MTFCA Forum

Here's an alternate Idea for closing the tailgate on a wood pick up box. It works great. Push the latches out to open and "slam" it to close.

That’s a dandy. Is there a raised bead that sort of locks the brackets closed on the tailgate hinge once you slam it shut?

I did mine that way and it works really well. Takes a little tweaking to get it just right but it is a great option in my opinion.

HalSched
Is that a pickup box kit you used or did you fabricate it. I have a 19 Runabout and have been thinking of building a box for it. Thanks and your look good!

It doesn't need a bead or shoulder as it will only open when both latches are pushed outward at the same time. Also doesn't require much of a slam, in fact mine closes with a firm push.

Nice work!

That’s the way it works on my original slide on box.

The picure above is my Speedster box and is about 3/4 the size of my Runabout. Here's a few pics of my Runabout:

PS. I made the wheels too

I found a picture of my speedster with the box.

My gate hangs down like that when it is open. Does anyone have a clever way of supporting it level with the bed? I would rather not use chains and thought of fabricating some sort of pull out or spin out support. I also toyed with a bracket of some sort which would attach to the gate and slide through a retainer on the inside of the bed. Any one done this?

Maybe something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/National-Hardwar ... ay&sr=8-50

I had considered something like that and I have some like the ones you are showing but they just don't look right and also seem inadequate. I am thinking of trying to make a curved flat piece about 1/4 of a circle with a right angle bend on one end which would attach to the gate and slide through a yoke attached to the side of the bed. I tried once but could not get the geometry right.