I have an Athag/ Guardsman tailgate guard, I've had it over 5 years and it's held by tension, I can yank as hard as I like, I can lay in the boot and kick as hard as I like with both feet and I've had a rear end smash with the car behind travelling at speed while I was the last car in a traffic queue on the m25. The tailgate guard didn't budge an inch. Experience of a product is everything.

Correct, I have a friend who had a rather DIFFERENT experience!

That's why I pushed and pulled with all my might before trusting it with the dogs in, but after being hit at speed I now have no doubts as to it's strength and capabilities.

It is good to know you have had success with it, we will never know why hers failed...........

The way mine is designed it's a really tight fit anyway and then it has 2 screw nuts that I put an allen key type spindle in to tighten so that it's much tighter than if it was just by hand (if that makes sense). The bottom butts up against the rear quarter panels so can't move any further backwards and the top butts up against the lip of the roof where the tailgate of the vehicle is hinged meaning it can't move inwards. So once in place and tight it just won't budge but I guess different vehicles would be fitted in different ways and I doubt we have the same vehicle.

Thanks for that trouble,im fed up with looking at the mo,i have looked on lots of sites,ebay,forums.I have a ford escort,big enough boot,i think i will just have to wait and get one made up as i dont think im going to get one used.It would prob cost near enough the same amount as the car too have one made lol.I did think of a cage,but it would have to be able to fit 2 dogs .will have a proper measure tomorrow and go from there.thanks

Great thread. We are needing something for our car too. Ours would have to be custom made as having done a search they do not provide for our model. What starting prices are we looking at? Approximately, if anyone knows?

Lots of companies will give no-obligation quotes. Try looking on Barjo, they have many car models listed. I just paid about £240 for a tailgate guard for my Ford Focus hatchback (not from Barjo, another company up in Lincs who posted them down to me) - this is with stable doors and locks on the door too. Not particularly impressed with the customer service I received, but the guards themselves seem good quality.

Mine was £225 about 5 years ago but to be fair to them they were the only company willing to make me one and they went out of their way to be helpful. It took a while because they didn't have the measurements for the vehicle but at least they were willing to get them unlike all the others I contacted. That included fitting and a modification on site with a replacement part sent a few days later. I couldn't fault them tbh.

Thanks you two xxxx Feel a bit silly now though as OH says they do do our model, it is just me on this mobile not being able to navigate. Apologies, will keep you posted though as we need one over the next couple of months.