Best tailgate table?

[zouch]

FWIW, i also ended up getting the Outback Table in a moment of weakness (OK, it was a gift!) and it functions OK. it definitely does interfere with the airflow out of the J**p; it's especially noticeable when closing the doors with the windows closed.

if you also go this route, please consider keeping at least one window cracked if you're closing your doors with your dog inside so as to not injure their ears!

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[Wkaz]

Much higher in price but this is the unit I have had my eye on.

American Adventures Lab

I have my eye on that one too. I haven't been able to find a weight rating on it though which is keeping me from pulling the trigger.

 

[LooselyHeldPlans]

I have the Outback Adventure and think it's great. The only downside is that it's freaking heavy and that weight is outside the axles. I wish they made an aluminum version.

 

[Bullwinkle]

Get the FrontRunner... Do yourself a favor here and reap the the research that I have already done on this subject at nauseum. I have had the front runner for about 9 months and the thing has been absolutely solid. No rattle and it has rubber adjustment stops/dampers, incase it does start to rattle you can adjust the rattle out. I love the thing, it has been especially useful in the pandemic, when you just don't want to go inside this or that restaurant. One thing that is never mentioned, is the weight that these things put on your tailgate hinges (especially if you already have a 35'" mounted as a spare). Yeah you can buy this or that one with but the bells and whistles, however they all come with a weight cost. The front runner is light enough to take most of the worry out of hinge load concerns. Its also has a low enough profile to not eat up 3 or 4 inches of trunk space when the gate is closed (Protrusion: is definitely something to be aware of). I think I paid $160ish for it, but the build quality and functionality of it makes it worth much more. I actually think the Frontrunner is way under priced.

https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.com/en/us/drop-down-tailgate-table.html

Well its listed for $239, but could have sworn I paid $160-somthing.

Seems like a teachable moment, no more 5 star ratings, we price ourselves outta of our own gear, LOL

 

[John VonJeep]

Why are so many of these tables so full of holes? It's like the people who make them have never cooked anything on one. Spills immediately leak straight through, making an additional mess. Solid tables FTW.

 

[John VonJeep]

I went back and forth trying to decide between the GooseGear and Outback table - which has an overwhelming number of excellent reviews online so I think it's definitely a safe bet.

In the end, however, I went for the GooseGear and am loving it so far. It is more expensive, but the build quality is very nice, mounting is rock solid and the hinge system is flawless - not a single bit of wiggle and firm locking/unlocking mechanism.

Curse you. I was all decided on the Outback until I saw this. The price is... sobering.

 

[Bullwinkle]

Curse you. I was all decided on the Outback until I saw this. The price is... sobering.

Do the screws that fold into latch get in the way? Looks like accident waiting to happen...you think those screws could be made to easily remove when open for use? Push pin maybe?

 

[AnebuR]

Happy with my my Front Runner. Painted the board red to match my Jeep and attached a molle panel to the back of it:

 

[FLjeeper]

does front runner have a forum discount?

 

[AcesandEights]

Seems like a teachable moment, no more 5 star ratings, we price ourselves outta of our own gear, LOL

$279 now. Wow, $110 price increase in a year, from $169 to $279...over 60% increase. I was pretty excited about a tailgate table when I saw the prices sub-$200, but now, not so much.

 

[Bullwinkle]

$279 now. Wow, $110 price increase in a year, from $169 to $279...over 60% increase. I was pretty excited about a tailgate table when I saw the prices sub-$200, but now, not so much.

LOL

 

[Thane]

After handling friend's tables, most were janky contraptions, poorly executed, sub-par hardware, tab hinges, some fastening over the tailgate plastic made for some additional slop, cable hangers, all completely lacking a precision/solid presence. Deception required to not offend. Then the pricing, $70-$500, ouch (and no one had the $900 Expedition Essentials).

Just about to pull the trigger on the Outback Adventures table when I had the misfortune of operating a Goose Gear table. No cables, actual hardware hinges with dampened mechanical catches, precision hole placement/no slots, draws tight using the original 7 metal bosses inside door, quality hardware, obscene price... done. Worth it? no. Satisfied, yes.

Solid, and I can't un-know that (I do wonder what the Expedition Essentials operates like...).

 

[Atom631]

This is one thing I just couldnt justify spending a ton of money on. I bought the Rough Country table for like $75 on Amazon. Ive gotten a lot of use out of it. It works flawlessly and does what I need it to do(hold my coleman camp stove). When closed, it doesnt make so much as a peep. The $250+ savings is money better spent elsewhere IMO.

 

[rcadden]

I'm 6'1", and don't plan on lifting my Jeep any more than it currently is (40" at the fenders), so these tables would sit a little low.

Has anyone ever seen a tailgate table that lifts UP, so that it sits level(ish) with the TOP of the tailgate, instead of down?

 

[Thane]

I'm 6'1", and don't plan on lifting my Jeep any more than it currently is (40" at the fenders), so these tables would sit a little low.

Has anyone ever seen a tailgate table that lifts UP, so that it sits level(ish) with the TOP of the tailgate, instead of down?

6'1" also and they do feel low, better with a stove.
Smitty Bilt can be in either orientation, but littered with holes, needs cover plate:

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