This product isn't exactly new, but it's such a great idea that we thought we would go ahead and write it up anyway. The Droptail, by JSC Engineering, won the SEMA award for best new truck product in 2002 but we have not heard too much from them since, which is too bad because this product is pretty awesome.

You may be asking yourself, "What is this fantastic product, the Droptail?". Great question, glad you asked! The Droptail is a computer controlled automatic tailgate that can be operated either automatically or manually by pressing of a button on it's keychain remote.

Automatic operation is handled by your vehicles computer. Once your truck reaches highway speeds the Droptail's linear actuator is operated and your trucks tailgate is opened which will instantly give your truck the feel of more power and also a claimed 5-10% better fuel economy by eliminating the drag caused by your tailgate.

The other mode of operation that we mentioned, which is controlled by keychain remote allows you to easily drop the tailgate whenever you need it. This may sound like a bit of overkill but have you ever tried to load a 75 lbs. box of your mother-in-laws Beatles and Elvis albums into a lifted truck without putting the box down? You can see where it might be easier to just push a button.

Now, if neither of those two reasons have you convinced, think about the this. Because the linear actuator is controlling whether the bed is open or not you can easily shave those handles and you can also not worry about someone stealing your tailgate as there is no way to open the tailgate manually.

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