Bed Extension Boosts Capacity On Deere Gator

Bed Extension Boosts Capacity On Deere Gator ATVÆS A 12-in high box extension on his Deere Gator utility vehicle more than doubled the carrying capacity for Brian Laine of Arlington Wash The 12-in high bolt-on box extension consists of a frame made from welded-together 1-in sq tubing with aluminum diamond-plate filler panels pop riveted onto it The tailgate hinges at the top via a pair of welded-on steel pins that fit into slots A center-mounted angle iron bracket at the bottom of the tailgate latches on behind the Gator’s tailgate to keep the box shut Once the tailgate is latched round tabs at the bottom corners of the tailgate keep it from accidentally rising upward and slipping out of the slots The tabs slip under square tubing “stops” welded onto the corners of the frame To remove the tailgate Laine lifts it straight up out of the slots on top of both rear corners The entire box can be unbolted from the Gator with 4 bolts that attach through existing holes in the bed “It’s a real simple design but it works great ” says Laine “Once I open the Gator’s factory tailgate and lift the dump bed the contents all slide out just like a dump truck By unlatching the tailgate I can lift it off or put it back on without using any tools “I came up with the idea because the box on my Gator was too small for many jobs as the sides are only about 8 in high The low sides were probably designed to limit the amount of weight that can be put in the box But now I can add a lot more volume of such materials as leaves wood chips or branches without overloading the vehicle “I paid about $200 for the tubing and panels To load heavy materials I just remove the tailgate and slide stuff in ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Brian Laine 7921 Wade Rd Arlington Wash 98223 ph 360 435-2500; brianlaine@aol com

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