Question on using a tailgate

[realter]

If you Ave a truck camper that fits within the length of your truck bed, and you can close the tailgate, what happens if you are in the camper and someone closes it? Are you trapped inside the camper?

[Travels_with_Yo]

Kayteg1 wrote:

Travels with Yoly wrote:
When I saw the heading for this thread I thought it was a discussion on whether or not you should leave a tailgate in place rather than remove it and allow the 2 extra feet of camper to extend beyond the bed ? The two surfaces are perfectly level with each other so the tailgate really wouldn't see that much of a load ... or would it ?

My long campers have holding tanks below the floor level in the rear.
Than seeing how the 6000lb camper rocks during driving, I don't think the tailgate would survive under it on long run even if I could have tailgate under.

Our camper fully loaded is only 2280 lbs and the bottom, front to back is perfectly level. The camper is 8 feet and the bed length is 6'-5" so maybe 1'-7" on the tailgate. I also think it might reduce some of the fore/aft rocking. Hope more people chime in with knowledge. We're new to truck campers 🙂

[joerg68]

I do worry about somebody closing my big handle assist against the door when I'm inside, effectively trapping me inside. There was a thread about a year ago on this.

Actually (at least on our Northstar), the handle will swing open under moderate force from inside. It doesn't lock in place very firmly.

[realter]

I would have thought the sound would have been, pss, pss, pss, pss. The sound of the air being released from that persons tires.

[RickW]

Trackrig wrote:
I think this is about as much of a problem as worrying about someone parking too close to the door of the outhouse you just went into.

Oh no, now I've given people something new to worry about - maybe it will make them get done and out quicker?

Bill

Reminds me of a barely related story from 1980.

Arrived at Yosemite entrance with travel trailer at 1 am and no reservations. Stopped and slept. 6 am, ranger told us no camping and ran us off. We drove into the valley and parked in the empty large lot near the general store. All went back to bed.

9 am, awoke to traffic noise. Went to leave and door would only open 4 inches-a car was parked up against the trailer. Could not find another exit but little brother warped the top of the door and we squeezed him out onto the roof. The next sound we heard was bloop, bloop, bloop. He was dancing on the top of the offending car!

Moved the rig and had a great day. The next night's adventure will have to wait until a future, kinda-related, post. 😉

[Grit_dog]

Keep a shotgun in the camper to blow the tailgate apart if you're a victim of the infamous "tailgate closing bandits!"

[Kayteg1]

Travels with Yoly wrote:
When I saw the heading for this thread I thought it was a discussion on whether or not you should leave a tailgate in place rather than remove it and allow the 2 extra feet of camper to extend beyond the bed ? The two surfaces are perfectly level with each other so the tailgate really wouldn't see that much of a load ... or would it ?

My long campers have holding tanks below the floor level in the rear.
Than seeing how the 6000lb camper rocks during driving, I don't think the tailgate would survive under it on long run even if I could have tailgate under.

[Travels_with_Yo]

When I saw the heading for this thread I thought it was a discussion on whether or not you should leave a tailgate in place rather than remove it and allow the 2 extra feet of camper to extend beyond the bed ? The two surfaces are perfectly level with each other so the tailgate really wouldn't see that much of a load ... or would it ?

[Kayteg1]

Some people like to worry period.
My wife worry right now about hurricane in TX and storms in FL.
We are in north Georgia.

[realter]

Tank. I do worry about somebody closing my big handle assist against the door when I'm inside, effectively trapping me inside. There was a thread about a year ago on this.

[Trackrig]

I think this is about as much of a problem as worrying about someone parking too close to the door of the outhouse you just went into.

Oh no, now I've given people something new to worry about - maybe it will make them get done and out quicker?

Bill

[AnEv942]

If truck has locking tailgate, uses simple pawl on post to latch, when open just push the pawl closed, lock handle.

[SideHillSoup]

In my first camper you could close the tailgate so as other have said you would be trapped for EVER! ( grin)
However as well others have said there is an escape window or hatch on the roof on campers now and back then.
Also in BC you can't travel in the back of a camper or anywhere else that doesn't have a seat belt.
However..... if your worried about someone closing the tailgate while your inside sleeping etc....
I would just put a pad lock one the arms that hold the tailgate from dropping to far when open. The only thing the padlock will do is make noise / get in the way, someone try's to close the tailgate. Now they could probably see the lock during the day, but during daylight hours there will probably be other people around as well. However at night the culprits wouldn't see the lock and it would make a sound as it hit the truck as they try to close it. Now I never tried this and just thought of it with my morning coffee, so there maybe other ideas out there if your worried about it.
Soup.

[dirtyhandz]

I havnt had a tailgate on my truck in so long I had to google it to see what you were talking about.
So I guess my answer would be just to take it off while camping.

[work2much]

realter wrote:
If you Ave a truck camper that fits within the length of your truck bed, and you can close the tailgate, what happens if you are in the camper and someone closes it? Are you trapped inside the camper?

Yes. You will be trapped forever. 😉

Seriously, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it, or just remove the tailgate and leave it at home.