My son and I both ride dirt bikes and travel with them in the back of our Tundra with a bed extender. We are planning to buy either a travel trailer or toy hauler in the next few weeks so we can go riding for the weekend with the bikes. The deciding factor on which we purchase is whether we can tow a trailer behind the truck with the tailgate down without impacting the gas bottles on the front of the trailer.
Does anyone tow a trailer with the tail gate down on your Tundra and is there any limitations?
I think your largest limitation is the trailer jack since most of them will be extremely close to the tailgate when down and when you turn you will likely articulate the tailgate right into the trailer jack. If you have a low profile trailer jack then you might be alright.
I moved my trailer with the tailgate down once. Just had to pull up a little and then back up to reposition the trailer. Thought the jack was low enough but I was wrong. Big scratches on the tailgate now.
My TT's tongue jack handle just touches the tailgate when open (have the dimple above the tailgate handle to prove it). With the size of the tailgate on the Tundra I think you'll be challenged finding a trailer that won't touch an open gate, especially when you articulate.
Yup you can tow with the tailgate down, just have to do some body work afterwards.
Seriously OP like others ive got a pair of quarter sized dents complete with paint scratches on my tailgate from just dropping the tailgate and pulling a freezer off while having a trailer hooked up. I was quoted a "favor" price of $400 to fix while i had some other things being painted. Wouldn't recomend towing with the tailgate down.
I also ride dirt bikes, a KTM 300. I think if you remove the tailgate all together might be the best bet. I believe the tires would still catch enough of the truck bed to be secure but wouldn't interfere with the trailer at all. I know I couldn't leave my tailgate down on either of my trailers or camper.
I haven't towed with my tailgate down, because I've never need to, but I have a flip jack on my trailer that swivels flat into the tongue of the trailer, you could always install one of those.
Check out Jack-E-Up. You can remove the jack handle which will permit towing with the tail gate down. I personally have not used one, but have heard they work well.
This pic shows my solution to the problem. I bought the tail gate mounting brackets and bolted them to a 2x10. I then added spacers from a 2x4 to allow he spacer to rest on the bumper. As you can see it is parallel to the bumper. I call it my "shorty tailgate". Obviously the brackets make is very easy to take on and off, just angle it up and it comes off. Two bike won't cause a problem, adding the middle bike will cause you to do what I do, put the back tire on a bike stand, this will also get the bars in front of the other two bikes. As it worked out the bike stand I had a foot on each side with small enough holes to slide some bolts through holes stratigicaly drilled to keep it from moving, also bungied the tie to the stand to keep it from bouncing off. I tow and haul bikes a lot, works for me.
I towed my boat with tailgate down with no problems for almost a year. Then I guess I turned to sharp and caught the winch strap lock out and have a small dent on the top of the tailgate.
If you hit a bump, your tailgate could come completely off!! The tailgate is designed to be removed from the down position. The right side has a slot in it to allow that side to come off first, and then the left slides out.
Get the toyhauler and call it a day. I have one for my dirt bikes and camping.
There is a possibility that the tail gate can come off in the down position. I actually had one side pop out when I hit a speed bump a little too hard.
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