Senior Producer Christopher McGraw demonstrates how to use the Multifunction Tailgate on the 2019 Ram 1500. The tailgate can hold up to 2,000 pounds and features a 60/40-split door for easier access to the bed. Learn more at Autoblog.com
TranscriptCHRIS MCGRAW: Hey guys, Senior Producer Chris McGraw here. I'm with a 2019 Ram 1500, which has the Multifunction Tailgate. It does have power down with the key fob. And just by itself, this tailgate can hold up to 2,000 pounds, so you can load a quad or a motorcycle up there if that's what you want to do.
But the cool thing about it is that it opens four different ways. So that way that you just saw. Or you can open 60-40 just like that, which allows you to get in a bit further than if you had the tailgate down and you're reaching forward.
So I'm 5'7", have a wingspan of 5'9", and I can reach basically halfway into the bed. You can also close one side or close the other. And that would just allow if you have just, like, long lumber or something, you can stick-- it'll stick out in it. It stays, you know, open. It's not locked, but it stays open pretty solidly.
But if you go to shut this side, you're gonna damage the bed. So you got to open it back up, close this side first, and then close this side. One thing that I think-- a couple of things that I think would make the bed of this truck better, which Ram does offer-- first thing are the RamBoxes.
So this does not have it, but you can get a 1500 with the RamBoxes on the side and the Multifunction Tailgate. Another thing is this step down here. This step is a little-- it's not as easy as I would like it to be to use.
And it's really aggressive when you go to shut it. Don't use your hand, you might lose a digit. Like, that was not me slamming it, that was it slamming itself. And while Ram does offer one that comes out here, for some reason on this one it's off to the side.
I think that they should probably not offer the ones that are off to the side when they offer the Multifunction Tailgate. Because say I have this open and I want to get into the truck a little more easily, so I put that step down, I'm being blocked by this door.
With the middle step, when it's right here you can just hop right up. Now it's really not that hard to hop up as it is, but a middle step would make it a bit easier.
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