The refreshed F-150's door-within-a-door seems odd, but it solves an old problem in an interesting way.
Frank MarkusWriter
ManufacturerWriter
Sep 13, 2023
Ford strives to hold the trailer-towing high ground, with big capacity numbers (13,500 pounds) and features like Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, Pro Trailer Backup Assist, and Onboard Scales with Smart Hitch. But up until now it's been impossible to open an F-150's tailgate while a trailer with a fixed-tongue jack is attached. Think this is too specific a reason for developing an all-new tailgate? Well, also consider that many of the F-150's competitors have introduced novel multi-way tailgates in recent years.
The Ram 1500 solved this problem back in 2019 with its Multifunction Tailgate. Ford studied that, found room for improvement (and/or ways around patent protection), and is now rolling out its
Pro Access Tailgate on the 2024 Ford F-150 update.
Pro Access Swings Into Play
Instead of Ram's 60/40-split dual opening "barn doors," Ford fits a single 37-inch-wide door in the center of the gate and gives it check stops at 37, 70, and 100 degrees. The first one should stop the door just shy of any trailer jack, while affording ample room to reach in or step up into the bed, via a widened license-plate/step area—yes, that mini-door might look small, but remember, this is only in relation to the broader tailgate, which, like on every other full-size truck today, is huge.
There's an optional under-bumper kick step to lessen the climb up to the bumper step, and the trailer power socket is now located to the right of the license plate, nearer the door's hinge and out of the way. The releases for the Pro Access tailgate are electronic so as to prevent any chance of someone muscling the tailgate-down latch open while the swing gate is down—meaning the smaller, inner door might come crashing, paint-side-down, into the hitch and bumper.
Advantages relative to the Ram design include easier access from the driver side—with no need to walk between the open door and the trailer—and a lighter, simpler overall design with half the hinges and their attachment-point reinforcements. Any bed-riding dog will make good use of it, too. We hesitate to consider the load-bearing implications with the tailgate open in a traditional manner, but Ford is confident in its new system.
How Much, And How Much Does It Weigh?
The system adds about 55 pounds (plus 7 for its standard power open/close function), whereas Chevy/GMC's MultiPro/Multi-Flex gate adds 51 pounds, and Ram's design adds 75 pounds to its base single-piece gate (and doesn't offer power closing). Pro Access will be optional on Lariat and Tremor, standard on King Ranch and Platinum, and the pull-out step option on the one-piece tailgate continues with power release or power open/close features. Pricing has yet to be released.
