We chose the Tribe with the Yeti graphics. Opened the box, and my wife noticed one Yeti was giving the “peace sign,” the 2nd Yeti the “knarly” hand sign, and lol—-the third.—-well purchase it and laugh as hard as we do every time we show it to someone, We didn’t notice the hand signs when we previewed it. Ha. Works fantastic and leaves my back up camera working!
Right on! Thanks Charles. Glad you like both the pad and the design!
Let me start by saying the service from Tribe is absolutely amazing. I had an issue with shipping (and UPS being dinks about charging for customs twice) and Tribe made it right. That’s a company I can get behind! I’m not sold how the bikes actually “strap” to the pad themselves. I think there needs to be some loops created to keep bikes from sliding around on the pad. Especially if you run two bikes on one pad. Other than that, the ease of which these come off and on my truck makes them so worth it!
Hey Gareth, thanks for the review and glad you like the pads!
Cheers
so easy to put on. holds plenty of my kids bikes, i fit like 4 of em on.
This is a first review upon unboxing and fit to my 2002 Chevy Silverado; No overwhelming amount of packaging, with some of it repurposable. Quality out of the box is good, fit and finish as it were was up to expectation for the price point. Upon mounting it on my truck's tailgate, the magnetic approach is a solid win thus far. We'll see what hauling my 50+ pound e-MTB around is like in the near future. More when I have it.
Customer service was awesome. No complaints🤘🏽
Have only used twice so far with two bikes and another time with two surfboards, so far, so good. Fit my ‘24 Ridgeline nicely using the included self adhering metal plates for the backside of the tailgate. Front is steel so issues there. It appears construction is decent so I suspect it will last for a while. Love that I can simply take it off and store it my trunk. Very pleased with my purchase.
I was pretty set on getting a full tailgate pad from Race Face, but saw this one mentioned on Reddit. I ordered the Tribe and the Race Face for comparison and kept the Tribe. The ease of install and the simplicity was a no brainer. I have an aluminum tailgate and wasn’t sure how well the metal plates would work, but it’s been great! Cool product!
Thanks for sharing your feedback Nick! It's always helpful to get real-world comparisons like yours, especially when making a decision on gear. Really appreciate the support.
Cheers
Have a hard drop in liner ( plastic) so had to put both screws through the tailgate steel to secure metal plate over the bed liner. Wasn't too thrilled about that and potential rust in future but it didn't work otherwise with tape as it kept coming off plastic. But once that's done, it comes on and off fantastically and works as advertised. Top strap is too light and wouldn't stop bike sliding. Still using my own straps to hold bike in place but that's quicker than the setup and take off time for competitors and secures my bike much better as alternatives methods arent as reliable. But pricy for what it is though imo .
Hey Taras, I'm glad it ended up working out for you! In terms of price, it turns out it's REALLY hard to compete and be competivtive escpecially when other products are made overseas. We're proud to make our product in southern California, but it definately comes with a cost. So, thank you for supporting us. It's much appreciated! Cheers.
These are awesome, such a bright idea! Not to mention, their customer service is probably some of the best I’ve seen.
Just want to drop a note to say how awesome this tailgate pad is. I've got a roll up bed cover, so I can't leave a pad on all the time. This pad just slaps on, super secure, did not move, fit two e-MTBs, an Orbea Rise and a Pivot Shuttle SL. I'm going to have to get another for the other side and more bikes! Really a game changer.
I was holding off on getting a tailgate pad because I did not want to have to mess with putting the straps around the tailgate every time but then I found this one and it works perfect. The magnets on this pad are great and it holds two e-bikes perfect. Game changer for sure.
Great customer service and super simple small bike cushion
I'm typically very harsh when it comes to reviews, but this pad looks cool, lightweight, and if my tailgate wasn't aluminum, I imagine this would have worked beautifully... but alas... still worthy of five stars though.
I love my new cover, I use it when loading my 9ft Fishing Pontoon by myself, keeps my tailgate from getting scratched. So happy with my purchase!
