R1T Owners: Would a Tailgate Mat Be Useful?

[BestEvMod(AOSK)]

We’re considering developing a Tailgate Mat (like the one in the pic) for the R1T and wanted to get some feedback from the community.

Is this something you’d find useful?

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[Dark-Fx]

Like the one Rivian sells or what?

 

[BestEvMod(AOSK)]

SOMRHIN

Like the one Rivian sells or what?

Something like that

 

[Nixapatfan]

SOMRHIN

Something like that

I have one from another vendor, doesn't stay attached in the summer with the tonneau closed, drops down from the heat, took it off and sitting on my garage.

 

[SadHill]

How would that work with the tongue extender that folds up. Don’t see this working well

 

[PhiltheCasual]

Honestly, what I really want for the tailgate is an aftermarket metal (or durable plastic) upper tailgate top trim replacement. That's probably my biggest complaint about my Rivian as a truck... That soft trim piece gets nicked and dinged by just about anything out there, but worse it's TACKY and I've ripped it off just trying to jump out of my truck bed because it gripped my shoes.
My F150 had a plastic top trip piece and that thing lived forever. I'd love to see something developed as an upgrade!

 

[Mousetrap]

I'm not picturing how it would attach and whether it covers the tailgate itself, the extender-flap, or both.

Also, I'm presently using the Rivian tailgate pad for a bicycle, what does the interaction there look like?

 

[DMcD]

I would love to see something that would help with keeping the tailgate top cap from getting ripped off. I have had to replace mine twice from sliding things out of the truck. I have over 50 trucks in my fleet with GM and Fords and have never seen such a terrible top cap

 

[mikehmb]

If it's very easy to clean and roll up into a protected bag, I could see utility for camping. The tailgate is where the cooking happens, and it gets pretty nasty after a trip. Nice to keep the tailgate grease-free when it closes up at the end of a trip.

 

[ElGuano]

I got a large rubber mat from Amazon to serve as a tailgate mat. FWIW I also have a full bed liner, but that's not to protect the plastic, it's more to prevent things from sliding around (which it is GREAT for).

The tailgate mat is kind of helpful, but when hauling things onto the tailgat it's actually easier if the load can slide a bit so you are not heaving heavy things fully onto the tailgate. And normally I store the tailgate mat UNDER the bed liner, so when I slide it out to use it, and load things into the bed, it can't slide under the bed liner anymore with a payload on top, so i have to lay the matt awkwardly on top of the payload.

Have it affixed permanently to the tailgate would probably help there, but in all honesty, having gone this route already, I'd personally pass on the idea if I could do it again.

 

[impulsoren]

Not a mat for me, but something like this that would attach securely would be something I’d buy. But black not shiny metal.

 

[SwampNut]

The entire Rivian bed IS MADE OF BEDLINER. I simply don't understand the purpose of additional bedliners? It's not old-style metal and paint that we need to protect. So what does this mat actually do?

 

[Erik+]

No

 

[BigSkies]

I'd be a maybe on this. Not a high likelihood though.

Things I'd be looking for:

1. Does it at least improve that crappy top-trim piece? Even something that makes it harder to catch things on that top trim piece would be an improvement.

2. How is it mounted? I'd be looking for something that stays on well, but also isn't permanent. I don't know how feasible this is to build.

The product I'm really looking for is different though.

I want a replacement for that top-trim piece that also has an extendable step. @HighVoltOverland
built one at this thread. I don't need the step to go all the way to the ground, and I don't really want to cut the center piece of the tailgate.

I will throw money at you if you build a durable top-trim piece with an extendable step that goes maybe 6"-12" down.

EDIT: I re-looked at the pictures and realized there's no way to do what I want without cutting. I still want it though.

 

[Mousetrap]

The entire Rivian bed IS MADE OF BEDLINER. I simply don't understand the purpose of additional bedliners? It's not old-style metal and paint that we need to protect. So what does this mat actually do?

For me, it keeps things from sliding around. Big fan!

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