My son has a Ford F150 Platinum with a rearview camera in the tailgate handle assembly. I have a Dodge Ram 3500 also with a rearview camera in the tailgate. Tailgate theft has started to become a problem around here. I have done some of the deterrent methods to both pickups. I've placed a pipe clamp around the right side pivot which has the slot that allows the tailgate to be lifted up and removed. I cut off the head of the set screw. We also kept the tailgates locked. That is a pain whenever we need to drop the tailgates to load stuff. For my truck the key is inside the wireless doorlock remote and is not easy to get out. Plus there is always the possibility I would forget to lock it back when I finished unloading the bed.
The Pop & Lock Power Tailgate Lock is something the auto manufacturers should have put on the tailgate in the first place. It is awesome! I have installed it on both trucks. The instructions are pretty easy to understand. It might not be something for a person who has never had to remove trim or tie into existing vehicle wiring to try and tackle for the first time. Anyhow, there are videos that can be found on the internet that show step by step how to install this actuator. It took about 3 hours. The most difficult part was connecting the wires to the proper pair of door lock wires. There are two pair you can wire to. One is for the driver's door and the other is for the rest of the doors. I happened to get the pair for the driver's door which is the one I wanted. You can unlock the driver's door and tailgate with one press of the button . It works like a charm! I know that whenever I lock the doors on my truck, my tailgate is locked as well. And it unlocks every time I unlock my driver's door.
Now, will this keep your tailgate from ever being stolen? No. In fact not even the factory installed tailgate lock will do that. Any thief who is determined enough only has to unscrew the access panel on the inside of the tailgate and manually unlock the tailgate. One way to prevent theft is to always back up to a wall or pole so that the tailgate cannot be lowered and that will keep them from stealing it. One other thought would be to replace some of the Torx head screws with some anti-theft screws that require a special bit to remove them. Until then I can rest a little more comfortably knowing the tailgates on my truck and my son's are always going to be locked when we lock our vehicles.
Update: I just recently had to rent a truck. A 2016 Dodge Ram SLT and the tailgate locks with the doors!
| Brand | Pop & Lock |
|---|---|
| Special Feature | Keyless |
| Lock Type | Power Lock |
| Item dimensions L x W x H | 11.5 x 4.75 x 3.25 inches |
| Recommended Uses For Product | Security |
| Style | Modern |
| Number of Pieces | 2 |
| Finish Type | Painted |
| Controller Type | Hand Control |
| Item Weight | 1.7 Pounds |
| Control Method | App |
| UPC | 778429400052 859193003400 |
| Model Name | PL8250 |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00859193003400 |
| Manufacturer | Pop & Lock |
| Item Weight | 1.74 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 11.5 x 4.75 x 3.25 inches |
| Item model number | PL8250 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Manufacturer Part Number | PL8250 |
| OEM Part Number | PL8250 |
| Special Features | Keyless |
