I pull a 30' 5th wheel and am looking to get one of those luvered style tail gates. My questions is where to get one and will help with mileage?

 

unless you pull your trailer all the time it will not be worth it. just my 2 cents

 

You cam get them at Camping World. They do not save fuel, but do not hurt it either. Their main benefit is not having to put the tail gat up & dow, up & down, etc.. I read of one guy that took out his tail agte, didother damage. I think it is a convience thing, mostly. I got the steel one, which I have banged on the pin several times. I am glad it is steel. I paint it a couple times a year. It comes off easily for touch up, or what ever.

 

Looking for more the mileage benefits than a convience thing. I dont mind putting my tailgate up and down as long as I remember. So far have been lucky and havent got it yet. How about price on them?

 

I've seen quite a few of these: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/5th-W...spagenameZWDVW

Can't be painted though.

See, I am more looking for convenience, it's only going to take once...........
I'd rather ding up a molded plastic gate that has some give than a god knows how much to repair/replace OEM one.

 

Mythbusters proved tailgate up gave better mileage . It's in the archives here .

 

Wimpy,
Its worth it to save the stock gate and to make hooking up more convenient. I also doubt any mileage savings but they never did any studies with a 5er hooked up.
Like they say over at RV.net its not IF you forget to put the gate down but WHEN. I already ripped my louvered gate open once and it was pretty easy to bend back into shape. Fortunately I paid $100 on eBay for it.
SteveB

 

I have the Husky Brushed Aluminum tailgate on my truck and love it. I did not buy it for any fuel savings just for ease of hitching and unhitching from the 5th wheel. There is a picture in my gallery.

 

You can find the steel one on sale about $125 at camping world. Maybe $140 not on sale. You may bend it, but will not break it, unless you REALLY try. I agree, it is WHEN you will smack your tailgate. Then there will be some more sad posts on here.
My $.02!

 

I bought the Handy tailgate for the convenience. No fuel savings. It is steel, well made and sturdy. I can stand on it no problem. Beats buying a new tailgate if you do an ooooops.

 

I had one on my 01 Ram. Made hooking up easy. I liked it at first. Don't have to worry about drooping tailgate every time you hook up and then forgetting to put it up. After a year it started rusting out, was only a cheep one, had to paint it every year. On this truck I used my head and spent the money on a aluminum V-Tool Box, won't rust out and you can lock things up in it.

 

have y'all seen the ones where they take the stock tailgate and cut the notch in it like the aftermarket ones? they look pretty nice

 

Like this one?

http://www.truckaddons.com/Catalog/s...k_barngate.htm

 

At those prices I could have bought two of the ones I have and had change left over.

 

Bought a Customflow from a dealer and painted it the same as the truck with four little cans of spray paint from my Dodge dealer.
Better mpgs ?? No. But sure helps with wind turblence in the bed pulling the 5er and helps with hitch/unhitch.
JIM