tailgate is bad design

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slim chance

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don't like the shape of the tail gate, set up for my travel trailer with Reese WD hitch it is only a half inch from hitting the ball when tail gate is open!!!!!! the tail gate will open when hitched BUT the trailer coupler would hit the tail gate thus gotta watch the auto open button on the tail gate ... longer hitch bar would only multiply the leverage on the hitch ... and ya gotta remember this has the trailer towing package (12,700#), so they surely thought somebody would be towing
 

Wahrsuul

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I'm sure they thought someone was towing, but they didn't figure they'd be doing it with the tailgate down. Didn't know there was a tailgate opening button on the new ones. Maybe there's a way to disable it in the settings?
 

adrianp89

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Mine is no where that close when towing... sounds like your hitch has a raise and not a drop. I don't think it's any different than last years model.
 

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you have to hit the button twice to drop the tailgate. mine only barely clears the power tongue jack when I'm hitched up so I have to be careful.
 
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slim chance

slim chance

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i am not towing with the tailgate down, but when stopped (like at a gas station) before i unhitch and the tailgate release button is hit the dampened tailgate will lower and the bu camera will hit the hitch latch and the tailgate will not be fully down ... my TT when setup with the Reese WD hitch to the top of the ball is 25" to load the truck front and rear axles properly .. also, the tailgate does JUST clear the tongue jack
 

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a drop hitch would lower everything and allow the tailgate to lower fully. the hitch I use has a 2" drop to it.
 

tjfdesmo

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Like they can design a tailgate around every conceivable hitch combination? I have been pulling trailers a long time, and tailgates hitting hitches and tongue jacks when hitched up has always been a concern.
 

17Delmonico

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My tailgate would have hit my frame jack on my utility trailer (nowhere near the hitch, though), so I got one of these: https://jack-e-up.com/
My Dakota had a shorter tailgate, since it was a smaller truck, so it cleared the jack. The RAM has a much bigger tailgate, so it hits the jack location.
It allows me to quickly take the ******** the trailer once it's attached to the truck. I toss the jack in the bed, and it gives me plenty of clearance now.
My truck is stock height, and I have a 2" drop hitch.
 
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slim chance

slim chance

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i am towing a 7000# trailer with a Reese WD hitch .. to set it up, you first find level ground and raise the trl tongue to where the trailer is level and then measure the hitch height ... you set the ball hitch in the truck to measure to the top of the ball being equal to the hitch height ... my trailer is a 2018 Keystone (the biggest TT mfg in the world) Passport and the hitch height is 25" ... i am setting this hitch up correctly .. you can not just use a 2" drop bar to tow a travel trailer like you can and i do for a utility trailer .. IF RAM uses this tail gate shape on the Ram 2500 there will be many unhappy truck owners that want to tow travel trailers .. btw, when hitched my tail gate does not hit my electric trailer jack only the top of the trailer hitch clip
 

sandawilliams

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My 2009 Jayco had a little longer tongue and I could drop the tailgate and clear the jack. Now I have a 2017 Cougar and the gate hits the jack. Shorter tongue and fatter jack. No problem- rotate the jack 240 degrees and everything is fine. Sometimes a simple fix is all that's needed.
 

runamuck

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maybe add a cpl. rubber stops on top of rear bumper to stop tailgate from going all the way down . just the luck of the draw I think. my 28' freedom express rides level with the 2" drop wdh I use.
 
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slim chance

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i am thinking about shortening the cable stops for the tail gate just enough to give me about 1" clearance ... my only problem with that, that i can think of now, is i carry a wooden box in the bed that holds gun cases, we cowboy action shoot, and IF the tail gate is slanted up it may be hard to get the gun cases out .. have to check ... ya the next step down on the WD hitch is 1.75" lower and that would put too much weight on the rear of the truck, raising the front of the truck and lowering the front of the TT, cause you see it is 1.75" over a 27' length ... kinda like a gun, you are only off 0.1" at the muzzel but at 50 yds you are off 36"
 
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slim chance

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and the rubber stops sounds good till somebody leans on the aluminum tail gate and puts a dent in it ... don't know how strong they are built on the outside shell
 
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BWL

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Pad across the tow bar so if you forget it doesn't damage the tailgate when hooked up. Tailgate assist so it at least doesn't slam down on it.
 
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slim chance

slim chance

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20181107_resized.jpg

ok .. in the pix above you can see the more than 4" shelf were the tail gate meets the cap window ... that shelf is the problem and is what i think is a poor design because it makes the tail gate hit the hitch clip on the trailer when the WD hitch is set properly
 
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slim chance

slim chance

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Gondul

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While it is unfortunate the design happens to interfere with your use of the vehicle, it is by no means a poor design and quite intentional with a very specific purpose.

Open bed drag is a long standing myth, the lip on the tailgate helps to smooth the airflow over the back of the vehicle reducing drag.

The Chevy below shows how the tailgate up has a much smoother airflow than tailgate down.

1368668876776.jpg

On the RAM here you can see how much smoother the airflow is over the tailgate rather than the Chevy because of the lip.

aerodynamics.jpg

I have no idea why this image keeps showing up even after I delete it...
View attachment 145891
 
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slim chance

slim chance

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well .. it only took the mfgs 110 years to figure that one out, since tail gate design has remained the same until now ... hope it does not take another 100 years to figure out the new design interferes with the very use this truck is built to do .. aka tow package with 12,700#
 

Siff

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Tow package max rating is meant for utility trailers. If you are towing a 12,700# TT with this truck, please tell me the state so I know to stay away. Also, it is a marketing gimmick; while one variant of this truck technically can tow at this extreme, you will probably end up fighting for any warranty work if you overstress your truck components by towing at its limits regularly (they have a bunch of fine print clauses in the things you signed stating that many activities, like commercial use, void the warranty).

You might be able to either lift the truck or add air bags to effectively temp lift it to be able to use a drop hitch while maintaining the 25" to keep it level. 25" is a large trailer height for any half ton (this link states that most hitches are designed for 17" heights), so my guess is that the TT was designed for a bigger truck. At least you don't have a GMC transformer tailgate, that thing would get all kinds of jacked up by your trailer.
 
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