dropping tailgate with topper door still closed?

[richl025]

Hi everyone!

Trying to decide between Leer, ARE and Smartcap for my Lightning.

One curiosity - can the tailgate be lowered without opening the topper rear door? Or is the seal too tight and the rear topper door needs to be lifted before the tailgate comes down? Is there any difference between the brands / models regarding this?

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[Zaptor]

So... my SmartCap bought last November will allow the tailgate to drop without being open, BUT... (and this is a big BUT) it has leaked since purchase, and has been back into the shop three times, still unresolved. Additionally, they scuffed it up on the top last time they took it apart, and I also just found a spot where the weld at one window was not finished, so you can see light out of the spot (and rain can get in).

The third time it went in, they used some kind of silicone sealer, and put 3M painters tape along the sides of the seam to keep it somewhat clean, but when they peeled the tape, some of the matte black paint the canopy came with peeled off! Now SmartCap says a replacement panel will be provided, but it's 'not currently in production' and they can't even give me an ETA

I really WANT to like this canopy, hell, for $4500 I want to LOVE this canopy, but at this point in the story arc, when I haven't even been able to put my Rhino rack on or install my lights because it keeps having to come off (and I have to take my rear view camera off every time as well) I can't recommend the product at this time.

The ARE MX I had on my 2020 RAM 3500 Limited was pretty nice, and never leaked, although the color match was not quite perfect (black metallic is tough) and no experience with LEER but they have been around long enough they should be decent as well. Just one man's experience, YMMV.

-Zap

 

[vvgogh]

Smartcap will allow tailgate to power open from FordPass. The tailgate momentarily catches on the friction of the gasket then continues down. Power opening is handy when you're camping inside and activate it from your phone.

Going the other way, the friction with the gasket will fail to close with the power tailgate... the friction is too much. It needs a little extra assist. From outside, you can push assist the last bit of motion. I added a couple of D-Rings inside the tailgate to give it a pull assist if I'm camping inside.

Trimming the gasket could improve power tailgate operations, but I have no leaks and I don't want to cause one. Be careful when installing to drop it straight down and do not shift after dropping it in place or the gasket would shift and leak. I get dust from dirt roads. The pressure vent maybe helps slow accumulation, but it still happens. I will try sealing the bottom of the tailgate this season to see if that reduces dust accumulation further.

The smartcap's third brake light harness will not fit the Lightning. The connector differs from the ICE version.

I switched out the interior roof fasteners with eyebolts and attached a bed-cargo net to the roof so there's a canopy in my canopy to keep light bulky things off the floor (tent, exped, pillows, tripod, chair). The cap is magnetic, so you can decorate the interior with magnetic photos, add magnetic hooks and lights. Of course, there's the bed light window, so you can just push the button in the bed to light up the cap interior. I think the smartcap roof will accommodate 150W flexible solar panel in front of the vent and 75W to the rear of the vent, conformally between the roof rails without adding to overall clearance. You can still add things to the roof rails and the roof panels won't block access (but added equipment to roof rails would block the roof panels' solar power).

 

[Heliian]

No, usually you have to open the top if you want a good seal and want your cap to be secure.

 

[mb0220]

Smartcap will allow tailgate to power open from FordPass. The tailgate momentarily catches on the friction of the gasket then continues down. Power opening is handy when you're camping inside and activate it from your phone.

Going the other way, the friction with the gasket will fail to close with the power tailgate... the friction is too much. It needs a little extra assist. From outside, you can push assist the last bit of motion. I added a couple of D-Rings inside the tailgate to give it a pull assist if I'm camping inside.

Trimming the gasket could improve power tailgate operations, but I have no leaks and I don't want to cause one. Be careful when installing to drop it straight down and do not shift after dropping it in place or the gasket would shift and leak. I get dust from dirt roads. The pressure vent maybe helps slow accumulation, but it still happens. I will try sealing the bottom of the tailgate this season to see if that reduces dust accumulation further.

