How the Multifunction Tailgate Opens
The multifunction tailgate gives the RAM 1500 more than one way into the bed. The two opening modes and the step work as follows.
RAM 1500 Multifunction Tailgate
The RAM 1500 multifunction tailgate is a bed gate that opens two ways: it swings open as side-hinged doors split 60/40 for walk-up access to the bed, or it folds down like a conventional tailgate. It pairs that flexibility with a built-in center step that makes climbing into the bed easier. It is an available choice you make instead of the power-release tailgate, not a feature you add alongside it, so the opening style is part of how you spec the truck.
- How It Opens
- Why Two Ways Help
- Choosing It on a RAM 1500
- Seeing It in Person
- FAQ
| Tailgate function | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Swing-open doors, split 60/40 | Walk straight up to the bed and load from behind in tight spots, without a full gate dropping into your path |
| Drop-down mode | Use the gate flat like a standard tailgate for long loads, seating, or a work surface |
| Center bed step | Step up into the bed without climbing on the bumper or carrying a separate ladder |
Why the Two Ways of Opening Help
The point of the multifunction tailgate is that the right opening changes with the job, and you are not locked into one. In a garage or a tight driveway, the split doors swing to the sides instead of needing several feet of clearance behind the truck for a gate to drop. Reaching gear near the front of the bed is easier when you can walk between the open doors rather than leaning across a dropped gate. The built-in center step makes getting up into the bed easier whether the doors are swung open or the gate is dropped. And when you are hauling something long that overhangs, or you just want a flat surface to sit on or work from, the gate still folds down the way a standard tailgate does.
Choosing It on a RAM 1500
The multifunction tailgate is an available option on the RAM 1500, configured on specific builds rather than fitted to every truck. It is also a decision you make in place of the power-release tailgate, since the two are not combined, so you choose the opening style that matches how you load and work out of the bed. The tradeoffs cut both ways: choosing the multifunction tailgate means giving up the one-touch convenience of the power-release gate, and the swing doors need clearance to either side to open fully, where a drop-down gate needs room behind the truck instead. The trucks on our lot set up with it change as inventory turns over, so the surest way to find one is to browse current availability or tell us what you want.
Seeing the Multifunction Tailgate in Person
Whether the swing doors or a plain drop-down gate suits how you work is something you settle by opening the tailgate both ways yourself. Come work one at Mike Kelly Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram and you can see which mode matches how you load before you commit to it on a build. The trucks set up with it move through the lot, so tell us how you use the bed and we will find one for you across the Shenango Valley.
RAM 1500 Multifunction Tailgate FAQ
It is a bed gate that opens two ways. The gate splits 60/40 into side-hinged doors that swing open for walk-up bed access, or it folds down like a conventional tailgate. It also includes a center bed step.
Yes. The multifunction tailgate folds down flat the same way a conventional tailgate does, so you keep that option for long loads, seating, or a flat work surface.
Yes. It comes with a built-in center bed step that makes stepping up into the bed easier without climbing on the bumper.
No. The two are not combined. You choose either the power-release tailgate or the multifunction tailgate when the truck is built.
It is an available option, not standard equipment. Because it is configured on specific builds, the surest way to know whether a particular truck has it is to check the listing or ask us.