Getting an ATV, side-by-side UTV, riding mower, or a similar small vehicle into the back of a pickup truck typically involves the use of ramps, whether simple boards or metal constructions, that rest on the edge of the truck’s tailgate – but GM has now filed a patent for a more stable, solid, permanent ramp support feature.
GM filed its ramp support patent on May 3rd, 2023, with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) assigning the application patent number US 2024/0367573 A1. The patent document was published on November 7th, 2024 listing two U.S. inventors, Owen Rauch and David M. Cummings, both in Michigan.
The tailgate ramp support described by GM consists of pivoting metal brackets at each side of the tailgate with a support member – a metal tube or bar – mounted between them. The brackets can be folded out of the way into recesses along the sides of the tailgate when not in use, with the tubular ramp support slotting into a semicircular groove in the inner surface of the tailgate.
When the tailgate is dropped and the brackets extended, the tubular ramp support extends between them. Ramps can then be snapped or otherwise fitted onto the support, rather than rested on the edge of the tailgate. This provides a fully secure ramp arrangement in which the ramps will remain in place while the smaller vehicle is rolled or driven into or out of the pickup bed.
The round shape of the ramp support makes it easy to pivot the temporarily attached ramps to different angles depending on the ground configuration, the length of ramp, and so on. The supporting brackets include projecting flanges that hook over and rest on the upper surface of the lowered tailgate, distributing the weight of the vehicle so that it does not rest only on the bracket pivots.
The system is designed to make the ramps reliably stable. This greatly lessens the chance that the smaller vehicle will slip off the ramps during loading or unloading, which could cause damage to the smaller vehicle or the pickup truck, or even injury to the people loading the vehicle into the truck bed. The ramps could also presumably be used for loading or unloading cargo with a hand-truck or dolly.
The patent would have obvious applications for a wide range of GM pickup models, especially full-size pickups such as the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra which have significant space to carry a second, smaller vehicle in their bed, but also for midsize pickup models like the GMC Canyon and the Chevy Colorado.
Comments
What fun. A bunch of morons will ignore the payload ratings and attempt to load something way too heavy and flip the truck onto its rear bumper. Called the “Carolina Super Squat”.
It will be easier for seniors who have difficulty using the tailgate of such tall trucks.
The multipro exists and does help, but is not an entirely GOOD solution for this issue.
A ramp would be a good improvement.
Gee, how novel an idea. Half the people owning pickups already have their own setup. Expect to pay handsomely if this ever shows up as an RPO.
RPO? Nah don’t see it.
But a very good chance we’ll see this as an accessory. So the salesman can push these along with the running boards, floor mats, tonneau cover, exhaust tips, and whatever other # he thinks he can tack onto the purchase.
What’s the point for a Colorado/Canyon?? You can’t fit much in a 4 foot bed…..
Question guys what’s the tailgate rated for on the Colorado. I have a 2022. It’s pretty lite weight, I’d appreciate someone giving weight limit. Don’t want to bend things up.
GM and Ford both have a 500 lb weight limit for their tailgate .
Dodge Ram has 2000lb weight limit .
Dodge is the only one you can load a golf cart in.
The only thing new is the cumbersome tube pivot. Ford has had a method to attach ramps to their tailgates since at least 2015 as I had that on my F150.
I love the multi-flex tailgate though and if you read the owners manual the tailgate has two different weight ratings depending if you are putting load on the multi-flex part or the tailgate part.