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Stolen customized SuperDuty tailgate

9K views 31 replies 16 participants last post by  lanedecamp 
#1 ·
Tonight had my 2012 Lariat platinum white SuperDuty tailgate stolen off the back of the truck in the parking lot right in front of Neiman Marcus. It would be hilarious except for the loss.

What's especially interesting is that it originally came with both the step (and stripper pole) and camera, but I hated the stripper pole and after Linex'ing the inside of the tailgate I removed all the stripper pole hardware and got the flat plastic FMC plate that goes on tailgates that don't have the stripper pole. That way I ended up with the step itself and a flush inside surface (I load pallets and such a lot and the lump of the stripper pole was always a pian).

Also, the tailgate was definitely locked (always kept that way, I always check it when I walk past the tail of the truck, and it hadn't been opened for a few weeks). So someone probably had to knock out the lock cylinder, That means the lock is probably nonfunctional on this one, if you happen to see it.

Anyway, someone either didn't notice they were stealing a customized tailgate, or they were buying it for themselves and won't care. Either way, if you happen to see it around, please let me know. I'm filing the insurance claim and will get a new one, but I'd like to send these bastards to hell if I can find them.
 
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#4 ·
Thanks, all.

Dallas, Texas. Stolen from the parking lot for Neiman Marcus of all places, right in front of the store and the valet and all the security staff. Someone tell me that nobody saw this happening? Between 530 pm and 715 pm, and a Platinum White tailgate on a crew cab long bed F350 Lariat? Not exactly a subtle vehicle.

I always keep the tailgate locked. I've tried the little Master padlocks around the tailgate pivot and they don't work on this truck. I've posted on a couple forums, including here, with ideas gathered on how to prevent tailgate theft. I always try to back up to a wall or column so someone can't lower the tailgate and always park at home that way. I tried hose clamps on the tailgate as well, but I could still get it off.

Weird thing here, someone had to punch out the lock and ended up with a Linex'd tailgate with the stripper pole for the step removed. Hope someone wanted it for themselves because it was far from being a stock item at that point.
 
#6 ·
Thanks, all.

Dallas, Texas. Stolen from the parking lot for Neiman Marcus of all places, right in front of the store and the valet and all the security staff. Someone tell me that nobody saw this happening? Between 530 pm and 715 pm, and a Platinum White tailgate on a crew cab long bed F350 Lariat? Not exactly a subtle vehicle.
That really sucks! It almost sounds like one of the valets or security staff would have had to be in on the theft. If you file the claim through your insurance company, they may request security footage from the store that can hopefully identify the thieves and bring them to justice.

I have remote-actuated locks on both my canopy and tailgate, so hopefully that will help keep it from walking away. Also, the 100 pound German Shepherd that is often riding back there is a pretty good deterrent.
 
#5 ·
Sorry to read of the theft. I realize that this doesn't help you, but for next time maybe...

Does anyone (people, not businesses) put alarms on tailgates? It would seem pretty easy to embed a magnet on either side of the tailgate with a magnetic switch aligned with it in the quarter panel. Then hook it to a wailer.

People can open it all they want. ...but if they don't know the secret spot on which to place the extra magnet, they'd have to cover their ears.
 
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#7 ·
I had a buddy tell me that even though I have a locking tailgate, I need to put a hose clamp around the hinge on the side you lift up and out of place to remove the tailgate. That way, if I forget to lock it, it cannot be removed without taking the hose clamp off which if put on right will need to be reached with a nutrunner from under neath or some odd angle to make it that much more difficult to remove.
 
#9 ·
Yup. Exactly what I did on mine. To get to the nut you have to come in from underneath the bumper, while someone holds the tailgate at an angle. Even still you need a 6" socket extension and flex joint to get at it.
 
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#10 ·
security staff was in on that one buddy. they probably called the thieves there to get it. I'm in Shreveport Louisiana and they don't let valet drivers at the casinos or hotels carry or use phones while at work for this very reason
 
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#11 ·
I've seen people use pool splash sensors on tailgates. They have a float and a magnet such that when the float moves, it starts a little battery operated siren -- enough to wake the dead in case a child fell in the pool.

