“Dual function” tailgate exists

[LouCap]

Can’t think of any practical reason to need this and it’s ugly to boot

You can get closer to the bed without the tailgate in the way. Easier access to cargo, easier to load heavy items without going over the tailgate, and easier to step into the bed because you're not climbing over the tailgate. It's just...easier.

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[saxapl]

Definitely want to get to the bottom of those front bed braces. Good to see you have them too so it clears up that they are part of the tailgate package. I did not remember seeing them on the auto show model, but they were all Rambox trucks.

 

[Glenn54]

I like the new tailgate. That would be really convenient. If the corner braces don't get in the way of a bed cover, they'd be good to tie a load to the front of the bed.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Apologies for the lack of quality. The one odd thing is the braces at the front of the bed. I believe they are part of the tailgate package...presumably to stiffen the bedsides when the barn doors are open. No one at the dealer had the answer. I have not seen them before, so I am guessing a tailgate necessity. View attachment 29355 View attachment 29356 View attachment 29357 View attachment 29358 View attachment 29359 View attachment 29360 View attachment 29361 View attachment 29362 View attachment 29363 View attachment 29364

Nice shop/shed, and the other 2 pickups are quality as well!

 

[LouCap]

Definitely want to get to the bottom of those front bed braces. Good to see you have them too so it clears up that they are part of the tailgate package. I did not remember seeing them on the auto show model, but they were all Rambox trucks.

My biggest concern is with finding a tonneau cover that fits. I need one that flips and locks, and I was looking at the Mopar hard tonneau, simply because the onus to make it work would be on the dealership. The one I really want is the Lomax, but I need some proof that it fits first.

 

[saxapl]

Nice shop/shed, and the other 2 pickups are quality as well!

Thanks. The new truck gets to stay there until it goes in for clear bra and ceramic coating. Obviously, the other Ram has a much harder life. But a 5.9 Cummins with under 100k is hard to find so it snapped it up several years back.

 

[saxapl]

My biggest concern is with finding a tonneau cover that fits. I need one that flips and locks, and I was looking at the Mopar hard tonneau, simply because the onus to make it work would be on the dealership. The one I really want is the Lomax, but I need some proof that it fits first.

I like the Lomax, looks really clean. The only cover I ever had that would not leak was a Diamondback...and you could put an Atv on top of it. My last one was a BakFlip and it poured water through it. I need a cap for this truck, but if I did not, I would do Diamondback.

 

[moosem]

You can get closer to the bed without the tailgate in the way. Easier access to cargo, easier to load heavy items without going over the tailgate, and easier to step into the bed because you're not climbing over the tailgate. It's just...easier.

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I guess.

 

[LouCap]

I like the Lomax, looks really clean. The only cover I ever had that would not leak was a Diamondback...and you could put an Atv on top of it. My last one was a BakFlip and it poured water through it. I need a cap for this truck, but if I did not, I would do Diamondback.

I'll look at that too. My last truck was a Titan XD and I put a Pace Edwards Full Metal Jackrabbit on that one, which was great. But, with the braces at the front of the cab, a roll top is out, and flip options might be limited. I did NOT consider that possibility when I got it...I was just excited to have the new tailgate.

 

[Barney556180]

I can’t get past the $1k cost. Hard to visualize it being so handy I’d spent that much on it. But hey, whatever one likes and can afford...

 

[duke2001]

Definitely not a fan of those braces! Can think of a lot of reasons not to want them. Really mess up the usability of the bed. RAM needs to come up with a better design if they need it to offset the swing of the doors. Pretty **** poor engineering IMO.

 

[moosem]

Definitely not a fan of those braces! Can think of a lot of reasons not to want them. Really mess up the usability of the bed. RAM needs to come up with a better design if they need it to offset the swing of the doors. Pretty **** poor engineering IMO.

Agreed. That’s awful. I’m guessing the reason it was delayed for so long is that it kept bending beds every time the door was swung open and they tried to fix it but couldn’t so the finally just said eff it, throw some corner brackets on there. That’ll be good enough! Cheesy.

 

[duke2001]

Agreed. That’s awful. I’m guessing the reason it was delayed for so long is that it kept bending beds every time the door was swung open and they tried to fix it but couldn’t so the finally just said eff it, throw some corner brackets on there. That’ll be good enough! Cheesy.

Now that I think about it even more, I am almost embarrassed that I own a RAM, because those things are so silly it makes everything RAM builds suspect!!

 

[LouCap]

Whats' weird is that the doors are actually built into a reinforced steel frame at the rear, which is not on any other model with the regular tailgate. So I'm not sure what the braces actually do. My dealership seems to think they're unnecessary and removing them to install a tonneau cover wouldn't do anything. They have reached out to the factory to see what the engineers have to say about that.

 

[moosem]

Now that I think about it even more, I am almost embarrassed that I own a RAM, because those things are so silly it makes everything RAM builds suspect!!

I’m not ready to go that far!! But that’s definitely hack! I bet that after they opened the tailgate horizontally a few times it took the box out of square enough that it wouldn’t close right. Now the 5’7” bed has about 4’11” of usable space. But at least it’s easy to get stuff in and out it of!!!! Hahahahaha

 

[saxapl]

Now that I think about it even more, I am almost embarrassed that I own a RAM, because those things are so silly it makes everything RAM builds suspect!!

That may be a bit of an overreaction. For my purposes, the corner braces will not be an issue. But they are definitely suspect as engineering bandaids. The more I think about it their only purpose can be to prevent the bedside from being pushed out by lateral force being placed on the doors...a force ordinary trucks are not normally subjected to regularly. I have seen bedsides bow out when too much material is dumped into a bed, but here pushing out on the open barn doors could do the same thing.

I would also guess if removed and the barn doors not subjected to lateral force, there would be no problem.

 

[saxapl]

Whats' weird is that the doors are actually built into a reinforced steel frame at the rear, which is not on any other model with the regular tailgate. So I'm not sure what the braces actually do. My dealership seems to think they're unnecessary and removing them to install a tonneau cover wouldn't do anything. They have reached out to the factory to see what the engineers have to say about that.

The braces are definitely not necessary for the tailgate itself. They are there because of a new force acting on the bedsides. The question is what engineering torture test was used to make them decide to add the braces.

 

[LouCap]

Here's a nighttime photo of the reinforcement frame at the rear. It's not exactly independent from the sides, but it's really isolated.

 

[saxapl]

Here's a nighttime photo of the reinforcement frame at the rear. It's not exactly independent from the sides, but it's really isolated.

The frame is not reinforcement...it is what allows the tailgate to work. It actually swings with the tailgate when used conventionally. It acts as the striker plate for the barn doors when used in the dual function mode. It actually looks like the only changes to the truck are the corner braces and longer tailgate striker bolts. Other than that, it looks like the whole tailgate would slide right into a standard truck, steel frame and all.

Boy it is fun to look at and study.

 

[LouCap]

The frame is not reinforcement...it is what allows the tailgate to work. It actually swings with the tailgate when used conventionally. It acts as the striker plate for the barn doors when used in the dual function mode. It actually looks like the only changes to the truck are the corner braces and longer tailgate striker bolts. Other than that, it looks like the whole tailgate would slide right into a standard truck, steel frame and all.

Boy it is fun to look at and study.

Well then, I have NO idea what my dealer is thinking!