Opening power tailgate with dead battery

[Buyer2021]

Pretty sure I mentioned the module in the op. The whole point of the post is what was ford thinking. ?

I put a hard folding tonneau cover on my truck last week. Today it just occurred to me that if I was ever out and the battery in the truck happened to take a crap, of the module that opens the tailgate went out…. How can I get into the bed of the truck to get my tools.

If you're that inclined to worry about worst case scenarios, and you think getting to your tools is that critical, one might reasonably wonder what you were thinking when you bought a tonneau cover that requires opening the tailgate to access the bed. There are, after all, many tonneaus which have locking mechanisms accessible with the tailgate closed.

You pick your compromises, it's on you to know what those are when you make a purchase, nothing in life is 100% perfect.

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[Ghurst]

Great idea if it’s the battery…. But what if the module for the tailgate fails?

If you're that inclined to worry about worst case scenarios, and you think getting to your tools is that critical, one might reasonably wonder what you were thinking when you bought a tonneau cover that requires opening the tailgate to access the bed. There are, after all, many tonneaus which have locking mechanisms accessible with the tailgate closed.

You pick your compromises, nothing in life is 100% perfect.

Sheesh, some of you guys need to get a grip. All I did was ask a question. As for my tools since I make my living with them… It is that critical. And yes, I’ve ordered a tonneau cover that I can get into without opening the tailgate.

 

[scott011422]

You guys also need to realize that MOST tailgates have to be taken apart to open if something goes wrong.

I went thru AT LEAST 6 plastic tailgate handles on my 05 in the 15 years I owned it. Every time I had to climb into the bed and take the tailgate skin off to the the gate open.

 

[Buyer2021]

All I did was ask a question.

You did more than just ask a question, you opined "Lol are the Ford engineers really that stupid?"

That's the line that invited my response, and invites you to consider who needs to 'get a grip'.

 

[Ghurst]

You did more than just ask a question, you opined "Lol are the Ford engineers really that stupid?"

That's the line that invited my response, and invites you to consider who needs to get a grip.

Well, at least they were smart enough to give you access to get in the cab with the key. How hard would it have been to have done that with the tailgate too?

 

[Buyer2021]

Well, at least they were smart enough to give you access to get in the cab with the key. How hard would it have been to have done that with the tailgate too?

Methinks they were smart enough to consider and recognize the difference between an enclosed cab and a bed / tailgate, the relative consumer need for what you want, and the cost implications of every item added to a vehicle.

Considered design decisions, even when you disagree with the outcome, don't constitute 'stupidity'.

 

[discothan]

Yes great question. Even in manual mode the switch kicks the locking mechanism
We need a test

Just remove the battery terminals and test a few times?
Not sure if there is anything that is holding a charge that you might have to drain first.

 

[JediNut]

@Ghurst , what tonneau cover do you have ? I have the Bakflip G2, and if I needed to break into the bed, all I need is a coat hanger or a piece of wire, bend a small hook and hook the cable that opens it, and lift while pulling on the wire.

You *might* consider that a feature... I didn't.

While it doesn't 100% prevent it, I have found that a couple of strips of marine weatherstripping along the back of the tonneau cover blocks the coat hanger from getting through. It also helps a little with keeping from rain trickling in.

I used something like this... (available at Home Depot or Lowes).

 

[Xman]

If you have access to the inside of the tailgate, I'm told you can remove the black plastic cover and access the opening mechanism, but I have not yet tried this.

Thieves can open a locked tailgate and steal your rear tail lights in about 30 seconds. My neighbor had this happen to him with a hard tonneau cover. Cost him $6,000 to get the tail lights replaced and BLIS calibrated. More details about the 3 ways to unlock a Ford Tailgate.

(27) F150 Tail Lights: Easy to Steal, Expensive to Replace! | F150gen14 -- 2021+ Ford F-150, Tremor, Raptor Forum (14th Gen) | News, Owners, Community, Discussions

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