Surf To Summit Tailgate Pad, Truck Tailgate Pad, Pickup Tailgate Cushion, Tailgate Pad for Bikes, Tailgate Pad for Surf Boards (Large)

This is similar to other pads I was looking at but has a few advantages. It is is larger so it extends lower on the front and back side of the tailgate to offer more protection for truck and bike. I also like the pads that the bike frame goes between. This adds a lot of stability when transporting bikes. The zipper pockets are also a nice plus that wasn't offered by other pads I looked at. This is a great feature and I am surprised more manufacturers are not doing it. My only complaint is that the tailgate pad does not have any grommets or other attachment point to run a cable lock through. It would be nice to leave this on my truck without having to worry about theft. I would also recommendation that the latch opening be a couple inches larger. This would reduce the chance of a latch not being accessible. On my Tiitan, the tailgate latch actually sits just below the opening in the pad. I can still reach in and pull the handle but another 1" in height to the opening would have been awesome. I have also tried this pad on a Ford F150 and Chevy 1500 and it works great on them as well. Finally, the bike straps could benefit from having a longer velcro area on them. This pad will definitely hold 6 bikes. I have already put 5 mountain bikes on it (one of them being a fat bike) it and still had room for a 6th bike. It is quick and easy to load and unload bikes, very stable for transporting, frees up room in the truck bed, and protects truck and bikes from scratches. I would definitely recommend.Update: I purchased a grommet kit from Home Depot for $10 and installed grommets on both ends of the the pad. I then used some cable locks (not sure price because I had already had them for locking up ice chests when camping) to secure it to the tie down spots on my truck. Now I feel more comfortable leaving it on my truck full time. My advise is to leave slack on the cable lock so that you can still open tailgate without damaging it. If you make cable lock too tight, then it will pull on grommet and prevent tailgate from opening without causing damage to pad. Fortunately, I realized this and adjusted cable locks before one of my kids opened tailgate. The cable locks are also great because I can easily move them from the pad to bikes if I had to leave my truck unattended with bikes in it. I removed all the bike straps and put them in one of the zipper pouches. This reduces chance of theft or having them come off while driving and keeps them quickly accessible for when I do need to transport a bike. It also is a cleaner look. I found it helpful to keep a towel in the pouch so I have something to cover my seats after a wet or muddy ride.You can also add a small lock on the zipper pouches if you are worried about any contents being stolen.

Surf to Summit nailed most of the requirements for a mid-size truck gate pad. Their gate pad is made of excellent material and with such quality that it will last forever. It looks good, it's of great quality and the pockets to store stuff is great, none of their competition has that. However, they failed in placing the flap for the gate handle and rear-view camera in the right place or at least in the right size, and as a result, it doesn't fit most if not all midsize trucks since it fully covers both the rear-view camera and the gate handle. So, now I am looking for an eyelet that is big enough so I can cut a hole to expose the rearview camera. This issue could have been easily solved by either making the flap bigger or lowering its position. Bummer!Update: I found a picture of a different brand Gate Pad that has a one size fits all "flap". It is not a work of art but it is functional. Hopefully, Surf to Summit will be able to improve their next version. Are you listening?!

Searched all the major brands for an optimal solution for my new F150, this is a perfect 10 in my book. Great construction, especially the added storage that no one else offers. 5 minutes of install and fit 5 bikes no problem. If you are looking for the best functionality go here vs others.

Used for a Toyota Tacoma 2012. Workea great! Love the pockets. Those are unique.

Nice and thick padding.