Thanks to one of 5thGenRams Forum members (Jordan2929), we have obtained a screenshot of a parts diagram detailing the upcoming multifunction tailgate.
Based on the above picture, it looks as though the tailgate will be a 60/40 split and each side of the tailgate will be able to be lowered or opened to the side independently. Both sections look to have their own latching mechanisms and should operate independently of each other. Jordan tells us that some parts numbers have already been revised meaning that the tailgate design has likely been tested extensively already.
The tailgate design was first spotted in late 2017 testing on a 4th Gen Ram truck, and just recently our friends at Real Fast Fotography caught white and a red 2019 Ram 1500s testing with camouflaged beds. Rams new multifunction tailgate was also mentioned in the 2019 Ram 1500 ordering guide that we posted last January.
While the multifunction tailgate might just be one of the worst-kept secrets coming to the Ram trucks, we still do not know when it will be available. Ram Trucks are debuting their new 2019 Ram Heavy Duty in Detroit on January 14th, and we expect all the attention to be on that truck, but Ram could potentially debut the new tailgate at the Chicago Auto Show in February. Stay tuned to 5thGenRams and MoparInsiders for all the latest news and information as it breaks.
