To tailgate or not to tailgate :)

[Happyjax]

That is the question!

So, I have a new truck (F-250) and it has a 6 3/4 foot bed. A 6 1/2 foot camper should fit so that the tailgate would close. This allows for the backup camera to stay unmodified, gives me a back porch and I have the tailgate step which would assist in entering.

A longer camper would give me more living space but I do not think I want to extend beyond the bumper because it is easier to lower the spare tire and add a receiver item if I don't. That limits me to a 7ish foot camper.

Ideas from those who have tackled this dilemma? I am considering Alaskan campers with Bundutec/Hallmark in 2nd place....

BTW with a 3/4 ton I believe the weight of the tailgate is a non-issue

Thanks for any input!

 

[Backroad Joe]

I really like my back porch. My camper's last 5" rests on the gate. First time out I removed the tailgate. I'll never do that again. It works as a table, giving me a place to put things when in camp. A place to stand and look around. A place to put an outside door mat. I also fabricated a holder that bolts to the tailgate and holds two jerry cans. That was golden last year in the post solar eclipse, mass exodus, panic gas buying apocalypse.

 

[ckent323]

We leave the tailgate on. We have an 8' cargo bed and the Keystone model camper. The camper extends a bit more than half way over the tailgate.

The tailgate protects the bottom of the camper and there is a 6" wide ledge that serves as a skinny "porch". It makes reaching the latches on the rear of the camper easy and serves as a place to step onto before bending over and entering/exiting the camper door. It also makes a nice shelf to set things on when standing on the ground behind the camper such as when moving things in and out of the camper.

P.S. We have no problem getting in and out of the camper using a 3 step fold up step stool (truck is FWD so the tailgate and door are well off the ground).

We also have an 7' x 16' enclosed trailer for towing our railroad motorcar (speeder) and the tailgate is not a problem while towing since the bottom of the tailgate is higher than the top of the crank up foot tower on the trailer tongue and it is far enough from it that even if I back the trailer to 90 degrees to the truck the trailer and truck to not come into contact. I can imagine how towing with a 2WD truck with the tailgate down while towing a smaller trailer might be an issue.

 

[Happyjax]

When the tailgate is down it seems very iffy for getting to the spare tire (which frankly I hope I never need to. I also was thinking of mounting some kind of hitch to carry a Rad Rover or maybe eventually being able to tow a small camper that belongs to a friend if we want to camp together. The tailgate just seems to be in an awkward situation like that. has anyone encountered issues under those circumstances?

I also think there is a tad more security with the tailgate up but not sure that is really a benefit.

Thanks for the replies

 

[CougarCouple]

Hello Happyjax
I can not see getting in and out with the tailgate on being very easy. I would not be able to close my tailgate with our camper so never tried it. Don't let the camera be the biggest reason why you might leave it on. Put one on for maybe $60 total, just not that hard. I could see having the tailgate as an asset for storage like chair, mat, some fire wood. For sure I did miss my camera when I had no tailgate, until I installed auxiliary camera.

Russ

Forgot you would have the taller door. ( edit )

 

[PackRat]

I had an 8' NCO on my old F-150 and learned instantly what great additional "space" the tailgate was. I needed it for my propane-tank--in-a-milk-crate, but found that it was a good place to keep your muddy/dirty shoes because if they are on the ground the chipmunks/mice will chew off the laces for nesting material for winter. You have heard the best reasons why any additional "space" is a good thing.

However....if you have an F-250 3/4 ton you would have zero issues with an 8 ft. CO or NCO Alaskan. You just need to shim the tailgate a bit and support the rear of the Alaskan as the door opening is a known weak point and you can get "splay" on the bottom which makes it bind when you try to lower the top section. Having had an 8' NCO and now an 8' CO I can't tell you how valuable that "space" the upper bunk gives you over the truck cab as well!

