My 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 didn’t come with a tailgate lock and after researching the parts needed, I realized it was going to cost hundreds of dollars to add a lock (just for the parts).
I decided to make locking tabs, which lock the tailgate against the rear GFC door. I still need to paint them, but they work perfectly.
You can no longer open the tailgate if the GFC door is shut and latched. Now I don’t need to worry about my stuff getting stolen.
I’m curious if this will do any damage to the door if someone pulls at it too hard. I suppose all of these security measures are a deterrent and any serious thieves are going o find a way.
With the GFC door locked, the tailgate doesn’t budge at all, it feels like it’s locked. If someone pulled really hard I’m sure they could bend or damage the top door, but I think it would take a lot of force.
I think they would try a pry bar on the GFC doors before trying to pull the tailgate open with tons of force.
At the end of the day- it is just a deterrent and security measures give us peace of mind. If someone was really determined, they could pick/break the GFC locks and steal the GFC off the truck. Having good insurance is the best backup plan.
Agreed, thanks for the input and sharing your solution!
