If you ever had a bed extender on your pickup, you'll know it does a good job in the stowed position to keep groceries, gas cans, etc. from flying around. Same deal on a Gator. The JD solution isn't cheap, like everything else JD. Assembly is a bit tedious. The lock nuts inside the brackets are simple wrench unfriendly, but I managed with some creative socket wrench work.
Impressions: It's HEAVY DUTY and HEAVY. No question it isn't going anywhere with the locking pins inserted. The frame rests on spring pads which you need to make sure are adjusted so the extender is horizontal to the box. This way, the locking pins are much easier to insert and no additional stress is put on them.
Bottom Line: Handy and stays in the bed most all the time now. Removal is easy by depressing and rotating the locking pin on each side. However, in riding around town, you really don't need the locking pins inserted. The extender isn't going anywhere. If you are carrying a load like bags of animal feed, just remember that the center of mass moves back a bit if you're using the extender. Carrying the 1/2 ton will make your front end a bit lighter than without spreading the load further back. That could be an issue on rougher terrain so get to know how your Gator behaves before you go charging out into the wild.
Impressions: It's HEAVY DUTY and HEAVY. No question it isn't going anywhere with the locking pins inserted. The frame rests on spring pads which you need to make sure are adjusted so the extender is horizontal to the box. This way, the locking pins are much easier to insert and no additional stress is put on them.
Bottom Line: Handy and stays in the bed most all the time now. Removal is easy by depressing and rotating the locking pin on each side. However, in riding around town, you really don't need the locking pins inserted. The extender isn't going anywhere. If you are carrying a load like bags of animal feed, just remember that the center of mass moves back a bit if you're using the extender. Carrying the 1/2 ton will make your front end a bit lighter than without spreading the load further back. That could be an issue on rougher terrain so get to know how your Gator behaves before you go charging out into the wild.