I wanted to give a review of a really neat product I found and installed on my truck, it’s called the Gap Shield and is made by a company called Ecoological. My old 2000 F-150 the tailgate was easily removed and re-installed. However with my new truck having the backup camera there is a sizeable wiring harness that goes through the tailgate for the camera. While there is a connection there to unplug it and remove the gate I find it difficult to access and am not a fan of unplugging and plugging a connection over and over again, only a matter of time before a pin gets bent and you can bet that won’t be covered under warranty.
So, I looked around for a product that would install easily on my truck and keep compost, dirt, mulch, or whatever I am hauling from falling into the gap between the bed and the tailgate.

I found the Gap Shield from a company called Ecoological. Exactly what I was looking for, a simple product, easy to install that serves my need for a good price. I contacted Ecoological and ordered a kit for my truck. Their Gap Shield is universal and will work on any make and model truck, so ordering is simple with free shipping in the CONUS. The kit arrived a few days later and I was anxious to install it. The Shield arrived in a small box with concise and clear instructions (in color no less!) and included the cleaning prep to install it.

I read the instructions and dry fit the product, it was apparent that there would be very little trimming to be done. I took prepping the site a bit further; yes I have issues, LOL. First I degreased with Simple Green, dried and then wiped it down with a 70% Alcohol solution. After that dried I used the included 3M adhesion promoter. I ensured the surface was clean, dry and ready for the install.

I would recommend letting the product sit in the sun for a few minutes prior to installing it. The Gap Shield comes rolled up in a small box and warming it up makes is much more pliable and easy to install. I first peeled back the first 5 or 6 inches of the red backing and placed the adhesive side against the bed, pressing firmly to get a good adhesion. I then got the rest of the Gap Shield in place, nice and straight and slowly peeled the red backing away as I pressed the Shield onto the bed firmly. This allowed me to get a nice straight line and no air bubbles between the Shield and the bed. My concern with this product was the adhesive going to maintain contact even after going over the ridges of the bed. This was immediately alleviated as the adhesive portion of the Gap Shield fits in the small area between the end of the raised ridges in the bed and the edge of the bed. Furthermore the Shield extends past the adhesive portion, protecting it, and going over the ridges and the bed bolts. You can tell these folks put some work into this product and did their homework.

At the very end of the install there was a tiny amount that required trimming. This may be due to me having a spray in liner, the thickness of the liner might be just enough to require trimming as I cut maybe ¼” total off of the Shield. Also noteworthy is that I only cut the part that adheres to the bed, not the “flap” that lies on the gate.

That’s it, you’re done! I have had the product installed for a few weeks now and everything still looks as it was when first installed. I have drug boxes and 2x4’s over it, however have not hauled any dirt or sand to report on it keeping the gap clean. However I cannot foresee that being an issue. My main and only concern with this product was “will it stick and stay stuck?” I have a Line-X spray in liner with the UV top coat and can happily report back that it has remained adhered to my truck and shows no signs of peeling. Additionally, I have the factory bed extender and this does not interfere with the operation of the bed extender either. We have had some chilly nights and days here, which also have not affected its adhesion.

In conclusion I am more than happy with this product. To say that I am OCD about my truck is an understatement. I want my truck to look stock, but function better than stock. This product appears OEM and provides a great benefit to anyone that uses their truck like a truck. For those like me that have a cap on their truck, this adds an additional form of weather protection, keeping dust and water out of the back of your truck, keeping precious cargo safe, clean and dry.

Lastly I was happy to see that the Ecoological Gap Shield was designed and is made in the USA. This is huge to me, and if you live in the US, it should be to you as well. I definitely recommend the Gap Shield to anyone looking to cut down on clean up and possible damage to your truck but closing your gate with material that fell into the gap between your bed and gate.

On to the pics!

 

I need that.

Adrianspeeder

 

Here ya go bro!

http://www.ecoologicalproduct.us/

Oh, and as always, thanks for keeping my wife, kids and I safe.

 

How much does that get in the way of takin' off the tailgate if I still need to. Shoveling out of a 8ft bed ya gotta do that sometimes..

No worries. Please put me out if I am on fire. One of the things a few of us do at any airfield we are stayin' is offer the FD a quick and dirty on C-17 egress and danger areas, because that isn't how I want to go.

Adrianspeeder

 

I dont think it would interfere at all. The "flap" is pretty flexible and with the gate down would likely hang down and out of the way.

 

Had an opportunity to test out the gap shield the other day and was quite happy with the results.

Cut down an old and very dead dogwood tree, branches were super brittle and falling apart all over the place, creating a mess in the bed. Hauled it off to the dump and swept out the back, the gap was all clear.

Also, we have had a few cold morning here in the 30's, the shield is still adhered well to my Line-X and shows no signs of coming loose. Still very happy with the product, def. going to pick one up for my dad for Christmas.

A few pics:

 

This is great. I need to get one of these