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

[klenger]

Ordered a new 5th wheel, which I should get mid July. This could be as hard as waiting for the truck. I've heard that you can smash the tailgate hitching and unhitching the 5er. What do you do with it ... leave it home, put it down to connect and put it up again, get a 5th wheel tailgate, ... ?

 

[Barry Fuller]

I've kept mine as original. Drop it to hook up and raise it after. I also have a pace edwards roll top cover that locks up and covers the bed when I'm not towing. Keeps generator and other stuff in my bed rather than some one eles's. Of course if you don't pay attention - something gets bent!!!

 

[Utah Willie]

Tailgate when towing?

I now replace my tailgate with a louvered 5th wheel tailgate when towing the fiver but the original tailgate will work just fine... However ... if you happen to back under your fiver with it down... as you must... . be certain to have someone spotting for you to avoid backing INto your fiver. I had to approach mine from an angle and the end punched into the front basement door. .

 

[Driftwood Ram]

I have left the stock tail gate on. Just make sure you put it down before backing to hook up and back in a straight line with your 5th. If you are at an angle when you unhook, just pull forward a little way after unhooking before you put the tail gate down. Do not get in a rush.

That seems to be when bad things happen= crunch!!

 

[DonBaggett]

I was hurriedly unhooking from my 5er with my previous truck (with about 10 things on my mind), and bam! Well, at first I thought I would get a "towing tailgate" for my new pride and joy, but I really think the old tail gate bending served as a pretty good lesson to develop a system of procedure and follow it every time, so that's what I'm doing with the tailgate on. It's like the time I was camping locally and left the campground to come home and didn't remember to lower my TV antenna. I snapped it off under a limb in my yard. I really don't think I'll forget it again. Just the price of schooling!



Don

 

[LEEH]

You will be money ahead to go ahead and get a louvered tailgate for towing your 5 er. I have noticed when I had a 2X6 board laying in the back between the tailgate and the 5er hitch (not a good idea by the way) that while traveling down the road, the 2X6 was plastered up against the louvered tailgate, which indicates to me that there is one hell-of-a passage of air through that louvered tailgate that the OEMl tailgate would not let pass, creating a wind resistance and affecting the fuel mileage.



Another plus is the V or drop center of the louvered tailgate which will usually let your 5er hitch pass without contact once you have the 5er high enough to unhitch and pull out from under. Enjoy your 5er!

 

[RColston]

Ken,



Despite the potential issues with leaving your tailgate in the wrong position at the wrong time I like using the stock gate. My best advice is to develop a strict process to follow when you setup/tear down at home camp site etc. Make sure of your clearances to the front of the trailer with the gate down. Always try to approach the trailer in a straight line and if you can't close the gate after clearing the opening to the bed. And always take your time, a late check in/out is better than a bent gate.

 

[hotel6]

Stock gate

Ken it was good to meet you and your lovely wife this AM at Ketelsens. Hope you didn't clean Camping World out. When you get your manual with the 27-5er it will point out what has been said in the other posts. Ease straight in if possible with gate down and close it before you park the gate in the gen house! Obviously the value of a spotter in hitching and unhitching. I've been reading all the literature with the Artic Fox and have come to the conclusion that building a series of check lists for these beasts is necessary. I will send you a copy when completed. I'll also be at the factory one day next week so if there is anything you want me to check on let me know.

 

[RATTLINRAM]

Tailgate

Ken,

I had a fifth wheel V-type gate on my previous F--- truck, but have found that using the stock gate is much nicer. I do the same thing the other guys do and go thru a mental check list and can't stress the fact of *Never get in a hurry* enough.

By having the stock gate, once I'm unhooked, I can snap my tonneau cover on and keep things in the bed out of sight and dry. I really don't think wind resistance is an issue because even without the tailgate, the air would still be hitting the flat front of the camper behind the truck... ... ..... Right?

Just my . 02 and oh yea... ... Enjoy the new rig!

 

[barryg41]

Tailgate?

