I had a positive experience recently with Doug at OutBack Adventures that i wanted to share as others are considering their options. Outback makes the trailgater which was the very first mod that i did to my JKU back in 2015 when i bought it new. Since that time i've used the table and cutting board more times that i can count as a work bench, lunch table, food prep surface, a place to hold my kids toys, a place to make drinks and hold snacks while tailgaiting, etc. it's become an absolutely beloved piece of gear on my rig and during those two years it's been completely rattle and trouble free.
during those past two years i've had to take the table off countless times to perform incrementally more difficult mods. a new tire carrier, several different brake lights, a set of LED backup lights, etc. during the most recent cycle of unmounting and remounting the trailgater i stripped one of the little plastic clips which prevented it from retaining the screw any longer and the trailgater began to rattle.
i sent a note to Doug asking if i could purchase a new clip and/or a complete set of mounting hardware. Doug responded within 24 hours and said that he was happy to help however that he didn't sell the clips or mounting hardware. in exchange for a few photos of my rig with the trailater mounted he offered to send me a new set of mounting hardware. i sent the photos and within two days i received a full set of new clips and screws!
in the grand scheme of things this is probably a pretty small gesture but i am completely thrilled with the level of concern that Doug expressed, his quick response time, and his desire to satisfy my inquiry in an effective and very timely manner. all of this despite that the issue i was experiencing with the product was caused by my own action (taking the trailater off and on multiple times which stripped the clip)
By comparison to some of the other offerings the trailgater is not the cheapest option. It is extremely well made, has held up unbelievably well to all of the unconventional uses and punishments that i've put it through and at the end of the day when i had a small problem the owner of the company was more than willing to make it right extremely quickly. i learned long ago that you may serve yourself well to save/budget accordingly and purchase the best quality item that you're able to afford to serve a purpose regardless of what it is or risk buying inferior products more than once when they eventually fail - Buy once cry once.
While i've been very happy with my purchase since day 1, i'm even more thrilled today with that purchase i made more than two years ago.
I hope this information is helpful to others who are working through the evaulation process of the different tailgate table offerings out there.
