Tailgate for a truck camper

Optimistic Paranoid wrote:
There are some exceptions to this. The 10 foot Alaskan Truck Campers are designed to be used in 8 foot beds with the tailgate down and supporting the last couple of feet.

There's an exception to this exception. A lot of newer trucks have a tailgate that is not meant to be a weight carrying support.

I've seen bent tailgates on shortbed trucks where people haul motorcycles where the rear wheel rests on the tailgate instead of the truck bed.

I have carried my 8' bed camper on my 6-1/2' truck with the tailgate down - but I cover the tailgate with "crash wrap" to protect from stone chips.

ThomasELee wrote:
Do you have to remove the tailgate for a truck camper?

You don't HAVE to, but generally it is a good idea.

"The fact that camper is designed to be supported by tailgate does not mean the tailgate is designed to carry weight."

x2

JRscooby wrote:
The fact that camper is designed to be supported by tailgate does not mean the tailgate is designed to carry weight.

Beat me to it!

Yes.

Optimistic Paranoid wrote:

joerg68 wrote:
But the tailgate is not designed to carry any of the camper weight. The tailgate itself is also dead weight behind your rear axle, which you usually want to get rid of when you carry a camper.

There are some exceptions to this. The 10 foot Alaskan Truck Campers are designed to be used in 8 foot beds with the tailgate down and supporting the last couple of feet.

The fact that camper is designed to be supported by tailgate does not mean the tailgate is designed to carry weight.

my tailgate had a raised inner portion for the step assist handle so it isnt flat with the bed so it would come off unless I had a 8 foot or shorter camper. with my 10.5 foot it comes off every time.

joerg68 wrote:
But the tailgate is not designed to carry any of the camper weight. The tailgate itself is also dead weight behind your rear axle, which you usually want to get rid of when you carry a camper.

There are some exceptions to this. The 10 foot Alaskan Truck Campers are designed to be used in 8 foot beds with the tailgate down and supporting the last couple of feet.

Generally, you remove the tailgate when loading a truck camper.
Obviously, if the camper is so short that you can close the gate behind it, you can leave it on.
Some campers have an overhang that extends below the truck bed (my old Lance had the gray water tank there), so they would interfere with the tailgate. Some will technically fit, but if you leave it down, it will likely collect a lot if rock chips. I guess you could cover it with transport wrap for protection.
But the tailgate is not designed to carry any of the camper weight.
The tailgate itself is also dead weight behind your rear axle, which you usually want to get rid of when you carry a camper.