I had a hose clamp on this tailgate at one point, but removed it when I had the tailgate off for Linex'ing when I removed the stripper pole. The guys at the Linex shop laughed at it and said any competent tailgate thief knew the trick and came with the tool. It took ten seconds longer to remove the hose clamp, two seconds with an electric drill and a flexible bit extender.

The foolproof way to protect the tailgate is to back up against something, and I almost always try to do that. Absolutely at home, and when I'm at a hotel on the road I always seek out a light pole that keeps the truck lit and blocks the tailgate. Of course, then they just steal the alloys instead and leave the truck on cinderblocks.

The security office, for one of the most upscale malls in America, said they would not give me any info and would only release info to a police officer. The police officer who took the report pointed out that a $3,000-4,000 loss was hardly enough to get the time it would take to requisition and review security tapes for that timeframe (let's say three cameras with 90 minutes to review for each, plus other cameras depending on where the perpetrators were parked). And there's no VIN or other identifying number on a tailgate so there's no proving absolutely that it's mine unless I'd etched one on there myself -- I was told that if I found it on Craigslist or in a auto parts yard, I couldn't get it back without paying for it.

And I had a 65 lb Australian shepherd in the back seat of the truck when the tailgate was stolen. Plus valets parkers, plus Christmas traffic, plus a fairly high visibility parking space, plus vaunted security patrols and cameras, and so on. Someone really wanted a tailgate.
 
#12 ·
One of my biggest fears having my tailgate stolen! I always check to make sure it's locked every time I go somewhere
 
#13 ·
i put auto tailgate lock on mine the master lock hinge lock ( works on my 06) and i installed a tilt sensor tied to the alarm and a 1/8 diamond plate work surface

I did the alarm tie in when i did an open tailgate light in the cab because when I had the tonneau cover i couldn't see my tailgate and I had left it down 2x when i drove off


i still think the worm drive clamp would slow someone way down specially if you tap the screw head to an inaccessible orientation using a screwdriver and a hammer
 
#14 ·
When you have a backup camera and backup sensors (mine is a 2012 Lariat) you pretty much know right away if the tailgate is down. And I gather that there is some variance among individual builds -- on mine the commercial tailgate lock was too narrow to prevent me from pulling the tailgate off anyway. And these days people shopping for tailgates know to bring a cordless drill with a flexible extension and they can get a hose clamp off in two seconds. The best idea I've seen recently has been to install a large fender washer immediately under the bolt that the tailgate cables hook onto. If the cables are underneath, the washer prevents the cables from being lifted off without removing the big Torx bolts. The pool splash alarm is something I'm trying on my new tailgate as well.

By the way, this truck is the tri-coat Platinum White. An expensive lesson in colors here: The truck came with it and Ford charged me, if I remember, something like $485 extra for it. Well, to match it, two body shops have both said they need to spray and blend the color into the quarter panel so it'll match. That means removing a tool box, removing plastic trim on the bed, removing all rear lighting and the bumper, and whatever else. With three coats of paint plus a clear coat, the cost of a tailgate is closer to $5,300. I debated not getting a perfect color match but I saw a couple examples and it really is pretty bad. And my insurance company actually agreed that it was needed. So if you're considering Platinum White or any tri-coat paint color, do be aware that you're in for a very expensive repaint if you have to do anything on your truck down the road.
 
#16 ·
I had a theft by security guard also it was crystal clear he was the theif

my truck was always parked near a construction site at night I actually did that because it was near an adjacent hotel construction site entrance

when my truck came up with missing bolt ons I immediately tracked down the onsite security guard for that entrance and quized him about what He witnessed and how this could happen with them 15 feet away ?

he stated that one of the other guards requested he swap locations with him that proved to be factual but I was never able to contact that guard since he quit

of course the cops didn't care and it wasn't that much stuff but I then realized what riff raff the security industry will employ
my later dealings with many of them confirmed this belief I have found the best ones are retired folks not kids
 
#17 · (Edited)
I am in Dallas area as well. My wife's car was broken into the galleria ara in broad day light in front of the container store. They had been in the store for may be 10 mins.

