The MultiPro tailgate on new GMC Sierra pickup trucks offers six different configurable positions for expanded functionality, including a full-width step, an inner gate work surface, and a primary gate load step. However, in its lowest configuration, the tailgate can come into contact with a ball hitch, potentially damaging the tailgate in the process. Now, one company claims to have a fix.
We previously covered the tailgate “issue” in a video demonstration with a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4, showing how a ball hitch will come into contact with the MultiPro tailgate when the mid-gate is dropped. GMC is aware of this, and even includes a sticker on the inside of the bed indicating that owners should not lower the mid-gate with a ball hitch attached.
Now, tailgatefix.com is offering a product that will prevent the mid-gate from dropping down if a ball hitch is attached.
Both a manual override switch and an auto-engage override switch are offered. “Once installed, the switch recognizes the potential for damage and automatically cuts the power to the mid-gate step function,” the company states on its website. “The switch provides the best of both worlds with the ability to automatically or manually turn off the power.”
If a hitch is installed in the receiver and the button to drop the mid-gate is pushed, the tail lamps will flash and the mid-gate won’t drop, indicating that there’s a hitch in the way. The manual override switch comes with a button that allows the owner to control the power to the GMC Sierra MultiPro tailgate, while the auto-engage override switch will automatically detect the presence of a hitch.
The company is offering multiple version of the switch, including those for the GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, and 3500, as well as versions for a 2.5-inch receiver, and a 3-inch receiver.
As a reminder, the MultiPro tailgate is equipped on select GMC Sierra pickup trucks. For 1500 models, the feature is standard SLT, AT4, and Denali trim levels, and available on Elevation. For Heavy Duty models, the feature is is standard SLT, AT4, and Denali trim levels, and available on the base Sierra HD and SLE trim levels.
Does this seem like a good solution? Is this even a problem that needs fixing? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and make sure to subscribe to GM Authority for more GMC Sierra news, GMC news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Source: tailgatefix.com
Comments
Clever!
Seems like it should have come from the factory with an interlock like this. Stupid oversight.
The problem I see there is the reason I like that tailgate is in the past if I’m pulling a boat trailer my camper my enclosed trailer I couldn’t open the tailgate all the way to get items in and out of the bed because of the trailer jack so you have to carefully hold it open and reach in and get stuff out which was very clumsy and you could drop the tailgate on to the trailer hitch Jack so now with the mini tailgate on top I can get my items in and out without opening the tailgate the main tailgate with that switch installed that would no longer work I say this use common sense if you have a hitch in your trailer hitch don’t drop the mini gate on top of it in the first place pretty obvious when it’s sticking out there so if I installed one of those hitches so that one of my kids wouldn’t make that mistake then I wouldn’t be able to open up the mini tailgate the top half when there was a trailer hooked to it so it kind of kills the whole idea of the convenience of having that many tailgate when trailering that’s my opinion thank you
^^ someone missed their period lol
That is great if you are the only one to ever touch your truck. But my whole family uses it. And there is that button in the cab. I would like to disable it too so the gate is not dropped into that pesky tongue lift on the trailer. I have one trailer that has that issue and it will soon be fixed( moved back or placed on the side of the tongue so it can be tilted to the be parallel with tongue. Sometimes designers need to test their designs before approving it for production. There will be a lawsuit or two on this tailgate.
The tailgate needs a opening in it so hitch can stay in place. If you use your truck you don’t want to remove hitch in order to use this function.
GM’s to damn cheap to to use this, gotta save money for the100k Electrics nobody can afford to buy!
Common sense, I take my hitch out every time I’m done hauling something. It’s not enforced but it is illegal to keep your hitch in if no trailer is hooked up here in Minnesota. Besides, when you walk around your vehicle and someone else left it in. Yeah, I’m already beyond pissed after I hit it. My 31 year old son found out how fast it goes flying through the air at him. I don’t own a New truck, but I don’t want a new one. My boss has one and he loves it but he also takes the hitch out every time.
While I agree with some of the above, all ball hitches and especially the height of the ball does create this oroblem. In a lower setting, myball won’t intefere,(3030 Sierra Denali 3500 HD.
I bought the B&W stoway ball hitch for my new truck, and think it’s a better fix than the latch thingee. Your ball is stowed out of the way of your tailgate, and your shin, looks great, and they can’t easily steal your ball or hitch.
Yes, GM should have thought of this issue, but this tailgate and the assist arm are stupendous for a 5’6″ person like me with a big truck. Just saying….
GM should have caught this as there is a reason to use the hitch, the tailgate step and the assist arm at the same time. To tell people you have all these features but they can’t be used together once you have bought the vehicle is not really fair.
This interlock kit is a case of a fix for something that should be simple common sense. Duh. Have we become so fat, lazy and stupid that we can’t just pull a pin and slide our hitch out of the receiver when we’re done with it? The answer seems apparent. Going further though, this tailgate IMHO is just a gimmicky complex piece of junk that will fail like all of GM’s gimmicks. This thing is an incredibly complex multi sectional motorized tailgate with electronics and electricity and connectors that will inevitably weather and fail. All this for the sake of some perceived convenience. I am reminded of GM’s last foray into something like this on the Trail Blazers and the GMC Safaris that had the retractable glass roof and rear door that was nothing but trouble and was a big driver of service bulletins. It was a stupid idea and after three years they got rid of it. I’m 56, have owned trucks since I got a license and actually use my truck for work everyday. When my 2008 Sierra finally gives out (a Base model with no power windows to fail) I’ll order a new one because I use a truck like a truck, not a limo. And I definitely won’t order this ridiculous tailgate with it. Just another profit center for General Motors. And another thing to go wrong.
