Is anyone worried about when you open and closed the tailgate when loaded with things that the inside plastic will scratch from stuff bumping into it? I have been looking all over the net for something to cover that. Let me know.

if you mean the cargo area, yes there is an option to get a vinyl roll up cover for that area.

Some models come with a *soft tonneau cover* that basically hides stuff in the cargo area. Is that what you mean?

I think I understand what you're saying. You're hoping for some kind of rubber trim to attach to the bottom of the hatch... it doesnt exist. And that plastic scratches very easily. I've pretty much given up on mine already! Maybe a bit of toolbox liner velcro-ed in place would do the trick for you

A car can only look new for so long, at some point you have to give up the fight.

A car can only look new for so long, at some point you have to give up the fight.

Yeah but I do hate surrendering. :p

I think I understand what you're saying. You're hoping for some kind of rubber trim to attach to the bottom of the hatch... it doesnt exist. And that plastic scratches very easily. I've pretty much given up on mine already! Maybe a bit of toolbox liner velcro-ed in place would do the trick for you


Exactly what I am saying.....

A car can only look new for so long, at some point you have to give up the fight.

amen!

I made sure to have a slice of pizza on the dash and wet snowy boots on my very first day with my new Patriot.

Make something!
Heck, go to the Jeep dealer and get a spray can of matching exterior paint and make something slick and attach it there.

Or, a nice piece of wood cut and stained

Maybe you can make elbow protectors with any spare material. Seriously--I understand wanting to limit unnecessary wear and tear. But it's a cargo area. A few marks and scuffs are normal.

paint it with Herculiner...

I think I understand what you're saying ... that plastic scratches very easily.
Agreed, it sure does.

I don't mind the hard plastic or the interior's styling [ in fact I like it :) ], but I do mind how easily it scuffs and scratches. This should neither be considered the norm for automotive interiors nor acceptable and is, I believe, a reflection of poor decisions by DC management prior to Cerberus's ownership AND what seems to be the generally poor quality of parts and materials sourced from Plastech.
.

If you have ever worked with plastic, or even if you are at least 10 years old you know there are a zillion different kinds of plastic. We work with a plastic that is called UHMW ultra high molecular weight plastic. It is great because it is NSF food grade approved however, it is soft and tends to develop flakes when rubbed or scuffed too hard. The other reason it is great stuff is that it is very inexpensive.
From what is can see of the cargo area in my wife's Compass, I fear they have used a form of this type of plastic or at least a member of the UHMW family of plastics for the parts in the cargo area. It just isn't durable against scuffing. So this is one of those trade offs we get with the cheaper cars, cheaper plastic.

Going along with the theme of plastic, is there any way to cover the back of the back seats with plastic? That way when you fold down the seats and slide stuff in, it doesn't tear the fabric. I would much prefer scuffed plastic to torn seats any day.

Going along with the theme of plastic, is there any way to cover the back of the back seats with plastic? That way when you fold down the seats and slide stuff in, it doesn't tear the fabric. I would much prefer scuffed plastic to torn seats any day.

That goes to that other thread, car or Jeep or Wagon. A wagon would have a cargo surface on the backs of the seats. A car would not. I find that real odd. I know I will be making something to address that situation.

just bought mine so i was looking on amazon for a pet gate and came across this. then i saw this post and thought i could add. its a little expensive.
http://www.amazon.com/Nifty-Cargo-Logic-Cargo-Liner-Beige/dp/B000TPXQBQ/ref=sr_1_32?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1203051366&sr=8-32

Here's what I use:

http://www.amazon.com/InteraTarp-M73-Removable-Cargo-Liner/dp/B000GB0396/ref=sr_1_34?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1203089270&sr=1-34

It unfolds to cover the entire back with seats folded down. It is a bit tricky to flip the back up to protect the tailgate but, I just kinda throw the tail flap over the load.

I bought the medium and it is a little long but, it works. A custom fit would be great and I may think about modifying the trap to make it more custom. For the price I gave it a try.