Anyone know if the new style tailgate on the GMC pickup will holdup to using a loading ramp to load either atv's or snowmobile's?
2019/2020 GMC tailgate
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I would not be comfortable with the amount of weight a sled places right in the middle of the tailgate just as the skis leave the ramp and enter the box. 500# sled plus 200# rider and you are probably around at least 600-700# right on the middle of the tailgate. At least with an atv the load is spread out more.
I believe the dealer told me 350# weight limit for a gmc tailgate. I dont have one but was looking at them and had the same concern.
I would seriously consider a hitch mounted truck bed extender and maybe cut the horizontal tube shorter so the support bar is an inch or so from the edge of your open tailgate. Many of these are only rated for 350# but for $60-100 and I saw one rated for 750# and another around 400#.
A new tailgate, esp the multi one from gmc, is probably $$$$$$.
Harbor freight $60. 350#
Maxx Haul $71 300#
Erickson Big Bed $93 400#
EricksonBB Jr $66 350#
Lund $156 750#
Yakima $229 300# aluminum
Darby $100. Unknown#
Ecotric $100? 750#
Tricam. $? 350#
I believe the dealer told me 350# weight limit for a gmc tailgate. I dont have one but was looking at them and had the same concern.
I would seriously consider a hitch mounted truck bed extender and maybe cut the horizontal tube shorter so the support bar is an inch or so from the edge of your open tailgate. Many of these are only rated for 350# but for $60-100 and I saw one rated for 750# and another around 400#.
A new tailgate, esp the multi one from gmc, is probably $$$$$$.
Harbor freight $60. 350#
Maxx Haul $71 300#
Erickson Big Bed $93 400#
EricksonBB Jr $66 350#
Lund $156 750#
Yakima $229 300# aluminum
Darby $100. Unknown#
Ecotric $100? 750#
Tricam. $? 350#
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The weight limit the dealer gave you is misleading. It's actually 375 but that is for the step in the tailgate, not the entire tailgate. It's in their standard published info. I have seen nothing for a complete tailgate max weight but then again I never have seen that published for any other truck either.
I have seen multiple people loading ATV's in them including on GMC's webpage with nothing more then ramps off the back of the tailgate and that's more weight then a sled typically.
I have seen multiple people loading ATV's in them including on GMC's webpage with nothing more then ramps off the back of the tailgate and that's more weight then a sled typically.
I understand what you are saying here.
Are you running 2 or 3 pc ramps?
A one pc ramp with a full width pc of angle should be able to put the load more near the ends of the gate - like your ATV example.
Does make for a bulky ramp tho, and kind'a tough to stow too.
I have a 3 piece ramp. A one piece ramp which has very little flex in the middle would help spread the load. I noticed that my 2002 GMC 2500 tailgate seemed to have a slight permanent bow in it so after that I would place a 1x1 16ga square steel tube across my tailgate and place the ramps on top of that. I even went so far as placing a small block of wood under each end of the square tube to raise it off the middle of the tailgate and the square tube would bow while loading but it never put a permanent bend in the tube.
The difference between my atv vs my sled is also this- the atv doesnt place as much weight on the tailgate because the front wheels enter the truck bed before the rear wheels touch the tailgate. The sled is kinda like a teeter totter, where most of the weight is on the tailgate just as you finish going up the ramp and the sled goes over the “breakover point” and becomes horizontal to enter the truck bed.
Maybe the new tailgates are stronger than my 2002.
The difference between my atv vs my sled is also this- the atv doesnt place as much weight on the tailgate because the front wheels enter the truck bed before the rear wheels touch the tailgate. The sled is kinda like a teeter totter, where most of the weight is on the tailgate just as you finish going up the ramp and the sled goes over the “breakover point” and becomes horizontal to enter the truck bed.
Maybe the new tailgates are stronger than my 2002.
I was always thinking the ATV was worse because when the front wheels are on the tailgate the rear wheels are on the rack putting all that weight on the tailgate. But the ramp into the ground would also hold some weight so maybe I'm wrong on that thought.
I built my own hitch mounted support for the sled ramp. The first one I built had too flimsy of square tubing as the cross brace with the base support arms not extending out far enough and in one season the cross brace bent! That showed me just how much force is on those points. I built the second version with thicker walled tubing for the cross brace and the support arms went further out to the edge. Still working great. With these, though, I never damaged my tailgates. I also use a full sheet of plywood in the bed for the carbides to slide on.
I have a 2019 gmc with the new style tailgate and if you’re using a ramp to load the weight Of the ramp should be on the edges of the tailgate and not the step, the step isn’t rated to take much load. This is according to my owners manual.
