Show off your liftgates.

ArcRevival

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Anyone actually have a liftgate on their game hauler ? Are there brands besides Tommylift that are good ? My next truck is going to have one for sure. Just curious what anyone else has.
 
Yes there are several brands. Tommylift seems to be the most popular among game operators, but the other brands are just as good if not better.
 
Yes there are several brands. Tommylift seems to be the most popular among game operators, but the other brands are just as good if not better.

That's what I am curious about. The biggest name is not always the best. Figured I would see if any other brands are worth looking in to.
 
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It's a Tommy LIft. I looked at other brands, they were close in price but in the end, the name sold it for me. There are some that are entirely aluminum and look so much cooler but it wasn't a case of form over function for me. The gate can support up to 1500 lbs, and so far hasn't required any maintenance. Biggest plus is its saved my back and makes moving games soooooo much nicer.
 
Depending where you live. And road conditions. ( salt in winter especially )

I've had Tommy and Eagle.

Eagle is welded all the way around and takes longer to rust out.

LTG :)
 
Depending where you live. And road conditions. ( salt in winter especially )

I've had Tommy and Eagle.

Eagle is welded all the way around and takes longer to rust out.

LTG :)

Arch....you're still moving to CA, right? I would do some searching for pre-owned gates just make sure you find the right one compatible with your truck.

I bought a used one while traveling, got it cheap but knew very little about gates and it didn't fit my F150 at the time. COuldn't even sell the damn thing, ended up selling it for scrap. The gate didn't work but the best intentions were there... You might find one that's been moderately used, that works, and save a few bucks.
 
How much does one of these cost, anyway? New vs. used?

And before someone gives me a lmgtfy link, :rolleyes: just figured I'd ask those with experience in a thread about this very subject...

EDIT: Ok, just searched CL and there's a 3 year old 650lb used one locally for $525. Hmmm...
 
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I have a Thieman 1250lb liftgate on my truck. It has a single piece aluminum deck on it. When you are looking at them pay attention to the size of the deck. Mine is slightly small for some of the larger games like drivers. I picked it up for $300 off Ebay.
 
Two dumb questions. Can you install it yourself ? Do you need a second battery or at least a better battery to run it ?

I would assume the average person could install it themselves. (Well, with help, I mean) If not, I wouldn't be interested in it.

I see several in-town for ~$500. I will have to start thinking about this.

Main problem: I don't see myself owning this truck for too much longer. Not a fan of the 4cyl Chevy Colorado anymore. :mad: Engine and customer service suck major ass. Nothing but bad experiences with it so far...
</rant>
 
alot of those lift gates are built to handle ALOT of weight. if your only lifting up a 300lb arcade cab im sure something cheap could handle the job.

from what ive seen rust kills way more lift gates then actual use
 
cant remember how much mine cost to build

had the red leftover from painting my auto lift

one day a big limb of a tree came down right in the center of the van
ran too good to throw away. frame a little bent but oh well. the tires wear even so who cares
 

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Mine is an old Todco which was bought out by Thieman. I got it off a 1985 Ford F 100 that burned up in a fire. My Dad helped me modify it to fit on my 1984 Chevy C 30 4 door dully pickup. It has a small platform but is Ok for moving a few uprights. It got more use loading big truck tires for my dump truck. It now needs an over haul. The hydraulic cylinder was just overhauled with new seals then the pressure hose started leaking and now the seals in the pump are shot so it needs a complete overhaul. It has one neat feature, if you look at the last picture you can see that the bumper rotates out of the way as the lift comes down. Someone at the Richmond VA auction several years ago commented that they never seen one do that.
 

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My work truck has an Eagle lift with half-gate extension. Rated for 1000-lbs, but it's lifted more than that. Welded to a flat metal plate in the back of the bed to make it easier to slide games in and out.

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Was rear-ended a few weeks ago, and you can see how it bent up the bottom where the hydraulics are. The estimate to replace it is about $3150 - $1895 for a new gate, $500 for a new F-150 bracket, then installation and labor....

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cant remember how much mine cost to build

had the red leftover from painting my auto lift

one day a big limb of a tree came down right in the center of the van
ran too good to throw away. frame a little bent but oh well. the tires wear even so who cares

your van-truck thing is very cool! its like the best of both worlds
 
Do the Tommy Lifts lift higher than the bed floor? I was researching these a few months ago and found the Waltco lifts that can lift above the bed. That feature would make it nice if you find yourself loading from a standard dock height frequently.
 
Two dumb questions. Can you install it yourself ? Do you need a second battery or at least a better battery to run it ?

Yes you can install them yourself. These gates are very heavy so it's best to have a couple of strong helpers to assist.

At the operator I used to work for, all our liftgate trucks had second batteries installed.
 
I forgot to mention that my lift was a custom install.
I wanted it flush with my hitch so they made a custom bracket that is welded to the truck frame. The installer said my truck would fall apart before the lift would.
I only use the battery that's in truck already.
 
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