Frozen Tailgate

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kdbou11

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Greeneville Tn.
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2020
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6.4 Hemi
Has anyone had problems with the tailgate freezing in cold weather. I have a 2020 Ram Tradesman with the 8ft bed. It got down to about 16 deg here and I tried to open the tailgate. I could hear it unlock but it would not open, later it got to about 40 deg and it opened ok. If this is a common problem, is there anything I can do to prevent it. Thank Ken.
 

huntergreen

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Haven’t had this issue.
 

chopperman1

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I've had it freeze to the seal on my tauneu cover many times. Typically a wipe of silcone spray stops it for a few weeks or so. never seen one freeze without a cover tho.
 

Phirebeard

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Like chopperman1, mine freezes to my tonneau cover. The tailgate isn't sealed like doors, so it shouldn't freeze unless you have a lot of half melted snow or something against it. You could always pour some warm water over it if you had to get into it.
 

Dr. Righteous

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Jamestown TN
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2014
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5.7 hemi
Had this happen to me a few times. I sprayed some penetrating oil on the latches and was good for a long time but froze up again last bit of cold weather we had. Tailgate wouldn't latch closed.
 

Plankton

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I went to open mine yesterday and it was frozen shut, but luckily today it's above freezing. I just sprayed the latches with some WD40.
 

Fergusontd

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Get the Ford heated tailgate option. It can heat in the winter so your hands don't freeze when you're pushing your teuck!
 

Dean2

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Near Edmonton
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2021 2500
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Any amount of water or melt and stuff is going to freeze. It gets very cold up here for long periods of time. I use Silicone spray on all weatherstripping every time I wash the truck, which is usually once a week or more, and do all hinges and latches with it at the same time. WD40 is a good water displacer, but it attracts a lot of dust and cruds up over time. I use it to get water out of the key ways on locks but then respray with silicone lube. Takes maybe 10 minutes to do a real thorough job. I also carry little bottles of lock de-icer, which is just methyl hydrate in case something freezes, one quick squirt, even at -40, and it frees up the iced up part.
 

WmTWard

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2016
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I did the warm water idea, walked back to the cab, then heard the tailgate blast open on its own!
I do have a cover and there had been rain/snow followed by freezing temps.
 
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