Tailgate swap?

[RealtorRick]

I have a 2019 Ram Limited with Rambox. Bought used in 2021. I love the truck and the only item I really would like is the multi-function tailgate. I am not going trade my truck over a tailgate. BUT, I was wondering if it is possible to swap out the conventional tailgate I have for a multi-function gate? Perhaps getting one from a salvage yard? I understand there is more to it than the gate, with the hinges and rrelated hardware., etc.

 

[Rick3478]

You might have to swap the entire bed.

 

[mikeru82]

Several threads on this already. You don't have to swap the bed but you will need to mess with wiring for the secondary tailgate release (for clam shell opening). You also need to swap the tailgate strikers and add bracing in the front corners of the bed if your truck does not have a rambox bed. The MFT is also quite a bit heavier than the standard tailgate, and I'm not sure if you'll also need to change to a heavier damper as well. As far as I know no one here has done this swap yet. But I might have missed something. You might want to search the forum for the older threads about this swap.

 

[Darksteel165]

Should be a simple swap.
Might need a differnet electrical harness as you will have 2 releases buttons not 1 and maybe a replacement damper or add your own on the left.
Rambox beds like yours don't require any kind of support rails like other peoples do.

Just get a vin from someone with Ramboxes on a Limited and go to a dealership to find the part number for the harness and you can see where both ends go to.

 

[mikeru82]

Should be a simple swap.
Might need a differnet electrical harness as you will have 2 releases buttons not 1 and maybe a replacement damper or add your own on the left.
Rambox beds like yours don't require any kind of support rails like other peoples do.

Just get a vin from someone with Ramboxes on a Limited and go to a dealership to find the part number for the harness and you can see where both ends go to.

Like I posted just above you, the strikers are different for the MFT so those need to be swapped as well. The most difficult part of this swap when I was looking to do it a couple years ago was sourcing the MFT itself. At least at that time you couldn't order a complete MFT from the dealership, so you either had to order all the individual parts and assemble one or find a used one.

 

[Darksteel165]

Like I posted just above you, the strikers are different for the MFT so those need to be swapped as well. The most difficult part of this swap when I was looking to do it a couple years ago was sourcing the MFT itself. At least at that time you couldn't order a complete MFT from the dealership, so you either had to order all the individual parts and assemble one or find a used one.

Is it different for Ramboxes?
My strikers look normal unless you are talking about the rubber blocks? Or a differnet size striker?

 

[6of36]

Is it different for Ramboxes?
My strikers look normal unless you are talking about the rubber blocks? Or a differnet size striker? View attachment 163139 View attachment 163140

I don't know if Rambox to non Rambox matters, but those are different than a non Rambox conventional gate. The guide part, held on with 2 bolts, just inside the latch doesn't exist on a conventional tailgate.

 

[Trippi]

Is it different for Ramboxes?
My strikers look normal unless you are talking about the rubber blocks? Or a differnet size striker? View attachment 163139 View attachment 163140

Mine does not look like that...MFT with Rambox

 

[Darksteel165]

Mine does not look like that...MFT with Rambox

????? I have Ramboxes and MFT. How does yours look different if you have that also. Pics?

 

[nilsd]

Curious if anyone has taken a shot at this yet?

I just dinged up my regular tailgate, and am interested in upgrading to the MFT, if possible. I have a '20 Laramie w/ Ramboxes.

 

[mikeru82]

Is it different for Ramboxes?
My strikers look normal unless you are talking about the rubber blocks? Or a differnet size striker? View attachment 163139 View attachment 163140

Sorry I missed this question back in July. Yes, the strikers are different even on the Rambox version. I had a Rambox truck with a traditional tailgate parked next to a Rambox truck with the MFT when I compared them. The strikers are longer for the MFT.

Curious if anyone has taken a shot at this yet?

I just dinged up my regular tailgate, and am interested in upgrading to the MFT, if possible. I have a '20 Laramie w/ Ramboxes.

Not as far as I know. I haven't seen anyone post anything claiming they have done the swap.

 

[6of36]

Curious if anyone has taken a shot at this yet?

I just dinged up my regular tailgate, and am interested in upgrading to the MFT, if possible. I have a '20 Laramie w/ Ramboxes.

You should be able to swap, if you change the strikers too. Just try to find one, parts would probably be thousands to buy new from the dealer.

 

[kc9umr]

I've been posting in another thread on this.

