Tailgate on or off?

[Mark H]

We are new to truck camping. The first few times we loaded our Northern Lite 10-2 onto our GMC truck, we removed the tailgate. We noticed today that there would be plenty of space to have loaded the rig with the tailgate on and open. Is there any reason to remove a tailgate if the rig fits with it down? Any reason why we couldn’t drive for an extended period with an open tailgate? Seems like wasted effort to remove it otherwise.

[Jbell]

The only two problems I can think of is that the tailgate will get a lot of paint chips especially if you drive on gravel roads very much. It would also lower your departure angle slightly and might get scraped.

2007 Dodge 3500 Dually 4x4
Cummins 5.9, 6sp, PAC
brake, Big Wig, Timbrens
2000 Lance 1130
2004 Jeep Rubicon

[Dietrich Kanzler]

The other thing is that the weight of the tailgate will use up some of your load capacity just by being there.

[Mark H]

All good thoughts. I’ll keep taking the tailgate off. Thanks.

[dan]

for chevy owners the 2014 and up tailgate does not sit level with the bed. I had to put 1x4x6′ boards in the bed so my 8′ camper could lay flush. it’s like the cable that holds the tailgate up is shorter than it’s ever been in the past. with out the boards your camper will sit on the edge of the tailgate and the front of the bed putting a lot of pressure on the cables. this is on my 2016 chevy 2500hd

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