Don't put any heavy items on the Tundra tailgate this is what happens
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/DallSheep4me/untitled3.jpgBTW...this was done when loading a golf cart.
So if you want to haul your ATV in the Tundra, don't.
Post over at Tundrasolutions.com forum -
Toyota states they have NO Published Weight Rating on Tailgate.
Quote: “Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
We apologize for your dissatisfaction with the tailgate on your 2007 Tundra.
We do not have a published weight rating for the tailgate.
As such, we have not identified the tailgate as a weight bearing part.
Because it is not designed as a load bearing part, it is designed to be removable; we recommend you remove the tailgate for loading heavy items. ”
Source: Email reply from Toyota Sales, USA after filing a report of tailgate metal cracking to Toyota Customer Service.
Conclusion: Toyota does not know how much weight can be put on the Tundra Tailgate. I farther conclude neither does anyone else know, including current and future owners. What is a "heavy item?"
And here is the best one -
Fact #5: Toyota Does Not say Tundra Tailgate is NOT Load Bearing, publicly.
Quote: None. Toyota Does NOT Say a Word About It.
Source: There are 608 pages in the Tundra Owners Manual.
There are several hundred “Yellow Caution Boxes” in the Tundra Owners Manual, containing 498 “Do Not Do This or Do Not Do That” instructions.
There is not a single mention, of any kind, anywhere, not even an advisory (You shouldn’t do this or you might not want to do that) dealing with putting weight on the tailgate.
Not a single mention to “remove tailgate before loading heavy items”.
Not one Toyota advertisement could be found to state a requirement to remove tailgate before ….
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/tundra/115222-toyota-tailgate-facts/Conclusion: (a)Toyota does not want you to know that the Tundra Tailgate cannot handle weight until after you do so. (like you wouldn’t find out on your own)
(b)Toyota does not want to go on the record as to how much weight you can put on the Tundra Tailgate.
(c) Toyota ran out of Yellow Background Ink while printing owners manual, therefore Tailgate Warning Message was left out by default.