Base truck: 2020 Rebel w/ Ram Boxes and a standard tailgate.
MFT came from a 2020 (body shop found it).

Multifunction Tailgate Retrofit

Great write up. So basically it’s almost doable at this point, but a lot less hassle to order a new truck. Post pics once you get it. What trim and color did you order? Good morning, and thanks for the compliment, it is appreciated. Yup, it is very doable, it was just the delays with the...

5thgenrams.com

It is possible, and we're in the middle of it. I'm not chasing down the inside and remote buttons (not sure if the remote does anything different on the MFT besides the traditional drop-tailgate).

So far, the strikers are adjustable (remove them, and thread the "washer" collar down the bolt. There might be a spacer?).

Wiring is a direct plug and play for the drop-gate.

The barn doors are not opening right now, I suspect I have a bad actuator, so it needs to be replaced first. (when I move it to the drop-gate connector, that no longer functions, so the issue follows an actuator).

Because we're under the gun for time (the insurance company has been paying for a rental for 4 months now), our goal is to get everything working with the normal tailgate function, and buttoned up, and troubleshoot the MFT later - unless we can get the new actuators in time before they put it all back together.

We're not putting the "support brackets" mentioned elsewhere in, but we did install a (ram box compatible) Back Rack, which probably does a better job of shoring everything up in the front of the bed.

So long story short- if you can find (and afford!) a complete MFT, and have the time, it's very possible - as long as your truck has the necessary wiring (I've been told TRX does NOT have the available chassis wiring - but my Rebel did). The new tailgate needs more than just different power wires - it actually has LINBUS connections to the truck's computers (not sure where else LINBUS ran to - I didn't download enough schematics from the service manual when we were chasing down what we thought were wiring issues)

 

[mikeru82]

Glad to see someone is actually doing this. Thanks for updating this thread.

 

[kc9umr]

Glad to see someone is actually doing this. Thanks for updating this thread.

Thank the guy that hit me on the interstate insurance company was going to replace the whole bed, but the body shop fixed the bed and put the extra towards buying the MFT.

 

[Darksteel165]

I've been posting in another thread on this.

Base truck: 2020 Rebel w/ Ram Boxes and a standard tailgate.
MFT came from a 2020 (body shop found it).

Multifunction Tailgate Retrofit

Great write up. So basically it’s almost doable at this point, but a lot less hassle to order a new truck. Post pics once you get it. What trim and color did you order? Good morning, and thanks for the compliment, it is appreciated. Yup, it is very doable, it was just the delays with the...

5thgenrams.com

It is possible, and we're in the middle of it. I'm not chasing down the inside and remote buttons (not sure if the remote does anything different on the MFT besides the traditional drop-tailgate).

So far, the strikers are adjustable (remove them, and thread the "washer" collar down the bolt. There might be a spacer?).

Wiring is a direct plug and play for the drop-gate.

The barn doors are not opening right now, I suspect I have a bad actuator, so it needs to be replaced first. (when I move it to the drop-gate connector, that no longer functions, so the issue follows an actuator).

Because we're under the gun for time (the insurance company has been paying for a rental for 4 months now), our goal is to get everything working with the normal tailgate function, and buttoned up, and troubleshoot the MFT later - unless we can get the new actuators in time before they put it all back together.

We're not putting the "support brackets" mentioned elsewhere in, but we did install a (ram box compatible) Back Rack, which probably does a better job of shoring everything up in the front of the bed.

So long story short- if you can find (and afford!) a complete MFT, and have the time, it's very possible - as long as your truck has the necessary wiring (I've been told TRX does NOT have the available chassis wiring - but my Rebel did). The new tailgate needs more than just different power wires - it actually has LINBUS connections to the truck's computers (not sure where else LINBUS ran to - I didn't download enough schematics from the service manual when we were chasing down what we thought were wiring issues)

The barn doors are electric so you likely need to program for it
There is also no such thing as support brackets for people that have Ramboxes and MFT, only for non-rambox trucks.

 

[kc9umr]

The barn doors are electric so you likely need to program for it
There is also no such thing as support brackets for people that have Ramboxes and MFT, only for non-rambox trucks.

I haven’t found any Alpha OBD settings for it. Right now everything seems to work but I do know that I have a bad actuator. As far as I can tell if one of the actuators for doors is bad it won’t try and open that door.