I left my stock tailgate on also. But I did purchase the Adbrook Tonneau cover www.adbrookcovers.com. It's a PITA to hook up besides the mental thing of hooking up your camper. But the tonneau lets me hook up camper to truck while crusing down the highway with the tonneau on. It keeps out the rain and hides the stuff i keep in the bed while traveling the country side.



I always try to fuel and hook up the evening before i leave in the morning, then all i have to do is pull out and not be in a hurry.



Enjoy your rig and I hope it comes in early!

 

[JSoloman]

Take it off and leave it in the garage.













2001 2500 Quad Cab, 6K, SLT, leather, short bed 4x4, 6spd, 4. 10, K&N, all the S/S front to back, Smittybuilt grill guard, 2" frontend lever, 285 BFG Mud Terrains, pulling a 2000 26' Sprinter 5th wheel with a slide.

 

[Rambling]

Left mine on. I do use a spotter when connecting and disconnecting. The spotter also disconnects the cable and safety wire.



I second the'go slow' before making the next move approach.

 

[Turbo Thom]

I would like to know how do y'all get the break-away cable un hooked with out getting in the bed? Mine is locked to the hitch and takes a key for the lock to get it off. To me it does not matter which tail gate I have ,the process will be the same.

Just wondering.

Preston

 

[Rambling]

Mine doesn't lockup and I can reach my hookup point from the side of the truck.



Hookup appears to be hitch dependant.

 

[merryman]

I have been 5th wheeling since mid 80's, and the trouble with all those rules about, spotters, check lists, and don't get in a hurry, is that at some point, under some circumstances, most rules get seriously bent if not broken. I have known numerouse tail gates that got bent------including my 5th wheel tail gate when the ground level was a bit too uneven.



A fith wheel tail gate is good insurance against a costly "exception to all those good rules"



Vaughn

 

[Bill Stockard]

The same day I purchase a new truck, the tailgate goes in the garage leaned up against the wall and stays there until the day I trade the truck or sell it. I have been towing 5th wheels and/or gooseneck trailers since 1969, and sooner or later, if you leave the factory tailgate in, you're gonna' "get" it with the trailer hitch. BTDT. The tailgate is easily repaired($) or replaced($), but the damage to the bed is a different matter. My $0. 02.



Bill

 

[Paul Somers]

My $. 02 worth. I am on my second 5th wheel and I vote to use stock tail gate. I sometimes hall long lumber that I count on the tail gate for extra length of the bed. Most lovered tail gates I've seen wont support much in horizonal position. Most lovered tail gates are ugly to me. I do agree with comment of trapped air between tail gate and 5th wheel though. I use to have a heavy rubber bed rug and had a 18" long 2x4 on top of rug. when I got home some how the 2x4 had gotten under the mat.

Artic fox must be sold only on west coast as I have been camping since mid 70s and have never seen one.

My camper: 1999 30' 5th wheel single slide Sunnybrook.

Headed to Sunnybrook rally in Lebannon, TN in week or so. Any one else?

 

[Okie-Go]

I just put on my louvered tail gate and put the oem in the garage when I pull the 5er.

 

[jstyer]

tailgate

I'm convinced that the original tailgate is the way to go, but I take mine off (easy with just two snap couplings) and put it in the trailer until I arrive at my destination. Then I unhook and take the tailgate out and put it back on truck. This way I don't "FORGET" and damage the tailgate hooking or unhooking or traveling over uneven terrain that might endanger my tailgate.

John Styer

 

[Ron Bissett]

Tail gate ?

I put in garage , have a flow through I made with angle, one inch and can lock it in place, looks ok and has the three lights in middle as required for one ton . Opens like stock gate made the same like fittings one round and one round cut out round left side cut out right side not hard to do . Only problem did not use strong cable and must replace them, and must paint often as I don't have a way to plate, or coat ,other than spray paint . Works for me . LOL P. S The wind tunnel folks don't use the beer can test . Or the punch the cover with the gate . And can you fasten a gas bottle to a stock gate? Real world test is going on all the time and time will tell . Wind tunnel test blowing smoke . My fiver is the one with the goop covering the small hole in the front batt compartment .