Tailgate "freezes" shut

Does anyone else around here have an issue with the tailgate being impossible to open in freezing weather, using a fold-up sectional tonneau cover? It's like it freezes shut. I tug on it, but don't want to tear a seal or anything...so I just cuss a little and put stuff behind my seat.

But...I wouldn't mind if someone could tell me how to fix things to where that wouldn't happen.

 

Just push on it first. It'll break the ice and open like normal after that.

 

When you pull on the handle does it engage the locks?
I some times have issues in the winter after getting a car wash where water freezes in the locks on the sides of the tailgate. So when you pull the handle nothing happens.
My solution is heat up the locks with a hair dryer, then use an air compressor to blow the water out of the lock mechanisms, and spray some wd40 in them after.

 

No, the locks do not engage. The handle pulls freely...but nothing happens. I just had my truck washed yesterday...it froze and dumped 6" of snow overnight...so this explanation sounds valid.

 

My tonneau cover has a little rubber gasket where my tailgate closes, i wipe that down with a silicone spray and it prevents water freezing at the seal for me, haven't had an issue this winter yet

 

if i parked outside i would put a blankey on my baby...

 

haha its a truck....not a ferrari

 

I never park in a garge and have never had my tailgate freeze shut after 5 NH winters and we just got ~15" snow and more coming - whooo hoooo

 

Definitely the latches.
I live in Minnesota so it's below freezing pretty much 4 months straight here and I wash my truck weekly, unless it gets below 5f.
After car washes in the winter I open all my doors to wipe down the weather seals, so the doors don't freeze shut, and open the tailgate to help the water drain out. I usually only have to spray wd40 in the locks once at the beginning of winter.

 

Exactly what I do and Ive never had it stick since.

 

Water (car wash) + below 32 = frozen things. They teach that in grade school.

 

All the time, my Tacoma and various work trucks all did/do it.

 

Spray the latches with white lithium grease. Some dealers do it during oil changes ("lube" part of lube, oil and filter), some do not.

 

Do not use WD-40 as it can freeze. Use something made for locks.

 

I'll tell you the other day we had a bunch of freezing rain and it got colder. Went to open the tail gate...no open, frozen solid. Even my tonneau cover took some doing to lift up. Solved it by throwing a couple gallons of hot water over the gate.

 

Spray a little windshield washer fluid on the seal area if it freezes shut. Works on the doors if they freeze shut too.

 

My tailgate lock freezes all winter long every winter. I used to leave the tailgate unlocked all winter but I live in the ghetto so that's not a good idea.

Best solution I've found is if you're gunna wash the truck then let it sit out in the freezing cold, spray some compressed air into the tailgate lock cylinder to blast water away and squeeze in a bunch of alcohol based lock de-icer into the lock cylinder and using the key to lock/unlock multiple times to get it loosened up. Should be good to go. I hate the oil/graphite based lock de icers cause they cause a mess and don't really work in extreme cold.

 

It's totaled

 

I prefer white lithium grease and not WD-40 for hinges, locks graphite.
You must live in Antartica if WD-40 freezes there …

 

I have a de-icing spray for locks, so far that hasn't been the issue. The tail gate and tonneau cover itself get just like the doors when a rainstorm and a big freeze. I had a gen1 tundra that use to have frozen doors, but never a tail gate.