“Necessity is the
mother of invention.”
It’s an adage which we have heard since we were kids crawling through our fathers’ garages. It is also the story of the LiftGator.
The idea for the LiftGator came to be when the co-founder of LiftGator was working as a fabricator in. He needed a way to load welders, generators, and air-compressors into his truck, but wasn’t willing to cut the truck apart and weld a permanent liftgate in place. He felt that there was a better way and began the development of a liftgate, which would fit in the truck’s hitch, being there only when he needed it.
From humble beginnings, building LiftGators in a family barn, LiftGator has grown to be a premier manufacturer of hitch mounted liftgates.
Today, LiftGators are manufactured in Watertown, SD, and sold throughout North America and Europe. Each unit is built by experienced fabricators from American made materials. High-quality product standards have always been a focus, guaranteeing each LiftGator will hold up to real-world abuse.
Retracing Our Past Steps
Our History
2013
First LiftGator Takes Life
2014
Production Begins in a Barn in Bakersfield, CA
2015
LiftGators Ship to Customers
2016
World Ag Expo Top 10 New Product of the Year
2016
Innovation Quest Winner
2016
2016
2017
National Truck Equipment Association 2017 Innovation of the Year
2018
Introduction to VLG (Van Unit & Now VanGator)
2018
Introduced power stabilizer units to the market
2019
Moved facilities to Watertown, SD
2020
Redesign of all units and rebranded XTR to TruckGator™ and VLG to VanGator™
2021
LiftGator continues to develop new models. In Quarter 4 2021 LiftGator unveiled the new LiftGator Gen II TruckGator version. It is a new model that allows you to keep your tailgate on and showcases updated features. New features include: completely enclosed storage box, internal hitch clamp, and new hitch design to allow for easier installation and removal.
Keep on Vehicle Long-term, Share Among Vehicles, or Easily Store When Not in Use.
3 Minutes to Heavy Lifting