The receiver hitch issue is easily solved with an extension readily available at U-Haul or ebay. While it DOES reduce what kind of a load you can tow, unless you have the Queen Mary on a trailer you should be good to go.

I'm not sure if you are solo camping or just you and your better half will be using it, but having more "space" in the camper is especially useful on rainy days and when you both are cooking inside. The NCO has just the aisle plus the distance back to the door to move around in, so two adults will be in a kind of tighter environment in a shorter camper.

In the end, this will depend on what your short term and long term plans are for using your camping rig...

 

[PackRat]

<p>Oh yeah, one more thing....the NCO had a 48&quot; wide sleeping area for two adults. Not very comfortable in my experience. I have slept in my CO in the upper and lower bunk and found them to be plenty roomy for ONE adult but then again, I am 6' 4&quot; and 240 lbs.</p>

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Jackie, if you have a tall door, like an Alaskan, leaving it on would be handy. For a Hobbit sized door, I would remove the tailgate. It’s an ease of entry issue for me.

 

[Happyjax]

At this time I am a solo act. I will be carrying a ton of gear for photography and Astrophotography. I plan on removing the seats in the back of the crew cab to extend my storage and build a secure cage to keep the gear in.

I had originally thought about a super cab with an 8ft bed but realized that the campers were really geared for living space and I need secure storage.

I hope to spend most of the days lolly gagging n the outside but there will be those nasty rainy, freezy, yucky days where the camper will be my best friend.

The thought of driving around with the tailgate down is a bit intimidating as it is an extra 2 feet hanging in the wind.... I am sure I would enjoy a larger camper but I did not get the crewcab/8ft bed because I didn't want to be hauling the "Titanic" around.....

Of course if you use the old "motorcycle" rule where they say buy big because after a couple weeks you'll outgrow the little one (which I did...lol) then I would look at a tailgate down camper...

This is not getting any easier!

Love it! Thanks all

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

My major professor had a saying that I remember with about every significant decision. “You can’t always make the right decision, you can make the decision right.”

 

[ntsqd]

Our camper is a 6.5' model in an 8' bed. I centered the camper on the rear tires giving us storage in front and a step at the rear. Even with just the two of us we more often than not wish for an 8' camper. I'll miss the storage and the step, but it'll be worth it.

 

[PackRat]

While you might e considering keeping stuff in the back seat of the truck, unless the CAGE itself is welded together or bolted to the floor, you could attract even more attention to the valuable stuff you carry in there. I would suggest you ad a sticker to each side of the truck windows that says "BEWARE OF GUARD DOG" because some thieves woudn't figure out that "K-9" means "dog". The point is, the smash and grabs are targets of opportunity so anything that looks to be too hard to get the "stuff" out of and one with some kind of insane pit-bull in it would not be their first choice!

Remember also that if you have a truck with a tailgate that closes, you can buy a tailgate lock that means it is that much harder to get to the door of the camper...the door of the camper being a rather poor security barricade if they have a crowbar with them!

 

[Happyjax]

My tailgate locks with the truck. Exactly what I had in mind. The cage in the back would be secure and I would probably hide anything tasty looking so cloths and shoes and things would be visible.... Kinda have to figure it out as I go. I did buy the weatherguard reflector set for the truck and with those on you can see nothing.....

I don't plan to leave it in bad places when possible but as you said, smash and grab takes very little time and even if they get nothing I lose a window.....

 

[JCatt]

I have a 2014 Hawk and a 2016 F250, not sure what you you have. Although the camper does tuck in a bit I don’t think you could close the tailgate. Mine does have the built in step which probably adds to the thickness, it certainly adds to the weight!

ETA I’ll be putting the camper on in a day or two and can check if you are interested.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

The tailgate down does have good uses,
but how do you get to the crank hole for the spare
if the tailgate covers it up.
Frank

 

[Happyjax]

The tailgate down does have good uses,
but how do you get to the crank hole for the spare
if the tailgate covers it up.
Frank

That would be one of the issues frank. While I am sure they make extensions for the crank they do not for my arms and crawling under the tailgate to try and pull that heavy spare out might be the end of me. I don't actually know if I can change the tire yet. Think looks pretty massive......

