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Three Pickup Truck Tailgate Designs To Consider

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When you shop for a new pickup truck, the bed size is something that you'll consider. Some truck owners favor short beds, while others — contractors, for example — often favor a longer bed because of its ability to carry longer things. As you evaluate the bed size on a few different models of trucks, make sure that you take note of the tailgate, too. One thing that you might not realize is that today's pickup trucks have all sorts of tailgate designs. Each design offers a series of specific advantages that you may find appealing. Here are three pickup truck tailgate styles to consider.

Traditional Tailgate

There's little doubt that when you're looking at different pickup trucks for sale, you'll come across several that have traditional tailgates. A traditional tailgate is one that is hinged at the bottom and folds down to open. A lot of people find this tailgate style convenient. For example, when you have to carry oversized things, such as long pieces of lumber, you can lower the tailgate and have the ends of the lumber sit on the open tailgate. Many people enjoy using the tailgate as a makeshift seating spot, too, whether they're on the job site, camping, or just hanging out in the driveway and talking to neighbors.

60/40 Split Tailgate

Often, you'll come across a tailgate style that is commonly known as a "60/40 split." This term describes a tailgate that can not only open in the traditional fold-down manner but can also swing open like a set of double doors. Unlike standard double doors, however, this type of tailgate is split 60/40 — in other words, one half of the tailgate makes up 60 percent of the size of the opening, while the other half of the tailgate accounts for the other 40 percent. This tailgate design is handy because you can open just one side of the tailgate to carry something oversized, leaving the other part closed.

Work Surface Tailgate

If you're a contractor, one type of tailgate that you might wish to consider is a work surface tailgate. This design operates like a traditional tailgate, but also has an upper part that can fold down individually while the main tailgate remains closed — giving you a surface on which to work. While a traditional tailgate also provides a work surface, the big benefit of a tailgate with a fold-down upper section is that the work surface will be at a suitable height for you as you stand at it.


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