The smartcap's third brake light harness will not fit the Lightning. The connector differs from the ICE version.

I switched out the interior roof fasteners with eyebolts and attached a bed-cargo net to the roof so there's a canopy in my canopy to keep light bulky things off the floor (tent, exped, pillows, tripod, chair). The cap is magnetic, so you can decorate the interior with magnetic photos, add magnetic hooks and lights. Of course, there's the bed light window, so you can just push the button in the bed to light up the cap interior. I think the smartcap roof will accommodate 150W flexible solar panel in front of the vent and 75W to the rear of the vent, conformally between the roof rails without adding to overall clearance. You can still add things to the roof rails and the roof panels won't block access (but added equipment to roof rails would block the roof panels' solar power).

Nice to see other SmartCap users here! I have not had success with automatic tailgate functions at all - even with the back flap raised. The gasket ends on the sides cause too much resistance. But I'm okay with it.

I am curious about your experience with the 3rd brake light though. I had my cap installed professionally and they mentioned that they had to do something unusual to get it to work because the wiring harness was not like the ICE F-150. (Sorry, I don't recall exactly what he said they did.) But oddly enough I believe the result is that the 3rd brake light only comes on when I actually step on the brake pedal. And since I am a 1-pedal driver that pedal doesn't get used very often. Do you know if there is a way to make sure it works with all slowing mechanisms, like the side taillights?

 

[vvgogh]

I am curious about your experience with the 3rd brake light.

The smartcap has the wrong connector for the Lightning and doesn't mate.

 

[Stalemate]

Speaking of tailgate stuff, does anyone know exactly where the switch/sensor is that tells the truck that the tailgate is closed? I assume it's in the tailgate itself somewhere - maybe one of the main latches?

The reason I ask is that my tailgate has been super fussy ever since I got the truck. Most of the time it takes 3+ button presses to get the thing to open. It makes a bunch of whirring, clicking, and beeping noises but is determined to stay latched. I noticed recently that if I lean in on the gate while pressing the button it opens more consistently. Sometimes when I lean I hear a soft click as if the gate was not fully closed.

 

[Heliian]

Speaking of tailgate stuff, does anyone know exactly where the switch/sensor is that tells the truck that the tailgate is closed? I assume it's in the tailgate itself somewhere - maybe one of the main latches?

The reason I ask is that my tailgate has been super fussy ever since I got the truck. Most of the time it takes 3+ button presses to get the thing to open. It makes a bunch of whirring, clicking, and beeping noises but is determined to stay latched. I noticed recently that if I lean in on the gate while pressing the button it opens more consistently. Sometimes when I lean I hear a soft click as if the gate was not fully closed.

Switch it to manual mode in the settings in the truck screen and open/close it a couple times. Then, switch back to powered mode.

It will beep at you if it's locked.

 

[Stalemate]

Switch it to manual mode in the settings in the truck screen and open/close it a couple times. Then, switch back to powered mode.

It will beep at you if it's locked.

Just tried that but it didn't seem to change the gate's behavior. Still requires 2 button presses from the dash/app or 3 presses from the gate itself to open (sometimes more). First press from the app returns a "failed to open/close" message. I assume it's supposed to open on the first press?
What does that menu setting do exactly? Disable the dash/fob/app function? I normally press the button on the tailgate itself and didn't really notice a difference with the setting changed.

 

[Heliian]

What does that menu setting do exactly

If you have a power tailgate it just makes it manual up and down.

 

[Stalemate]

If you have a power tailgate it just makes it manual up and down.

Oh so it just disables the motor movement of the gate itself, not any of the latching functions?
Well anyhow. I think I figured out what was going on. I loosened the driver side striker bolt and in the process it moved around. There is quite a bit of adjustment up, down, forward, and back in those bolts. After that, the tailgate opened on the first button press, but I noticed that it wasn't quite flush when closed. I spent about a half hour moving the bolt around to slightly different positions until I found a sweet spot where it would close flush but still open on the first try.

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