In the past I have seen several people sell tailgates on Craigslist. I always wondered how can one seller have so many tailgates. Keep an eye on, you might be able to buy your own tailgate. Cops don't care. They do not investigate thefts unless it is breaking and entering homes and they are pattern. Especially one that could lead to injuries.
 
#19 ·
Yup. I've been watching them. And using SearchTempest to look for any within about 400 miles or so. If you think there are a lot on Craigslist, just check eBay. If I had Oxford White I could get a dozen of them for less than a thou each.

In the parts list, the step alone (just the fold-out step, not the pole nor the hinge hardware or the trim piece nor even the traction strip on the step is over $1200. For about $80 worth of bent sheet metal. Attorneys at work. Crazy.
 
#20 ·
I just had my locked tailgate stolen from the front of my house last night. Located in Fontana Ca, about 45 miles east of Los Angeles. Very frustrating and makes me want to severely beat the thieve who stole it. My truck is a 2014 Lariat Ingot silver with camera and line ex, no step. So if anyone sees a used one for sale, please let me know.


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#21 ·
Sorry to hear this. I've been watching for mine but it hasn't reappeared. They often get stolen in batches, at least in Dallas, and then apparently get sent a few hundred miles away for resale. Even if you found your own tailgate, unless you had your VIN or other unique identifier marked permanently on it, you won't be able to argue possession sufficiently to get it back. So on my new one I got a touch-up paint pen and wrote my VIN on the edge of the tailgate right next to the hinge. Someone will have to see it before they try to take the tailgate off (and there's a hose clamp on now, reversed so the worm gear isn't accessible without a flexible drive) so the worst that happens is they've punched out the lock on the tailgate.

I've been watching ones in Platinum White in particular. I love the color to look at, and insurance didn't increase premiums because of it, but it's a very expensive color to own. I found only one Platinum White tailgate for sale, it was without backup camera or step, and it had a crunch on the top (not disclosed in the ad) such that the owner had already replaced the tailgate and was selling off the damaged one. Paint wasn't even a close match. This color basically can't be reproduced accurately from one paint job to the next, so they have to blend in the color. That means removing the box, removing a tool box, removing bumper, tail lights, rail caps, repainting, replacing the 4x4 stickers, replacing the rail caps, and reassembling everything. It's a pain. We bought this one off the dealer's lot; the rest of ours are Oxford white and we've had no problems if any repaint was needed on those. Just a lesson learned.
 
#22 ·
that paint is NOT hard to match...ive had a few things painted on my truck and its impossible to tell whats what
 
#26 ·
I was informed that this Access Cover was smaller than the area that is needing to be covered once the "stripper pole" is removed. I am hoping to go to the dealer and take a look at the size of the plastic cover on one of the tailgates w/o the pole and see how it compares in size.
 
#25 ·
u am SO glad i live in the middle of nowhere. i hate worrying about stuff like this.
so far mine has been safe even in sacramento with the shell locked tailgate locked and 200 pounds of over protective retarded rescue dog in the back :D
 
#28 ·
Here are some photos of my new tailgate inside cover with what I believe is the cover plate specified in the exploded diagram above. As you can see, there are a few bolt holes that aren't covered in the lower part of the tailgate, but the Linex pretty much filled them up. There's a rather crappy looking gap at the top inside, right under the tailgate cap for the step. The cap is pushed down as far as it'll go and everything is fully nested, so that's actually caused by the metal edge of the tailgate panel not going up into the notch where the step fits. Just superficial design. I'm looking for some plastic edge trim to see if I can mask it a bit better, but anything sliding in or out over the tailgate will scrape against the inside of the top cap. It tends to pull the step loose, so always be sure something doesn't slide and pull the step part-way out as you're driving with a load and the tailgate down. I haven't had that happen, but it's presumably a possibility.
 

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#29 ·
I understand your concern with the lip of the gate. I would also be concerned through the life of the gate and the possibility of corrosion internally. Other than that, the gate looks REALLY good. A lot better than I had imagined and a lot better than with the pole. The cover piece that you used was the one mentioned earlier? Thanks for taking the time to snap some pics and share. It really helps to solidify whether I plan to go forward with deleting the pole and my options.
 
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