How Often Do You.....

How often do you use your tailgate?

I’ve been thinking about building a rear mount for Jerry can , trail jack, spare tire for awhile now. I found out why they moved the spare to the rear in newer jeeps. The other day I was backing up and paying too much attention to the drivers side, when I felt a big thump. I caught the tire on a corral gate post. Fortunately, I was going slow so it just did a little shift. I’ve read a number of threads about the rear mount mods, but most cancel out use of the tailgate. Though I’ve seen a few that do the swing down or swing over. The swing down seems like a terrible idea to actually use, heavy tire, in the way of the ground, etc. and the swing over needs some pretty substantial support since the rear corners are not strong enough. I don’t see taking the thing off and on with any regularity and there are times when I really do use the tailgate.

 

I've gone 15years without a spare. I've had flats but none that kept me from getting to a service station. I have a wife now anyway it's like AAA just without the smile.

I could get by without being able to open the gate.

 

Mine is bolted shut if that tells ya anything. Maybe if I was camping out of the JEEP or something, I'd use it.

 

I have the old style swing out . mounts on rear of fenders . metal back up behind sheet metal
but no giant spare tire
no longer have gas cans . jack never was on it
no back seat . kids are grown . and still use the cargo area = tailgate
now if I wanted the above . I could modified my rear bumper
for a heavy duty swing out carrier . some of the guys here have built very nice ones

 

I once had a '56 with the tailgate welded shut. Now I have a '56 with an operational tailgate. (When I was a kid, we'd sit on the open tailgate - going down the road!)

I much prefer being able to use the tailgate, for all kinds of work uses.

My daughter is in college now but I still haul wood in the same jeep. Still have that same original spare tire on it, too.

 

My '68 came with a vintage Kayline carrier. I like having access to the tailgate. I use the Jeep like a truck off and on:



My '71 currently doesn't have anything. I'll end up making a side-swing carrier that pivots off the bumper and not the body like the ones that Norcal69 builds:

• Norcal69's Common Sense Build.
• Barbie Jeep For My Uncle......

It's takes a more stout rear bumper or some extra bracing, but it's better than mounting in on the body.

 

I use my tailgate occasionally. It is bolted closed to keep it from rattling but I carry a couple wrenches for that. A tire carrier not on the side is a necessity in my neck of the woods. Or at least the ability to carry a full size spare not on the side. Side carriers are torn off on the trail in about 5 minutes here.
Most organized trail runs will not allow you on the trail without a full sized spare. Changing a tire and wheel is quick. Trail repair of a tire holds up a large number of people for a long period of time for no good reason.

 

The swing down design is perfect for me, I have a back seat so I open my tailgate probably once a year. I have a pickup truck for hauling things.
The swing down design is small and lightweight compared to a side swing type.
Also, I've never carried a Jerry can, for safety reasons...this is why I did the dual tank mod on my Jeep.

 

I use the tailgate somewhat often, and definitely couldn't do near as much without it. Once I put the tailgate down and hauled a staircase hanging out the back a few feet... ratchet straps are VERY useful. I'm gettin off topic tho. If you're using the jeep for work and hauling stuff, the tailgate is an essential. If you're leisurely using it, however, one of the only things it could be useful for is easier access to cargo.

 

If you have the resources to do it, a swing away carrier can be useful, and someone mentioned making a mount out of a spare hub so you have an extra one of those if you need parts. This was in the tool bag thread, also had a neat solution to your problem.

 

I would open my tailgate to let the dogs jump in the back when I first got my Jeep, didn't like the chains, so I bolted it closed when I done my build. I don't miss it at all, grandkids climb over the back, and I don't carry a spare. I have a 12 volt inflator and a plug kit in my tool box, but never needed it yet. I don't go too far from the Cabin, so i can always call one of my friends if I really needed to, plus I do have road service too. Good Luck.

 

Mine is bolted shut too.

 

I use mine all the time. I ditched the chains and now use a bungee from side to side instead. I have topper tape on the body to keep the rattling from happening along with my swing out tire/can carrier that pushes against it.

 

They grow up fast don’t they! Just the other day I was teaching each kid to ski, now working on grandkids.

 

I just didn't expect getting old to happen so soon.

 

Some thoughts on what I’ve used in the past...

I’ve used the flip-down style on two different jeeps, and as great as they seem in theory, I didn’t like them. It’s an easy way to get the tire onto the back, but in order to keep the tailgate operational, you either have to accept the noise (they rattle horribly when held up with the chain hooks), or do what I did and pull the mount tightly closed with ratchet straps hooked to the roll bar. Or eventually give up and bolt it shut. Opening it was always heavy and awkward.

I’ve used swing-out carriers mounted from a rear bumper (but never from the body, so I can’t comment in that). The bumper-mounted swing-out is the best solution IMO, with the weight attached to the frame. The most helpful feature you can add to it is a pin to lock it open. There’s nothing more annoying than trying to access the tailgate while on a side hill and fighting with a heavy swing-out carrier against your back.

Good luck!

 

Everybody uses their jeep differently. But the jeep would lose 75% of its value to me if the tailgate/ tire carrier were fixed.... aka non opening.
Without a tailgate/swing out carrier..... your stuck lifting everything over the side..... coolers, critters, gear...... If you have a roll bar it only complicates the side access even more.