I have a 2016 and only had it two months and found the holes in the bottom completely annoying. Two yards of mulch isn't bad but a yard of dirt and trying to rinse the bed and the tail gate had 3 gallons of dirt in it.

Have any of you come up with convenient plugs for these holes? The tailgate lock wired go through about a 1" x 3" slot. Not sure why the hole is so big plus there is other holes. I had to pull the plate on the inside of the tail gate and rinse down for 5 minutes to get most of it out. It's still got crap in there.dirt is still coming out the ford emblem and handle and top of the tailgate.

I guess they don't design them to haul dirt and manure any more?

 

I don't think you'd want to plug these holes since they are used for draining purposes....

 

He can plug them when he hauls mulch......

 

That's true, good point. I was under the impression he was looking for a permanent plug.

 

How does water get in a tailgate when its closed? My last truck didn't have these holes and I didn't have this problem. How do you all haul stuff and don't you have stuff getting in your tailgate?

I was thinking about duct seal, but that would probably attract dirt. Spray foam is probably going to cause another problem.

I just thought someone else might have had this happen already

 

I haven't had it happen yet, but since you've brought it to our attention I'm probably going to drop a tarp in the bed and make sure it runs up the tailgate at least a few inches. Maybe hold it up with a couple of small pieces of duct tape. That way when you open the tailgate it will cover the gap.

 

Use Painters tape on the holes, leaves little to no residue.

 

Not that it is a solution but I think I will use it and I might even use my duct tape. Then I forget and be pissed again. I'm not worried about residue. I've only had the truck 2 months but the linex is already stained brown from all the died brown mulch.


The wife said "you're gonna go in there and scrub it out!"

I said "I don't think so, I'll pull it out of the garage when it rains"

Tarps work, but the shovels just destroy them. I'm getting stone for a small fire pit patio and will use one for it.

 

I guess Ford thinks most folks buy trucks these days for towing the family RV perhaps, and not for work duty using the bed. This has been an eye opener for me as to the holes in the late model tailgate taking on dirt.

 

Yea, I think many guys now go for pretty trucks. Trucks are so expensive now because people use them to be cool and look like they do some work.

I went to Linex and they ask me
"Do you want color match coating? "
Me: "Why"
Linex: "A lot of people do now. You get the top coating and can get in in matching colors now.
Me: "hows this top coating hold up?"
Linex: "Ok as long as you're not rough on it. It protects from fading too."
Me: "Define rough"
Linex: "Dragging stuff over it, scraping it with tools and shovels, hualing rocks."
Me: "So its going to scrape the color and UV protectr off when I hual rock and scrape it with the shovel doing dirt and mulch?"
Linex "Yes, it will scrape off"
Me "I'll just stay with plain and worst case I have a grey liner in a Silver truck. I'm not going to pay over $100 for a cover that is going to scrape off when I treat my truck, like a truck."

I have a truck to haul things, carry my waterfowl and muddy hunting stuff, bleeding deer and other things where its easily washed out. It just seems if I was it down hill it all runs into the tailgate holes. Last load of dirt I washed it with the tail gate up and then cleaned out the bigger stuff. Next time I am going with duck tape and I have it in black to make the linex.