Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Tailgate up or down. Which is better?

Personal experience tells me that it is a lot cheaper to run with the tailgate up, even if the rig delivers less fuel mileage that way.

The tailgate up locks the two side of the bed together and stabilizes them. Leaving the tailgate down allows the sides of the bed to vibrate and flex independently, which will eventually necessitate the purchase of an entire new bed.

At least that is what happened to two pickups I have owned.

While visiting Greenvile, SC years ago a huge buck in the back of a PU with no gate fell out onto the road ahead of us.

We followed the truck to a diner and returned the buck to the hunter.

The look on his face was priceless.

Denny.

Now THAT I didn't know... Thanks for the info - although I don't run with it down anyway.. Still, ------


Ok, now what if you're just coming from the local lumber yard with some 10' 2X4s in the back, laid flat.. Tailgate's down, but covered with the wood.. Illegal??

I would like to hear everyone's opinion on Tonneau covers. Do they increase or decrease mileage? I would never run with a tailgate down unless I had something longer then bed length back there that weighed a bunch.

That part, I don't know.. But I've had 'em on the last two trucks I owned and wouldn't go w/o one..

This one I ordered with the truck:

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Keeps the bed clean and dirt/crap off the Reese 5er hitch underneath it..

If you read the article in the OP, GM said that a tonneau works very well to increase mileage.

Get a vehicle built for the job.

Tailgate up and tonneau cover on is def. the way to go.

LMAO.. Oh, Lordy, that reminds me.. Not to get off topic, but at one time when I was doing a bit of truck farming I bought some crops from other farmers that I couldn't grow here..especially muskmelons..

Old Harry Shindledecker in Cannon Falls, MN grew the BEST melons, and I would often buy his entire crop. One day in August I showed up with my (then) Ford Pinto wagon and he had about 15+ bushels of melons.. Hadda load 'em in loose in order to take 'em all home.. I had melons EVERYWHERE - only enough room to drive and I figured there was about 1200# in that car.. I think it looked somewhat like that pic above...

Gotta agree with Redneck (that should ruin his day )

I use a tonneau cover as well. They are hard to beat for versatility.

This is what happens when you let your son-in-law and daughter borrow your truck to move and they leave the gate down. The cost to repair this would buy me enough gas to drive 3,000 miles.



Yea, but they don't say by how much. This stuff has been beat to death. Since the oil embargo of the 1970's guys have been searching for a way to get better fuel mileage from their trucks. Tailgate up, down, with or without a tonneau cover or shell the difference is usually no more than about .1 or .2 MPG. I'd save less than 50 gallons of gas after 100,000 miles if I increased my fuel mileage by .2 mpg. I'd have to put 500,000 miles on my truck to save enough on gas to pay for the tailgate repair.

Wanna know how to get better fuel mileage. SLOW DOWN. In October 2010 I drove to Colorado to hunt with my BIL. We were working in a very narrow time frame to drive 1700 miles, hunt, and drive 1700 miles to get him back for work. We drove 80-85 mph straight through going and coming. My Tacoma averaged 17-18 mpg. I made essentilly the same trip 6 months later for a summer camping trip with my wife. We were in no hurry and drove 65-70 mph and averaged 20-21 mpg on the trip.

Tailgate up should make the rear of the truck more obvious to the driver behind you who's on the phone, texting, gaming, fussing at the kids, etc.. Tailgate up also gives the same person a little more distance to get their vehicle stopped before it hits some part of yours.

drive with your gate down and u will arrive at your destination with out your stuff.

Traveling light will also lead to better gas mileage