3 Cool Features Of The RAM 1500's Multifunction Tailgate

Dodge produced its first truck in 1918, advertising it as "Dodge Brothers' Business Car." Dodge came under the Chrysler umbrella a decade later, and the first RAM truck appeared in 1981. The RAM and Dodge brands were separated in 2010, and Chrysler's parent company Stellantis sold almost 445,000 RAM trucks in the United States last year. That made the RAM the third best-selling vehicle of any kind, behind the Chevy Silverado and Ford F series. In a more than century of production, Dodge and RAM trucks have evolved along with automotive technology.

The 2025 RAM 1500 has everything a modern truck should, including a high-output 3.0-liter Hurricane engine that makes over 500 horsepower and provides the ability to tow more than 9,000 pounds. For a little over five years Ram 1500 buyers have also been able to get a multi-function tailgate that has some unique features to make your truck even more useful as a cargo hauler, grocery getter, or family vehicle. Ram updated the tailgate last year, adding some new tricks to an already useful option.

The RAM multifunction tailgate is divided into two pieces in a 60/40 split, and each side is hinged separately and can be opened to allow you to step right up to the lip of the bed for easy loading and unloading. The doors swing out a full 88 degrees, giving you a wide berth that reaches almost the entire width of the bed. There's a kick-out bed step under the rear bumper to allow you to reach deeper into the bed, and combined with the fact that there's no tailgate to reach over, this should make loading and loading easier, even for shorter owners.

A button in the tailgate handle housing opens the longer (driver's side) section, and another handle on the edge of the smaller section where the two pieces meet opens the smaller door. This allows you to access the bed if you have a trailer attached — something that's often difficult or impossible to do with a traditional tailgate.

One of the handiest things about a truck tailgate is that you can use it as a bench, a table, or a work surface. The RAM 1500's multi-function tailgate can also open flat like a standard truck tailgate and can support up to 2,000 pounds. That's enough to hold a typical family of five, plus a Labrador retriever and a picnic lunch. You can open the multi-function tailgate with a button on your key fob, making grocery and hardware store trips easier. 

If you're going to use the tailgate as a workbench, you can rest assured that it will safely support the weight of several hundred bricks, Chrysler HEMI and Hurricane engines side-by-side, or the Makita 10-piece MXT woodworking kit plus a few hundred pounds worth of lumber. Whether the tailgate is dropped flat or open in the barn door configuration, you'll also be able to lean on it for support while loading and unloading your truck. 

The RAM 1500's multi-function tailgate makes the optional RamBox storage system even more accessible. The RamBox adds locking storage in the sides of the bed that can be used as coolers and features a 115-volt auxiliary outlet for camp lighting, electric grills, or inflating small watercraft. The coolers can be filled with ice and drained when it's time to head back home, making your RAM truck a great base from which to host a party on the multi-function tailgate. 

Ram also offers cargo bed extenders and mats, as well as roof-mounted carriers for bikes, skis, and snowboards. Starting prices for the 2025 RAM 1500 pickup range from $40,275 for the base-level 4x2 Tradesman to $87,320 for the 4x4 crew cab Tungsten model. The multi-function tailgate is a $1,095 option on Big Horn, Laramie, Rebel, Limited, Limited Longhorn, and Tungsten RAM 1500 trucks. It's not available on the Tradesman, Tradesman HFE, Warlock, or RHO.