What is the max weight that a tailgate is supposed to hold?

Searched all over using Google and these forums and my owners manual (last part done with a few beers, so maybe I missed it) and cannot find an answer.

I have an idea how to determine the max weight but would prefer a non-destructive method :-)

 

I've never really been able to find anything either. I know that me and 2 other friends can sit on it without hurting it.I'm the smallest,weighing 200 lbs.
So I've had nearly 700 lbs on mine with no damage.

 

I don't think that they are specifically rated for a certain weight. Here is an article that discusses your question.

http://www.discountramps.com/article...ate-cables.htm

 

Good article, I wish they still used the flat steel bars instead of the cables.
I would be very unhappy if me and my 2 chubby buddies got dumped on the dirt causing us to spill beer on one another! Alcohol abuse is bad!

 

not to hijack your thread but one of my tailgate cables recently broke. Any place to get a better replacement?

 

The back of my fourwheeler bounces on my tailgate in the down position all the time for many many miles.....1000s of miles w/ no issues YET. and it's a large heavy fourwheeler!

 

I have the EZDOWN on my tailgate, which may help prolong the life of the cables, plus there is never any stress on the cables when coming down. Keeps my boy's from getting hurt when trying to get their racing bikes out of the back of the truck.

http://www.ezdown.com/

 

I haul a rhino in the back of my truck with just the back wheels on the gate and started to bend it. Rhino weighing in at 1100 or so..

 

I was picking up a pallet of Versa-lok block (3000+ lbs, I think) and the mastermind running the forklift set the pallet down w/ about 1/3 in the bed and the other 2/3 or so on the tailgate. Believe it or not the cables didn't break but the outside portion of tailgate on the edges creased like it was going to buckle.

So, no definite answer to your question but 1500+ lbs on the tailgate was too much. Before that I've probably had about 1000 lbs or so.

 

I wouldn't trust mine with more than about 1000 lbs.

 

I use to always load my sled with the ramp weight on it and the sled weight +me, almost 1000lbs and no ill effects on my tailgate yet. Also during transport the whole rear of the sled is on the tailgate, 200+lbs. I wouldn't trust driving with anything over 500lbs on the tailgate probably, but just loading/unloading isn't to bad. Another big factor is, i'm willing to bet your cables will break a lot easier if you tend to let your tailgate drop, instead of holding it and letting it go down slowly.

 

I'll second the EZ Down.

I have had about 1k lbs on my tailgate with no issues.

MikeyB