Truck Tailgates: See All Your Choices

September 6, 2025

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Fast Details about Truck Tailgates

Tailgates on in the present day’s full-size vans are a significant promoting level when purchasing for a truck.
The most typical kind of tailgate stays the standard bottom-hinged, drop-down tailgate.
Energy-operated tailgates are rising in recognition.

Pickup vans proceed to outsell different autos in the USA handily, with the tailgate enjoying a significant half of their attract and practicality. That is very true for full-size vans, the place truck makers have invested huge quantities of analysis and growth in intelligent tailgate schemes.

Vehicles supply a great deal of nice options. They’re highly effective, present a ton of utility, and you’ll work or play in them. Tailgates carry out a vital position in a truck’s performance, functionality, and flexibility.

We’ll drill down how tailgates operate and examine the different sorts, permitting you to skillfully select which tailgate most closely fits your wants as you consider the perfect truck for you.

What Is a Tailgate on a Truck?

At one time, a truck’s tailgate was simply the entryway to the truck mattress. Nevertheless, tailgates in the present day can serve assorted functions. For instance, they will operate as a desk, bench seat, or bar for a weekend pregame occasion throughout soccer season, after which on Monday, remodel into an outside workstation on a building website. The tailgate additionally serves as a step stool, an support to assist load and unload cargo, and a measuring software. It will probably additionally maintain espresso cups or audio system for music, and way more. You’ve got nearly limitless choices relying on what options your truck comes with or can be found so as to add.

Producers proceed to one-up one another by providing completely different performance within the tailgate division.

Truck Tailgate Varieties at a Look

The only definition of a tailgate is, it’s the door to the truck mattress or cargo field. It opens, closes, and generally may even be eliminated to maximise loading, unloading, and securing the cargo. Some variations lock, some supply energy operation, and a few have dampers, offering managed, clean decreasing. Traditionally, house owners have employed tailgates as work surfaces, makeshift tables, and handy seats. Each tailgate we spotlight beneath is one or a mixture of those primary varieties of tailgates:

Conventional, drop-down: Hinged on the backside, this one-piece tailgate drops down flat with the cargo field ground. Benefit: When open, this tailgate gives an prolonged cargo ground for longer hundreds. Furthermore, it could additionally operate as a seat, desk, or work floor.
Facet-hinged: Moderately than dropping down when opened, this tailgate is hinged on the appropriate or left aspect, swinging out to create entry to the cargo field. Benefit: As a result of it doesn’t add depth to the cargo ground, when open, a side-hinged tailgate permits for reaching deeper into the cargo field with out climbing into the mattress.
Break up/barn door: A variation of the side-hinged tailgate, the break up or barn door configuration is hinged on each side and joined someplace in between. Either side swings open by itself set of hinges. Benefit: As with a side-hinged tailgate, the break up tailgate permits reaching deeper into the cargo field whereas standing on the bottom. Furthermore, it could usually nonetheless present entry to the cargo field even when a trailer is hitched to the truck.

Ram 1500: Multifunction Tailgate

Availability

Optionally available: Massive Horn, Laramie, Insurgent, Restricted, Restricted Longhorn, Tungsten

Options

60/40 break up with doorways that open to an 88-degree angle
Drop-down operate that enables the tailgate to open as a single, hinged-at-the-bottom unit
Weight capability of two,000 kilos when open within the down place
Straightforward open-close dampened help for drop-down and split-door configurations
Optionally available center-mounted mattress step able to supporting 350 kilos

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GMC Sierra 1500: MultiPro Tailgate

Availability

Optionally available: Professional, SLE, Elevation
Normal: SLT, Denali, AT4, AT4X, Denali Final

Options

When the tailgate is within the down (open) place, the first gate load cease flips as much as create a barrier, stopping longer objects from sliding out of the mattress.
Simpler mattress entry is achieved when the smaller interior tailgate is lowered whereas the total tailgate is in its down place. In essence, it creates a cutout, bringing you nearer to the cargo field.
With the interior and full tailgates lowered, a 48-inch step will be lowered from contained in the interior tailgate. Able to supporting 375 kilos, this handy step up gives quick access to the cargo field. To create further stability when stepping up, an help deal with folds out from the cargo field.
Major open is the total tailgate lowered within the conventional method. This may be achieved through a button on the fob, the tailgate, or contained in the truck.
Flipping the interior gate to its open place creates a flat work floor.
With the total tailgate down, flipping the interior gate to its open place permits the interior gate load cease to be prolonged to corral longer objects.

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Ford F-150: Professional Entry Tailgate

Availability

Optionally available: XLT, Lariat, Tremor
Normal: King Ranch, Platinum, Raptor

Options

Taking the break up tailgate a step additional, the built-in swing gate on the Professional Entry Tailgate is a side-hinged door positioned within the heart of the tailgate. Consider it as form of a 20/60/20 format. Measuring 37 inches large, it swings open to the appropriate and options three preset positions at 37 levels, 70 levels, and 100 levels.
An built-in step molded into the rear bumper provides a fast step up. Nevertheless, Ford has additionally offered a pull-out step from underneath the bumper.
Drop-down performance permits the tailgate to open like a standard tailgate. When open, it gives a flat work floor, a ruler, a cup holder, a pencil holder, and extra. There are even built-in bottle openers on both aspect. Higher trims include power-operated folding.

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Chevrolet Silverado 1500: Multi-Flex Tailgate

2021 Chevrolet Silverado Multi-Flex Tailgate

Availability

Optionally available: WT, Customized, Customized Path Boss, LT, RST, LT Path Boss, LTZ, Excessive Nation, ZR2

Options

When the tailgate is within the down (open) place, the first gate load cease flips as much as create a barrier, stopping longer objects from sliding out of the mattress.
Simpler mattress entry is achieved when the smaller interior tailgate is lowered whereas the total tailgate is in its down place. In essence, it creates a cutout bringing you nearer to the cargo field.
With the interior and full tailgates lowered, a 48-inch step will be lowered from contained in the interior tailgate. Able to supporting 375 kilos, this handy step up gives quick access to the cargo field. To create further stability when stepping up, an help deal with folds out from the cargo field. Plus, you will get a built-in Kicks audio system in that step to boost the following tailgating occasion.
Major open is the total tailgate lowered within the conventional method. This may be achieved through a button on the fob, the tailgate, or contained in the truck.
Flipping the interior gate to its open place creates a flat work floor.
With the total tailgate open, flipping up the interior gate permits the interior load cease to corral longer objects.

See Chevrolet Silverado 1500 listings close to you

Midsize Vehicles

All smaller vans from Toyota, NissanFord, and Chevy have conventional drop-down tailgates which might be purposeful however primary. The outlier is the Honda Ridgeline with its side-hinged tailgate.

Electrical Vehicles: Rivian R1T

EV vans are coming quick and livid, and the Rivian R1T will get a totally dampened tailgate you could open remotely. You additionally get the gear tunnel, which is tremendous cool. There isn’t a further performance at the moment, however Rivian has filed a number of patents for issues like a step and different options that may present up sooner or later.

Full disclosure: Cox Automotive, Kelley Blue Ebook’s guardian firm, is a minority investor in Rivian.

Our Take: Which Tailgate Is Proper for You?

In a car phase the place patrons can spend $50,000 or extra for a truck, ponying up a further $1,000 or so on a multipurpose tailgate isn’t so foolish. That is notably true for individuals who are lively and use a truck to its fullest potential. Subsequently, we are saying to each truck purchaser on the market, make your truck all that it may be.

Editor’s Observe: This text has been up to date for accuracy because it was initially revealed.