Good thing I didn't know that because when I went to load the camper in my 3500 Laramie 06 dually I just slid the clips and lifted the gate off. Probably took about 30 seconds at most but the alarm didn't go off. I remembered reading something about tail gate wiring for lights in the owners manual but there wasn't anything on the gate and there definitely wasn't any kind of alarm switch.

 

Lots of misinformed people here.

Thanks for the great input about pop lock. I was looking at them but being aftermarket I was suspicious of the quality. Also, I really didn't want 3 keys for my truck. One for ignition, one for the cover and one for the tailgate. One more good reason it should be factory installed!

As to the stolen tailgate - it is VERY common. When I was looking at trucks I went to a dealership in Fort Myers and they had just had several tailgates stolen right off of their lot. Two of the trucks had the tailgates still missing when I was looking, that's how it came up. Salesman said it wasn't the first time.

As to other manufacturers not providing them, that's dead wrong. MOST ford's have them, My Chevy had one, Most Toyotas have them, The Nissan Titan has it, the new Honda has one.

To the guy that said the bed is for towing, not storage, that's YOUR opinion. If I have a lockable hard cover and travel with tools, I should be able to lock them up. Why should I have to unload my entire bed every night? Not everyone uses a truck exactly like you do.[sm=headbang.gif]

 

There's always some wiseguy that knows it all, isn't there? Some problems with that that a genius like yourself somehow overlooked.

1, Non matching key. I'd prefer to have a key that matches the ignition. An after market lock requires a different key.

2, Reliabliity. I don't know if the quality of these aftermarket locks is up to Mopar standards and neither do you (or maybe you do since you know everything)

3, Warranty. If the tailgate latch malfunctions is Dodge going to blame the aftermarket lock? That could happen.

4, I paid extra for the Mopar chrome trim package. An aftermarket lock means I have to eliminate the chrome tailgate latch that I already paid for.

Bottom line is don't jump to conclusions when you clearly haven't thought it through every well. [sm=badidea.gif]

 

Does anyone know if the stolen tailgates are based on more geographical location (I hope I spelled that right) I do not know of it happening around brooklyn New York is it based on more rural locations where the trucks are more widely used

 

exactly.......thieves are not trying to break into your open bed....they want the tailgate.

 

POP LOCK!! its a tailgate latchlock we have one on our 2003 laramie and if that aint enough w/e

 

Ok, all of your numbered points there are matters of personal taste. So, basically, you are griping. I have one simple question then:

"Would you still buy the truck again knowing that it didn't have a locking tailgate, or would you go to another manufacturer?"

 

I wasnt trying to be a wiseguy, just putting my two cents in like this site is made for. I never overlooked anything, every person i know personally that owns a truck has a pop-lock which is a very reliable locking device for a tailgate. How would dodge blame the locking device when there is no modification to the mechanism or the latch at all, extend that over to your next point about your chrome trim package, it will still fit with that. and so what if u have one extra key for the tailgate,

 

Now I may be completely off here but every single lockable hard bed cover Ive EVER seen over laps the tailgate so you couldn't open the tailgate when the cover is down and locked. You just solved your own problem right there.

 

actually they do make some that you can open the tailgate with the latch down. my friends dad had one and i did a carryout (i work at a groccery store) for an elderly couple the other day and they had a blue ford with a hard cover on it and i just lowered the tailgate without raising the tonneau.