What do you do with the tailgate when towing a 5th wheel?

[One Old Dog]

Tail Gate

I changed my t/gate to a louvered 5th wheel t/gate,and painted the gate the same color as my truck. I do not let it down when i hock up. I also went to a dealer and boutht a olds spolier stop light and put it in the center of the 5th wheel gate . It's looks great and it puts a nice tuch to the gate.

 

[Forrest]

No Oooops

I haven't found the right 5th wheel tailgate yet. Just have to start looking harder I guess. But until I do, I take mine off & set it on the saw horses in the garage. You know how that cerebral gas builds up with age? Don't think I could handle forgetting to put it down.

 

[klenger]

If I decided to get a 5th wheel tailgate, are the ones that camping world sells any good?

 

[One Old Dog]

5th wheel t/gate

I have a 3500 so finding the right t/gate to match the bold look of the dully was hard to find, I look for a long time. Most of the gates that i found had the small louvers on them, thay looked ok on a 3/4 ton but not on my dully. I found the right one,it has the 5" louvers and looks like it was make for the dully. Hope you all can find the right one for your truck also.

 

[Jumbo Jet]

Picture of my RAM with a "modified" louvered tailgate from the Chevy that I traded in on the RAM.

 

[Big MAK]

Leave the sock gate on IMO. The triucks are wind tunnel tested and designed for the gate on. Putting on a louvered gate causes air to suck into the bed and creates wind resistance it doesn't help. Some articles were published on it a few years ago; the engineers tunnel tested stock vs. louvered and the louvered gates HURT mileage and performance by interrupting the airflow.



Think about it; with the regular gate on the air flows around the truck and with it off the air flows into the bed. Not long ago there were some pictures on one of these websites of a pickup in a wind tunnel -- the isobars (?) flow nicely around the bed. It's easy to conceptualize what happens when the bed is open and the air is going into the bed. The whole louvered thing is a farce; the air doesn't drop directly into the bed it's pushed up and over and around. WIth the bed open you create a vacuum in the bed causing the airflow to get sucked into the bed. CAUSING wind resistance and hurting your mileage.



The only exception I can think of is a FLAT fifth wheel front pushing air into the bed. But I don't think louvers would counter the damage it would cause be sucking the air in. W/o the louvered gate the air is going to the outside. I can't see an advantage to trying to push air into a space that's too small anyway. Venturi effect; why bother?

 

[Jumbo Jet]

Sorry Mark - I recently pulled 2,000 miles WITH the louvered tailgate and a leaking transfer case on my RAM. I had a full coat of ATF on the underneath of the truck and the underneath and REAR of the 5th wheel. Hardly a trace on the front of the 5th wheel behind the louvered tailgate. Louvered tailgate moved the air underneath the trailer.



I have pulled the same camper WITH the STOCK tailgate and with the louvered tailgate. THE LOUVERED TAILGATE DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE! At least with my 5th wheel.



I had severe turbulence inside the bed and behind the rear glass of the truck with the stock tailgate. It is smooth air back there with the louvered tailgate.



With the stock tailgate, I had short pieces of 2x12 lumber sucked out, lid to my smoker, and once had a coke can pressed against the rear glass for 150 miles due to the turbulence and back pressure.



IT WORKS FOR ME but may not work for you. I want leave home without it.



Also when empty, at 65-80mph, it puts off a real neat "whoosh" sound as the air flows through the louvers!

 

[5thram]

I bent mine up good not following the simple guidelines suggested by the previous contributors. I was trying to get out from under mine in a muddy yard. Had a 3/4 ton 2wd at the time, with auto transmission. The rear wheels spun AT IDLE when I got the weight off the hitch. When I finally found a way to get traction, I was so elated I forgot about the tailgate. Hard to get that sucker open when it's warped, ain't it? Anyway, my spotter (wife) has a bad habit of hiding herself from my view when she's supposed to be helping, so I'm contemplating some two-way radio set-up.

 

[One Old Dog]

5th wheel t/gate

I have to go along with Jumbo Jet. I have see a big difference in t/gates. With the stock t/gate on and with the 5th wheel hooked up, put a beer can in the back and see what happens,and then put the 5th wheel gate on and do the same thing,that will answer your questions.

 

[**ICEMAN**]

keep the stock gate,,if your going with a reese hitch and it is mounted in the bed where the instructions say you wont hit your camper when you hook up from any direction. at least with my fourwinds it won't hit but other 5er's might be designed different. also,,have a 7 pin plug installed on the inner side of the bed in front of the wheel well. i learned about the plug the hard way,,had it pop out on some very sharp turns

 

[dmurdock]

my experience

i think a lot depends on the 5'er. Mine has a flat front which is about 4 ft. tall then starts to taper, a real wind pusher. This past week, i was towing around 65mph and a crushed coke can hovered behind the rear window and then flew up over the trailer... bout scared me to death (having a coke can hover in your rear view mirror is quite a strange sight). My rig is especially susceptible to headwinds, so i think before buying a 5'er gate i'll just try it with no gate at all. . i'm convinced there is a serious turbulence problem here, but not quite sure which is the best way to correct it... (besides buying a hi-lo )

 

[illflem]

I'm not very familiar with 5th wheels but have gooseneck. Don't you have to crawl in the back to connect the safety wire or pull the release latch? I know from my own experience that I'd rather crawl on the stock tailgate, the louvered or mesh type ones are hard on the knees.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Here's what I use - made outta 1x12 knotty pine, varnished and cartoon decals (Roadrunner) applied...

 

[midnight1black]

Tailgates

Just a note ! in some states it is a law you must have a tail gate on you truck or you will pay the price ,( if you get pulled over )HA Ha.

 

[Archive]

I don't have a fifth wheel... but I remove it for the slide-in camper. It leans against the barn wall til I unload the camper and re-install it.