I've been fulltiming in my Bigfoot for almost a year now and I'm still undecided on what to do with my tailgate for my Ford. It's currently sitting in my moms garage in New York. I'm out West with no plans to drive back East anytime soon. And even if I did, I still wouldn't be able to take the tailgate with me as long as the camper is on. I'm unsure what to do with it. I know I should probably keep it for resale value but I wonder if it'll even be worth it because I imagine shipping a huge and heavy tailgate would cost more than just buying a new one wherever I am. And I could probably get more money from selling the tailgate while it's still relatively new. I'm wondering who has sold theirs and if they regret it, and what the fulltimers without a sticks and bricks home/a storage unit do with theirs?

I put it in hallway closet and keep getting beating from DW for taking valuable space there. I am thinking about hanging it up on the wall in garage as I don't plan to put it on the truck ever. The other option is that I have winch/rack for convertible hardtop in my garage and when I sell convertible, I might keep the rack for tailgate.I sold Dodge tailgate few year ago, but it brought me like $150. Shipping with UPS was not too expensive, but they charge me extra for not having it fully wrapped. The new tailgate has camera, light and electric lock build in, so hard to tell what would be market for it, but since I plan to keep the truck for 20 years, I rather keep it as chances are I will get rid of TC in that time. For shipping big item research Greyhound option.

If your Mom's not complaining about it, I think I would leave it there. Ya never know.

Mines in the garage and I have had a couple people want to buy it..No way..When and if you ever go to sell your pickup,most if not all will want it with a tailgate.

I agree with Jaycocreek. Keep it. Your truck if you ever get a new one needs it's tailgate on it.You could sell it on Craigs List but I think in the end, you'll be sorry you did.Mine sits in my garage most of the time, in the corner.

I’ve wrapped mine and stored it in the garage in the past. Mine is on the truck now in WA, and TC in Montana. I wouldn’t have a TC if I never used the tailgate, but that’s just me. I’d probably go flatbed or Class B/C.

What have you done with your tailgate? | Good Sam Community

centerline
Explorer
Feb 20, 2018
I used some screw in eye-bolts and installed them in the rafter/trusses overhead in the garage, and then used rope to hoist the tailgate flat against the ceiling, and tied it off... its out of the way, and takes up no usable space that could be used for else.

tailgates (complete) are very costly and they come unpainted, so if you get rid of it, its going to be quite expensive to replace it...
mkirsch
Nomad II
Feb 20, 2018
Your assertion that it would cost more to ship than buy is misguided. New tailgates are NOT cheap, then to get them outfitted with the hardware and painted to match (almost impossible to get a good match on most colors) will far exceed the cost to ship.
Tizi
Explorer
Feb 20, 2018
I wrap mine in a moving blanket and put in in my shed. Use it when I need it and will keep if I sell the truck.
Ralph_Cramden
Explorer II
Feb 20, 2018
Hold on to it. The tailgate alone is @ $1400 OEM, then you need all the hardware, latches, trim, hinges, camera etc, and paint......probably close to $3K all said and done if not more.
DenverDan
Explorer
Feb 20, 2018
work2much wrote:
DenverDan wrote:
I'm a long time member; new 5th wheel owner. Please excuse my ignorance, but besides the obvious possibility of not lowering the tailgate for hitching up and unhitching, what other reasons are there that one would need to remove the tailgate? If I am careful to open the tailgate prior to hitching and close it after hitching, can't I travel with the tailgate closed while pulling the TH?

Did you mean to post this in the Truck Camper forum?

Aha! I thought I was still in the 5th wheel forum. Disregard my stupid question...
work2much
Explorer
Feb 20, 2018
DenverDan wrote:
I'm a long time member; new 5th wheel owner. Please excuse my ignorance, but besides the obvious possibility of not lowering the tailgate for hitching up and unhitching, what other reasons are there that one would need to remove the tailgate? If I am careful to open the tailgate prior to hitching and close it after hitching, can't I travel with the tailgate closed while pulling the TH?

Did you mean to post this in the Truck Camper forum?
toedtoes
Explorer III
Feb 20, 2018
Do an ebay/craigslist search for your year, make and model tailgate. If there are tons out there, then it might be easier to sell. If there are few to none, then keep it.
DenverDan
Explorer
Feb 20, 2018
I'm a long time member; new 5th wheel owner. Please excuse my ignorance, but besides the obvious possibility of not lowering the tailgate for hitching up and unhitching, what other reasons are there that one would need to remove the tailgate? If I am careful to open the tailgate prior to hitching and close it after hitching, can't I travel with the tailgate closed while pulling the TH?
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Feb 20, 2018
work2much wrote:
TxGearhead wrote:
If your Mom's not complaining about it, I think I would leave it there. Ya never know.

This seems like the obvious choice. We are close to selling or renting our home and going full time. I think we will end up doing a storage locker for at least a couple years. We will end up at some point buying another sticks and bricks.

Don't know if you have better pricing in your area, but when we sold the house East of San Francisco, the 10x20 storage for 2 years would cost us at least $12,000
Unless you have whole house of antique furniture, it is better give the stuff you have to charity and use the 12 grands for buying new stuff when you settle again.
Camper_Jeff___K
Nomad III
Feb 20, 2018
Mine's been in the shop for three months. Friday it goes back on the truck and the truck becomes a work truck again hauling around tools and construction materials.
You could be creative and install truck like mounts, latch, and cable stations to the wall in your home or shop and flip the tail gate down to have a tail gate party. Tail gates can be very versatile.

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