The Tribe pad is one those products in life (especially as a mountain biker and outdoor enthusiast with a truck) that I didn't initially realize I needed or would make much of a difference in the end, but after some use, I quickly realized I had been missing out.
Not only is the pad well-made, the right size, and stylish, it's saving me the time and hassle of strapping on a full pad when I don't really need one. Yes, it's only a matter of minutes to strap one on, but when you're already gathering a bunch of gear for a ride, it's one less thing to do. Lately, I found myself not bothering with my full, 3-strap tailgate pad on rides when I didn't think I would be shuttling and would just toss my bike in the bed, only to run into someone on the ride and wish I had it. Now with the Tribe pad, it's so fast and easy I throw it on every time, giving me a pad for 2 bikes on the gate and a 3rd in the bed if necessary. Even on bigger shuttle rides where I use my full pad, I bring it since it rolls up easily and acts a a pre-/post-ride changing pad if it's all dirt/rocks, or for a comfy, post-ride brew hang spot on the ground or in the bed of my truck. Might be time to pick up a second Tribe pad and do away with the full for good!
Outside of biking, I've used it to haul my surfboard, kayak, and for hauling 2x4s. And when I get home, I can just throw it on the side of my steel garage cabinets for storage thanks to the magnets!
My 2013 Tacoma tailgate is steel on the exterior so the magnets stick great, but most Tacomas have a composite inner liner (I have a powder-coated aluminum Trailgate) that magnets won't stick to, so Chris includes a T-strap that easily attaches to a lower loop and secures it into the tailgate-bed gap when closed. And since I have a locking tailgate handle, it's extra secure while I'm on the trails. It's also easy to just throw in your cab if you're worried about it getting nabbed.
It's kind of silly how excited I've been about this pad. Chris did a great job designing and executing this pad. You can tell he's put a lot of thought and effort into addressing the different needs of riders and wide variety of tailgate shapes and materials. He's great guy and will be happy to answer any questions/concerns you might have.
Stoked to be part of the Tribe!
It's definitely a lot easier. It's only been a week but so far so good.
I got my Tribe Magnetic Tailgate Pad about 5 weeks ago and wanted to wait to leave a review until I was able to put it through some ‘real world’ testing. I’m happy to report that after 1+ months of use, I am very pleased with my purchase!
Convenience is what everyone is looking for these days. Unlike other tailgate pads with tedious strap systems, I can throw this over my tailgate, load the bikes and be on my way in seconds. I don’t have to waste time feeding (4) straps through a tiny gap at the bottom of my tailgate, knowing I’ll have to repeat the process once I get back home from my ride. I’ve owned (2) other brands of tailgate pads in the past and the strapping/unstrapping part was the most time consuming and frustrating aspect.
The pad has enough cushion to easily protect my bikes and their down tubes. The pad material is non abrasive, so it’s gentle on my tailgate as well. The material seems to be versatile too, as I’ve left it on my tailgate during a rainy day and it easily dried out within a reasonable amount of time. So far, graphics and the pad color itself hasn’t seemed to fade, as I have left it out in the sun for days at a time.
To end, I feel the best characteristics of this pad is its ease of use, versatility and convenience. I have (2) trucks (work and personal) and I can swap my pad between them within seconds. Though my personal truck has an aluminum tailgate where magnets don’t stick, I still use the pad as a buffer and neither my bike nor pad slides or shifts while driving (much better than that folded up moving blanket we have all tried to use in the past! LOL, you know who you are). My work truck has a steel tailgate and the pad sticks to that like magic! All in all I am very happy with my Tribe Tailgate Pad and I would highly recommend it to anyone with a truck and a bike.
This pad changed the game for me. When I wanted to wash my truck before, taking off the pad was such a pain. Now it is so easy to remove.
I am the worst with my gear, this pad is built so well it will definitely outlast my bike! I also use it as a pad at work, for my surf board pad and as soccer Saturdays kids changing mat to keep our butts off the soggy grass. An absolute must buy for every adventure dad!
