helped save me from dings and dirt stains, as we =do= boondock, and where we go can get pretty sloppy. Personally, I find that much more attractive than those big-a$$ flaps.

Lyle

[donn0128]

1. Louvered tail gates besides being ugly have only one function. They allow hitching without dropping the tail gate. When not towing they provide zero security.
2. Brush rock flaps again are b_<< ugly IMHO. They may pososibly help prevent some rocks from hitting the trailer. But how many times are you going to be pulling down a gravel road? I have some custom molded mud flaps that do just fine and dont make my truck look like a semi wannabe.
You should instead consider buying a lockable bed cover for times your not towing, keep the stock tail gate and if your really worried add nice custom molded mud flaps. At least the truck wont look okie that way.

[ford_truck_guy]

md_procouple wrote:
Hubby replaced our regular tailgate with a Louvered on last year, and says he gets about 3-5 more miles per gallon, as far as the mud flap brushes, we don't know, never installed any on our pickup. Good Luck and Happy Camping !!

Once you get the make and model of that, I WANT ONE ! ! !

3-5 MPG increase by going to a louvered tailgate? I am thinking that your hubby is either saying that to justify the purchase with you... OR he is mistaken.....

sorry, not meant to be rude, just a realist ....