Yakima  GateKeeper Tailgate Pad

I got this Yakima gatekeeper L for my( Ram 1500 ) and I love it. Easy to install Easy to load bikes Easy to store in garage Big window (flap) for backup camera/tailgate handle Easy to clean after use just wipe with wet towel

I got this as a Christmas present (I picked it out), in 2019 and was really excited. I should've picked any other tailgate pad. Not only do the velcro straps fail (as mentioned by plenty of others) but the flap in the middle no longer reaches to the strip of velcro. So unless I have a bike on it, it flaps in the wind as I drive down the road. I've tried several things and nothing works...Overall, this is just a poor product. I am very disappointed. Yakima should do a complete redesign and REI should stop selling it.

Great product that I definitely recommend to anyone who wants a durable product. I bought this pad for 2 reasons, the first reason being the straps and saddle that the frame sit in work really well and keep the bike from moving around. The second reason I got this is for the large opening for use of the tailgate handle which is great but I wouldn’t recommend leaving the opening uncovered while hauling the bikes because it’s so big that the tires will rub the paint and most likely scratch it. At least with a newer Silverado that would be a problem. Overall it feels really well made and I will not hesitate to recommend this to anyone looking to buy a tailgate pad.

Fit my 2019 GMC Sierra AT4 perfectly.The padded straps hold my XXL Santa Cruz securely without harming the paint or carbon fibre frame, and the window allows full view from the rear cameras. My only complaint is with the straps. One person has to push the straps up from the bottom while another person has to fish the straps out with a long screw driver and needle nose pliers. My tailgate surfboard pad has the straps dropping from the bed side of the pad, enabling one person to install it. Hopefully I'm missing something in the installation instructions, and would love to be instructed on how one person can install the Yakima Gatekeeper?

I purchased the Yakima GateKeeper in January and started using it in March. After maybe less than 10 uses, the velcro stops sticking leaving it unlatched and dangling in the wind. I thought this may have been an isolated problem so I just moved the bike to the next latch over. Same thing happened, the velcro stopped sticking after latching and unlatching less than 10 times. I even brushed them a little bit thinking maybe they were dirty but that didn't help at all either. I will be returning this and looking for a better tailgate bad. I expected better quality from Yakima, especially for a pad over $160.

This YAKIMA tail gate pad has a fatal design flaw, if you ask me, and it will not show up until you've had it a little while. The material they use on the strips that secure your precious bikes and to hold down the tailgate handle access flap (you know, the Velcro-but-not-Velcro stuff) DOESN'T WORK! It worked at first, but I noticed the bike straps weren't staying secure the first time we drove in cold weather and now they barely stick at all. The tailgate handle access flap won't stay closed at all. It just flaps in the wind - and this is in clean and dry conditions. YAKIMA needs to use a different material 100%. Fortunately I bought mine from REI less than a year ago and they'll take it back. I will look more closely at the material used on the other brands as well. Hope this helps.

When I bought this pad the velcro issue had not been reported yet. My story is the same as all the others. Great pad but securing straps WILL FAIL. I as the grip of the fake velcro fails I would use a different strap. After the second strap failed (won't stick) I decided to move on to a different brand. I communicated back and forth with Yakima about a possible design change on their updated product. No luck, no change in the straps. It seems that Yakima doesn't want to pay the royalty cost for real velcro.

The velcro on the bike straps and the the velcro that holds down the backup camera flap failed after just a handful of uses. The backup camera flap likes to flap up and down at freeway speeds and can be super distracting to me and other drivers. The frame cushions where you place your bikes tore after just one season of use. Is it just me or is quality @ Yakima in decline?

I had this for a few months and initially it was working fine for hauling a couple of bikes. Unfortunately recently, with a mountain bike strapped in, the plastic piece snapped straight off and my bike flew off the back of my truck on the highway. I was lucky this didn't cause an accident. To me, it looks like the plastic pieces holding the straps together are not strong enough for mountain bikes and appear to be hollow plastic. As a result, I cannot recommend this product.

It looks good on the truck and is so easy to use. Also have slept in the back of the truck and used it as a sleeping pad. Took it bouldering and used it has a crash pad. Took my wife to the beach for a picnic forgot the picnic blanket...guessed what we used? Yakima gatekeeper.