ELONGATOR TAILGATE

Testing the extended bed length with built-in ramps

On Apr 21, 2019

By the staff of Dirt Wheels

ELONGATOR TAILGATE

We love coming across ingenious products! Elongator took an idea, or perhaps more of a wish, and made it a reality. They built a tailgate that stores ramps inside it without taking up any bed space on popular full-sized trucks. Elongator’s design and ability are more impressive than just having ramps in your tailgate. They incorporated a bed-lengthening platform that can be outfitted with more equipment. The best part is that the American-made gate is virtually plug-and-play.

You can lay the Elongator bed extender platform flat. This will extend your truck bed floor length past the tailgate by almost an additional 2 feet. It can hold up to 850 pounds. We put a Can-Am Renegade in the bed, and once we locked the platform flat again, we could back the quad to the end of the platform and give us extra usable bed space in front of it.

THE DESIGN

Elongator realized that modifying a stock tailgate to achieve what they wished for was impossible. Stock tailgates generally aren’t structurally strong enough to do the job. So, they set out to create an impressively made gate that is easy to install and works well. The main frame is expertly welded together, along with the folding platform. Once you lower the Elongator down, you have a standard tailgate platform. Then you can unfold the platform and set it in two positions: flat (extends your tailgate platform by almost 2 feet and can hold up to 850 pounds) or downward at a slight angle (for loading). A sliding mechanism opens or closes channels in the bed to prop it flat or angled. We would have preferred if the sliding mechanism was slightly spring-loaded.

Once the platform is angled in the loading position, you can remove the sturdy aluminum ramps that are inside the tailgate channel and mount them at multiple points along with the platform. This allows you to easily get the correct width you need. The ends of the aluminum ramps have hooks that go into precut holes on the platform. They act as a latch mechanism to make sure the ramps won’t disconnect from the Elongator while loading. The ramps have either perforated holes or grip tape on them so your machine or feet have traction.

Once you are done loading or using the Elongator and can shut the tailgate securely, the ramps and platform take up no bed space whatsoever. Elongator made this possible by extending the back of the tailgate outward to fit the components inside. The back panel is made of durable plastic and, depending on the model, is painted with automotive-style paint. The interior panels are also made of durable plastic paneling.

Depending on what model of full-size truck you have (2009 and up only for certain models), you have the option of including a backup camera and a locking handle that your truck would normally come with. In comparison to a stock tailgate, the Elongator will be a minimum of 30 pounds heavier.

The Elongator ramps fit in their tailgate snugly. When you are done using the ramps and platform, simply fold the platform over the ramps and shut the gate. It will not take up any of your stock bed space.

GET USE OUT OF IT

We tested the Elongator on a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado for a month. In our line of work, we use the gate and ramps constantly, so a starting price point of $2750 may be steep, but it’s reasonable for us. We loaded many 4×4 quads and a few sport quads in the bed during our time with the gate. It was smooth and impressive to load machines, and we gained a lot of bed space to store gear in front of the quad. We measured it out, and you should be able to fit two-sport quads in a long bed with the Elongator. Lifting the platform from loading to flat would be quite difficult with the weight of the rear of a quad on it.

We used the ramps to load a toolbox in the bed and more with it. One of the downsides is that when you are using the ramps, the channel in the tailgate that holds them can cause issues. If your sport quad doesn’t have reverse, getting it unstuck from that channel is tricky.

In order to fit the Elongator platform and ramps in their tailgate, the back of the gate is extended. They cover this with durable, molded, and automotive-painted plastic. You can order the gate with a lockable handle and backup camera depending on the model and year of your full-size truck.

ELONGATOR TAILGATE

FINAL NOTES

The Elongator is a product that we feel is best suited for someone who rides their quad almost every week or weekend to get its money’s worth out of it. It saves space and adds space to the bed platform. It is also best suited for someone who can use it for work purposes as well as play. Landscapers, contractors, or anyone who needs ramps to get items in and out of the bed easily will love it.

Eventually, Elongator plans to create more items and innovations for the tailgates. The Elongator comes with a three-year warranty. Go to www.elongator.com or call (843) 507-5909 for more info!

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