The Highway Missile Hazard: Why Open Tailgates Can Total Your Gear

You rely on your massive 2014–2018 GMC Sierra 3500HD to transport massive, oversized payloads. You just loaded a heavy $2,000 job-site generator and several 10-foot sheets of drywall into the bed. Because the cargo is so long, you are forced to leave your tailgate completely folded down. You hop in the cab, merge onto the interstate, and accelerate to 70 MPH.

As you cross a massive, jarring bridge expansion joint, the intense vibration and upward momentum cause your heavy gear to violently slide backward. Because your open tailgate has absolutely zero physical containment, your expensive generator slides right off the edge. It violently drops onto the highway, instantly turning into a high-speed, lethal cargo missile that completely shatters into pieces and violently impacts the car driving behind you, causing a catastrophic, multi-car pileup.

You just fell directly into the Highway Missile Hazard.

A 1-ton heavy-duty truck generating massive acceleration forces requires aerospace-grade payload containment. You cannot drive with an open tailgate and rely purely on gravity and friction to keep your heavy gear inside the truck.

You don't need a cheap, snapping plastic net; you need an indestructible, aerospace-grade aluminum caging system.

In this guide, we explain exactly how elite payload engineers at AMP Research utilize military-grade T6 aluminum tubing and impact-resistant uprights to completely cage your open tailgate. We'll show you why cheap extenders snap under pressure, how flipping the cage inward locks down your rolling cargo, and how to permanently command your 1-ton payload.

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Frequently Asked Questions (Bed Extenders)

Will an AMP Research BedXTender fit under my tonneau cover?

Yes, they flip completely underneath almost all covers.

This is a massive advantage of the AMP Research design. When flipped completely inward to secure smaller cargo, the highest point of the aluminum tubes sits well below the Sierra's factory bed rails. This allows you to completely close your hard-folding, roll-up, or retractable tonneau cover without any mechanical interference, keeping your gear caged and completely hidden from thieves.

Do I have to permanently drill into my $70,000 truck bed?

No, No-Drill bracket kits are available.

While the standard AMP Research installation requires drilling three small holes into your rear D-pillars, you do not have to permanently alter your factory steel if you don't want to. You can easily purchase the highly specific AMP Research No-Drill Bracket Kit, which utilizes specialized hardware to mount the massive aluminum cage directly into your 3500HD's pre-existing factory tailgate pivot holes.

Will the aluminum cage physically hold the full weight of my massive ATV?

No. A bed extender is a barricade, NOT a primary tie-down.

Critical Safety Warning: An aerospace aluminum bed extender is engineered to completely cage your cargo and prevent it from sliding off the tailgate. However, it is absolutely not designed to bear the full 800-pound weight of a rolling ATV during a violent acceleration or crash. You MUST still properly secure your dirt bikes, ATVs, and heavy lumber to the factory heavy-duty tie-down cleats using heavy-duty ratchet straps.

Maximize the payload. Cage the cargo.

Stop risking a highly lethal, multi-car highway accident by letting your heavy gear violently slide off an open tailgate, and absolutely refuse to crawl into the back of your massive 8-foot bed to retrieve rolling toolboxes. Upgrade to the indestructible, dual-function defense of an AMP Research HD Max, the specialized dirt-bike stance of the HD Moto, or the aggressive styling of the HD Sport to instantly build a bomb-proof aluminum barricade. Shop our verified collection of premium  >>>2014–2018 GMC Sierra 3500HD Bed Extenders<<<