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

I am not sure it's just a matter of an extension for the crank.
Doesn't the tailgate cover the hole when down?
Doesn't matter in my case I can't use the tailgate with my camper.6 1/2' camper and bed.
Frank

 

[Happyjax]

I'm not sure..... another thing to check out A 3/4 ton truck has nothing in common with a 12 year old convertible...... Radical change in everything. Still trying to get use to the seats. Not as comfy as my 12 year old broken in Solara but that is somewhere else now

Anyone use sheepskin covers? I thought they might give me more cushion and still let my butt warmer work.......lol

 

[klahanie]

Close-able tailgate or slightly longer camper ? That's a tough one, and not a choice I've faced directly. But I did design our custom camper deck to have a close-able tailgate vs no tailgate on the previous pick up truck (using the same 8' Granby camper)

And I do like having a tailgate, for many of the reasons already mentioned but I'll add that in your scenario you would have use of the full tailgate for sitting, cooking, workbench, night storage etc.making all these benefits better.

Agree with security, we often lock ours - just make sure you can't be locked in, while inside ! And speaking of security, I find it safer to be able to step out at night and peer around both sides of the camper when something goes bump in the night, without having to climb down onto the ground. Better in wet or snowy weather too.

As for ingress/egress, it's true, if you have a half door and a tailgate near level with the camper floor, it can be awkward.

If you go Alaskan, would you be able to reach the roof raise switch with the tailgate down ?.. IDK, those new Fords are pretty tall.

As for the bike, that would prob be a deal breaker for me (tailgate in the way, bike in the way), are you sure you don't want to carry the bike in the cab ?

As for a longer camper, I'd be all for that - these campers are small IMO. Six or eight inches may not seem much but could make a big difference in the dinette or a top down bed, or for an oven, shower, storage...who knows what. If you are going custom, perhaps settle on the interior layout first and then see if a closing tailgate is even an option. If not, you may be able to later add a fabricated tailgate/platform attached to the camper back, if desired.

As for that spare tire. Sometimes, you can lower and unhook it first, then drive forward a few feet so you can flip it up more easily for install. Can work in reverse also, for loading up the flat wheel, or at least reduce the pushing/wriggling.

Finally, if memory serves, your long term project is getting closer to fruition. Like many on here, I too have played the waiting game, marking time for a camper or truck. It can be exciting and it can be frustrating but know this, it will be worth it. Enjoy

~David

 

[Happyjax]

Some folks here may have read a Truck Camper Magazine article about a custom 5 1/2 foot Alaskan. I had been trying to hook up with Linda for a while to check it out. Yesterday was the day. Now when she opened the back door and I looked at that cramped interior I was sad because it looked really small. Once she lifted the top I saw a very small but very livable space. it was pretty amazing what Bryan did with that 1/2 ton truck with the teeny bed.

I think I would get 10 inches or so more than what she has and I could live with that.

Carrying the photographic gear that I do the security of a closed tailgate is worth a lot.

I did also like the porch it created and saw lots of pluses to it.

As with everything else in this passion ( and life in general) it is a give and take. I am willing to give up 6 inches of camper for the advantages of the tailgate. I would want to keep the camper within the confines of the bumper which would put me at 7 feet. I will be taking some very precise measurements this week to see if a 6 1/2 will fit. The bed is 6 3/4 feet long but that ridge up front takes about 2 inches and the deadbolt on the back of the door eats an inch.... It will be close.

If I go for the 7 foot I have to rethink my setup so I really appreciate the different views from those who have faced these questions and come up with answers.

Thanks all, I love this site

Thanks Linda for being such a generous person and allowing me climb all through your camper and play with those very cute Goldens