JK Tailgate Tables - The lowdown

cobound

Adventurer
I had a positive experience recently with Doug at OutBack Adventures that i wanted to share as others are considering their options. Outback makes the trailgater which was the very first mod that i did to my JKU back in 2015 when i bought it new. Since that time i've used the table and cutting board more times that i can count as a work bench, lunch table, food prep surface, a place to hold my kids toys, a place to make drinks and hold snacks while tailgaiting, etc. it's become an absolutely beloved piece of gear on my rig and during those two years it's been completely rattle and trouble free.

during those past two years i've had to take the table off countless times to perform incrementally more difficult mods. a new tire carrier, several different brake lights, a set of LED backup lights, etc. during the most recent cycle of unmounting and remounting the trailgater i stripped one of the little plastic clips which prevented it from retaining the screw any longer and the trailgater began to rattle.

i sent a note to Doug asking if i could purchase a new clip and/or a complete set of mounting hardware. Doug responded within 24 hours and said that he was happy to help however that he didn't sell the clips or mounting hardware. in exchange for a few photos of my rig with the trailater mounted he offered to send me a new set of mounting hardware. i sent the photos and within two days i received a full set of new clips and screws!

in the grand scheme of things this is probably a pretty small gesture but i am completely thrilled with the level of concern that Doug expressed, his quick response time, and his desire to satisfy my inquiry in an effective and very timely manner. all of this despite that the issue i was experiencing with the product was caused by my own action (taking the trailater off and on multiple times which stripped the clip)

By comparison to some of the other offerings the trailgater is not the cheapest option. It is extremely well made, has held up unbelievably well to all of the unconventional uses and punishments that i've put it through and at the end of the day when i had a small problem the owner of the company was more than willing to make it right extremely quickly. i learned long ago that you may serve yourself well to save/budget accordingly and purchase the best quality item that you're able to afford to serve a purpose regardless of what it is or risk buying inferior products more than once when they eventually fail - Buy once cry once.

While i've been very happy with my purchase since day 1, i'm even more thrilled today with that purchase i made more than two years ago.

I hope this information is helpful to others who are working through the evaulation process of the different tailgate table offerings out there.

I remembered this thread and found it to share w/ someone about tables...funny I see this comment, I too JUST got some replacement blind inserts from him as well...I recently sold a JK and picked up another and this was the ONE thing I kept to transfer over. I use it for countless things, including - as you'll see below - holding guns :D

Anyway, great to come on here years later to see the positive feedback continue - love my Outback table!!

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cobound

Adventurer
Which one did you get, Cobound? Trailgator?

Yes, can't believe I missed that part. Ha! The Trailgater!

I'll snag some pix when I can.

B

Well, going back several pages I see I promised some pix...they never got put up - LOL!!

Honestly, I can't talk highly enough about this product - great quality!

Here are some pix showing just how easy it was to mount and the size of it. Only thing I'd like to do, and wanted to do on our other Jeep but never did, is find another plastic shield and cut it down to finish off the look so the wires are concealed. I don't want to cut up the one I have in case I take it off and want to cover the entire strip again...so if anyone has this strip that is broken on the right end or they simply don't want any more, let me know and I'll snag it from you!

Install to completion - super easy!

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This is that plastic end I was talking about...I'd like to cover up those wires

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In my earlier review, I mentioned the board needing to be centered so the pins would latch. A stop would be nice but just making sure it's centered is fine.

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Again, I reiterate - Impressed with the design and quality, fit is second to none - rattle free, extremely well engineered! Tight tolerances, not rubbing anything...flat out fits!! Flat out WORKS!!
 

cobound

Adventurer
That is hands down my favorite homebuild one...I really like the can/bottle holders and mesh cutting board additions too.

Nice work!
 

jacobconroy

Hillbilly of Leisure
Let's revive this thread. I installed a gas shock on my JK rear door and am now trying to find a table that will not interfere with it. Anyone have any ideas?

All the pics I find on the web look like they are about 1 inch taller than my gas shock. Doh! I can't live without the shock. Keeps me from fighting with the rear door at camp.

510874
 

Presto88

Adventurer
It looks like you have that Terraflex rear rack on your JK. So do I. Can you use that shock to "lock" the door open? I'm always afraid that the door will close when the rear window is open and the results of that would not be pretty!
 

jacobconroy

Hillbilly of Leisure
It looks like you have that Terraflex rear rack on your JK. So do I. Can you use that shock to "lock" the door open? I'm always afraid that the door will close when the rear window is open and the results of that would not be pretty!

Nope, the shock doesn't lock, and I've accidentally closed the rear gate with the window open a time or two. The Tereflex will hit the gas shock attached to the glass and dent it a little. Scares the heck out of you, but after the second time you start to close the gate slowly. ;)
 

jacobconroy

Hillbilly of Leisure
Could you use a TrailGater and just drill through it for your shock?

I don't think so. The rear plate of the Trailgrater will sit below my shock mount (pretty sure it will anyway). I'm afraid that when you close the Trailgrater table, it will hit the shock mount because the table is taller than the rear mount.
 

DallasJKU

Adventurer
I don't think so. The rear plate of the Trailgrater will sit below my shock mount (pretty sure it will anyway). I'm afraid that when you close the Trailgrater table, it will hit the shock mount because the table is taller than the rear mount.

Went out and measured and the table has about two fingers worth of space.
 

jacobconroy

Hillbilly of Leisure
Went out and measured and the table has about two fingers worth of space.

Awesome. Thanks. I took some pics to compare. This is the measurement I'm concerned about:
510948
510949

It's about 1 1/8 inches. But here is the kicker:
510950

When I close the gate the shock moves farther away from the gate in the rear. So, I need to know where, exactly, the Trailgrater starts on the left hand side, and exactly how much space there is between the metal and the inside of the table at that point. It's going to be close, but my spidy senses are telling me that it isn't going to work.

Which sucks, cuz the Trailgrater is really the one I want. I suppose I could order one and make it work by any means necessary.
 

DallasJKU

Adventurer
It’s right on 1.25”, but this lip is going to be the issue I think. Unless you can mount the shock slightly higher. Let me know if you need any other measurements or pics.

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