Liking my Lightning... but no way to lock tailgate in down position?

[MountainAlive]

Ratchet strap from the lower hook in the bed to the towball works in a pinch.

Yep or put your heavy thing atop a couple 8 ft 2x4s or a plywood sheet that extends out a smidge past the open gate.

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[Scorpio3d]

Nice bars. I might have to get a set.
Maybe a small R-clip just for security to keep them from accidentally bouncing off the posts. We all know $hit happens.

In a pinch, I've used a bungee cord from the clamp pockets to the hitch to keep it from bouncing and it worked pretty well.

Ratchet strap from the lower hook in the bed to the towball works in a pinch.

I have used both of those methods as well!

 

[Thunder1809]

I bought one of these when I haul my mountain bike and leave the tailgate open or get the 2 if you want to leave it partially up. It is easy to install. https://www.ride88.com/product-page/tailgate-boss

 

[LightningMcqueen]

It does lock in the down position if you bought the bed extender. The bed extender has two pins that lock into the lower holes when it is deployed and that keeps the tailgate from flopping up and down.

Can you post a picture? Perhaps we just need a couple of pins to lock down?

 

[Aminorjourney]

Couple of thoughts.
1) remove it. This is quick and you get the plug for the wiring system when you buy the truck.
2) you can always move the load back a bit.

I carried a mower and a Vectrix over decent distances (in separate trips) I kept something over the tailgate bit in both cases could have removed it.

 

[Mike G]

Can you post a picture? Perhaps we just need a couple of pins to lock down?

I see that I misspoke earlier......when the bed extender is deployed the pins lock in the top holes, not the bottom.

They lock in the bottom holes when the extender is stowed.

Rather than taking a pic, this is from the installation manual for the extender:

 

[Yellow Buddy]

From his pic, it looks like he has a Lariat and I do as well, but mine does not lock in the down position. It bounces up and down if you go over larger bumps. Unless I missed something?

The tailgate moves but I’m not full sending it when I have a load in the back. There’s enough resistance from the motors to keep it from flapping like it does in my Pro.

On the Pro you very clearly hear it slapping up and down, doesn’t happen in my Lariat ER with the power tailgate.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

I see that I misspoke earlier......when the bed extender is deployed the pins lock in the top holes, not the bottom.

They lock in the bottom holes when the extender is stowed.

Rather than taking a pic, this is from the installation manual for the extender:

There you go, top pin holds it in place.

 

[davehu]

I guess this is about the third time that I have hauled something in the bed where I have had to leave the tailgate down. If you don't tie down or block down the gate it will just flop up and down. with all these multi function tailgates why is there not a way to lock it down?

agree! shortly after I got my Lightning, I was getting some plywood and decided to just leave the tailgate down and secure it appropriately. I'd only gone a few blocks after hearing a loud noise, which, after stopping, realized it was the tailgate bouncing up and down. I propped up the plywood, raised the tailgate, secured the wood and headed home. During which I realized that I had done the same thing perhaps 50 times in my 2012 Avalanche but never hear the bouncing of the tailgate because the engine noise covered it up!

 

[davehu]

I’ve got a power tailgate on my Lariat which stays down, but on my Pro I’ll shift the load back onto the tailgate to keep it from flopping. Or I’ll use a 1/2 sheet of ply back there if it’s a planned pickup.

I have a Lariat. The tailgate doesn't stay down. If you think so you haven't taken it over a speed bump with the tailgate down..... Or I'f I'm wrong I'll need to take mine in to have it looked at.

 

[Mike G]

There you go, top pin holds it in place.

Well now I know there's at least two of us that sprung for the bed extender! I love that thing.

I sometimes deploy the extender toward the inside of the bed and lock it in place so I can use it that way to secure diesel jugs with bungie cords at the very back of the bed when I go to fill them up for the tractor and mower.

 

[LightningMcqueen]

Thanks for the pictures. So it would appear that the bed extender itself has the pin hole. And the extender is what locks in place. It holds the tailgate down.

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