After decades of driving and working for GM.
I’m shopping Dodge high-end Ram for my next truck. GM has lost their way and far to concerned with profit over product. I think the Corp has the Covid!! Lol
Mark,
I agree with most of your comment, however, the lazy and stupid should be directed at the engineers that did not test the tailgate properly. I do remove my hitch, except when using throughout the day and not driving anywhere off my property. But sure enough one of my kids went to get something from the box of the truck and now I have a dent. Bad design and bad management to not catch. Probably the worst design flaw in a vehicle in the last ten years (all vehicles). I think GM should fix the problem and the tailgates and the engineers should be shamed publicly.
I get a kick out of the comments about being to lazy to remove the hitch. What if you’re in the midsts of using it. Pulled you trailer out camping and unhitch to unload whatever you brought up with you. Do you remove the hitch? Shouldn’t have to. We just moved and @65 years old I like the step and the handle to get things out of the truck bed after unloading the trailer. Less than 3000 miles on my truck and it already has a ding from the ball. No one mentioned the issue when buying. But now say they knew about the flaw. Now who knows what it will cost to repair? Do they have no responsibility to the customer? I for one will tell everyone I know about the issue hopefully preventing others from getting the damage.
you should be able to use the step with the hitch ball installed, it doesnt make sense to have a step only when not using a hitch! they could lower the hitch a small amount or make a pocket in the tailgate where the hitch hits!
Class action lawsuit!?
You can’t plan for every size and shape of a hitch. Cutting a hole or making a purposeful indent in the tailgate won’t resolve it. Lowering the hitch won’t do anything either… it’s the length of the hitch and ball that hits the step when it’s lowered. The only thing that could resolve it is a longer/taller tailgate but that could obstruct view.
It’s not hard to remove a hitch. It’s not hard to remember you have a hitch installed.
Pretty inconvenient to remove the hitch when that hitch is a 40 pound Shocker Hitch. Best hitch I have ever used, but now using it puts my tailgate in peril. I have a trailer on hook about 25% of the time I am driving; hauling hay, livestock or supplies. Removing the hitch from the receiver after every use is not a viable option. This Tailgatefix device is something that I will look into as well as some type of clear adhesive shielding protection (some type of thick gel type padding) just in case. The first two weeks of new has worn off of this tailgate and now it is time to go to work with the truck and I can’t afford to buy all new gooseneck trailers.
Nebula – it not about being hard to remove the hitch, It’s about inconvenience. My problem was two fold 1 – no one said anything about this issue when I bought the truck. 2 – I was using it to move using a trailer. Every load the bed and trailer where full. Thinking to unhook the trailer and hitch with every load is not reasonable at least to me. By the time I realized what was happening it was to late, damage already done.
I own a truck with this tailgate. Me personally think GMC should thought of installing a switch to stop midgate from being released with hitch installed. GMC should install it on every truck they produce plus the ones that are already sold for free.
Even with the stow-away hitch the tailgate hits the hitch. Why not just move the entire mounting back about a half an inch? Seems like a simple design change that would resolve the problem for those customers who can’t reasonably remove the hitch every time.
The Tailgate doesn’t hit the B&W stowaway hitch that’s is made for the multipro tailgate.
But I agree, gm should do a better job—they could even design a recessed area in the tailgate.
They could but they can’t account for every conceivable size and shape.
If there is a “special “ hitch, it should have come with the truck
I’m with those that think GM missed this at the design table. Yes I bought a truck with a lot of bells and whistles. I like them. I wasn’t sold on the tailgate. All the high end GMC trucks come standard with them. I pull a trailer more than not. That’s what I bought it for.
And I can tell you I’m not going to pull the hitch out every
time I drop the gate. It is to heavy and something I shouldn’t have to do. I’ll buy the switch and try it. But I think GM should fix it soon.
Even if the tailgate was notched or hitch moved it would still hit the tongue of the trailer.
There was no real world testing done on this.
If you dont keep your trailer at home, renting a trailer, borrow a friends trailer where go you keep the hitch while driving? I tow on a semi regular basis and dont want to go look for it. I keep my hitch in all the time. Why, easier, no place else to keep it at home, it kept people from sorting their mail on my tonou cover, a few people have rear ended me, the hitch save me damage. I think GM should provide the solution with the tailgate from the factory. This seems like a good fix for GM.
Rather than blaming the stupid or the lazy etc…the fact is that it is an issue and I’m looking for a solution until GM decides to find an aftermarket fix.
Does anyone know if this Tailgatefix works?
Yes, it does! Check out their YouTube channel as they have tons of videos.
Will installation of this switch void any warranties from GM? I would think not but you never know.
My salesperson told me about the hitch/ tailgate when I bought my ’20 Sierra 3500 HD Denali. Maybe yours should have.
I bought the B& W hitch, and love it. I can swivel the ball sideways, and not hit my tailgate on it. I can also pivot it up out of all harms way in about a minute, stowed, and theft proof.
I have a hitch that only comes out an inch and drops down to avoid such, but this is stupid, they should have not designed it like this, my drop down hitch fixed the tailgate from hitting the ball, but NOT the hitch that only sticks out an inch!!! CRAP CRAP THEY SHOULD HAVE TO FIX THESE…
Poor design and idiotic GMC would sell such a thing without redesigning it or implementing som sort of fix.
My tailgate is constantly dropping on its own for some reason. Any ideas why this has started. after parked i come out and the tailgate is down and the switch is engaging at different times over and over again