[Joebhridge]

I tried posting my means to lock the tailgate under An Alternate means of locking Tailgate but the photo links were confusing so I will try again
I bought the 2017 Ridgeline as a means to carry a cap to allow carrying my longer kayaks, canoes and surfskiis and to tow a sailboat and maybe a small camper

 

[Joebhridge]

the carabiners allow the locking steel cable reinforced SUP/ kayak locking strap to be quickly attached to the bed tie down brackets

 

[Ridgelineboy]

If you got a 2016 Ridgeline, you got a bad deal.:wink:

 

[Joebhridge]

this should show more clearly how the Leer cap is attached at 4 points

 

[DogOnBoard]

So how tall of a box can be slid into your truck bed through the open rear hatch of the Leer cap with the tailgate down? Thanks!

 

[Joebhridge]

28 Inch vertical clearance

 

[Joebhridge]

28 inch vertical clearance

 

[Joebhridge]

More detail on my tailgate locking scheme

 

[DogOnBoard]

28 Inch vertical clearance

Excellent measurement...many thanks!

 

[jhofwa]

Great photos. Thank you very much. I am going to sell my OEM Tonneau cover and buying a Leer 100, so would appreciate it if you described how the canopy is attached to the truck. The Leer site talks about using "J-Clamp installation pockets" (rather than the old "C" Clamps). Do these new clamps require any drilling into the bed of the truck and/or the removal of any of the existing tie-down brackets? I apologize for highjacking your thread but don't recall this being discussed in any detail.

 

[Shineaholic]

This is going to scratch the hell out of your tailgate. I would never even consider this. Ok, maybe after 20-30 years when the truck is old and worn out and the tailgate is already scratched.

 

[GreggS]

Great photos. Thank you very much. I am going to sell my OEM Tonneau cover and buying a Leer 100, so would appreciate it if you described how the canopy is attached to the truck. The Leer site talks about using "J-Clamp installation pockets" (rather than the old "C" Clamps). Do these new clamps require any drilling into the bed of the truck and/or the removal of any of the existing tie-down brackets? I apologize for highjacking your thread but don't recall this being discussed in any detail.

I just had a Leer XL installed, dealer removed exisitng tie downs and installed new ones. Very easy to install and reinstall actually. Alos has a simple quick release electrical hookup for the brake lights. It is a J-type clamp, no they do not drill into the truck anywhere. Just clampsd under the bedrail.

 

[Joebhridge]

I will only use these padded locking straps when I am parked in an exposed area with valuable equipment in the bed, not when I am driving so not they "will not scratch the hell out of the tailgate" . The carabiners allow me to quickly attach them to the bed hold down brackets.
The straps are made for use with fiberglass kayaks and SUPs and I have already used them with my Kayaks and SUPs, some of which probably cost more than a Ridgeline tailgate. Thule also makes similar padded locking straps and the 13 foot lengrh works perfectly in my set up.

 

[Joebhridge]

RE GreggS comment, my photos show these Leer supplied brackets which come with the Leer cap.

 

[Joebhridge]

FOR normal parking in public areas for a short time , the cap rear window lock provides some security for locking the tailgate but I did not want to would not rely on it for more exposed areas since it is easily defeated.

 

[DogOnBoard]

Do you have a front sliding window on your Leer Cap? If so, can you get outside air into the bed through the open front slider when the truck is moving, or does the cap fit so tightly to the cab than there's no ventilation from outside through the front window? It looks like you have the 50/50 side windows, so I realize that you can open those for ventilation, but I want to know about the front window. Thanks!

 

[Bockstar]

FOR normal parking in public areas for a short time , the cap rear window lock provides some security for locking the tailgate but I did not want to would not rely on it for more exposed areas since it is easily defeated.

Once the easily defeated cap is open does it matter if the tailgate remains locked? Or is it the force of opening the tailgate that defeats the cap lock?
I'm buying a cap and dynolock either way, just curious how weak the cap locks are.

 

[Joebhridge]

RE Dog on board question :the Leer dealer originally installed a removable sliding window but i didnt like the two vertical bars looking thru my rear view mirror, so he replaced it with just a one piece glass window
the removable front window let you clean the rear Ridgeline cab window plus the front Leer cap window when these windows get dirty
I seem to get additional reflections looking in the rear view mirror from these two windows not being parallel
It seems I should be able to seal the gap between the Ridgeline rear window and the Leer cap so I could remove the Leer front cap window but I am not sure this is a good idea. This is my first pickup and cap


Re Bockstar question:
If the cap lock is defeated it looks to me that it would be difficult to crawl in over my locked tailgate and steal equipment in the front of the bed
Are there any thieves on this forum who can give their opinion?
You could probably cut my padded steel cable reinforced locking strap but it also looked to me that you could pop the other tailgate locks with a screw driver and since I already owned these kayak/SUP locking straps and can install it in a minute ,this is what I will use instead of buying and installing the other tailgate locks shown on this forum

 

[Bockstar]

Makes sense for big stuff. Unfortunately the most we can ever do is slow them down. I once had a new mountain bike stolen off a rack on the back of my vehicle when stopping for lunch at a crowded spot. They cut my cable lock and got away without anyone seeing anything. Now I use a chain and just hope to stop the lazy opportunist thief.

 

[Ivan Lee]

Thanks for the great strap solution. it is so simple and quick to do. I would just put the lock and buckle on the INSIDE of the tailgate since the cap door is opened first anyway.