Maximizing Weekend Cargo Loads With the 2026 Honda Ridgeline’s Dual-Action Tailgate

Loading a truck bed sounds simple until you’re juggling a cooler, a soccer bag, and a box of cottage supplies at the same time. The 2026 Honda Ridgeline is built around that exact problem, with a bed layout designed for how people actually pack for a weekend.

For Quebec drivers heading to the cottage or a Saturday tournament, the way a truck’s bed opens and organizes gear matters as much as how much it can carry.

What Makes the Ridgeline’s Cargo System Different

The Ridgeline pairs a dual-action tailgate with a lockable In-Bed Trunk built into the bed floor. Both are standard across the Ridgeline lineup, including the Sport, TrailSport, and Black Edition.

The dual-action tailgate opens downward like a conventional pickup tailgate or swings open to the side, like a door. That second position isn’t a gimmick; it changes how you reach into the bed itself.

The In-Bed Trunk adds 206 litres of washable, lockable storage beneath the bed floor, separate from the main cargo area. It’s a second zone for gear you don’t want exposed to weather or wandering hands.

How the Tailgate and In-Bed Trunk Work Together

Swing the tailgate to the side and you get a clear, unobstructed reach straight into the bed from the rear corner, useful when you’re pulling out a single item without climbing in or dragging other gear along with it. Drop it down and you get the traditional flat loading surface, better suited to sliding in long or heavy pieces.

The bed itself measures 1,625 mm long with the tailgate up and 1,524 mm wide at the bed walls, wide and long enough to lay flat items like building supplies or folding tables between the wheel wells rather than propping them at an angle.

Underneath, the In-Bed Trunk works independently of whatever’s stacked above it. Because it’s washable and lockable, it can hold wet gear, muddy boots, or drinks on ice without competing for space with the rest of the load, and its contents stay out of sight.

• Eight heavy-duty tie-down cleats anchor loose items so they don’t shift on the drive
• The In-Bed Trunk locks separately from the cabin, keeping valuables out of view
• The tailgate’s side-swing position gives direct access without unloading the main bed first

Why This Setup Matters for Real Weekend Loads

A cottage trip usually means mismatched cargo: a cooler, duffel bags, maybe a kayak paddle or two, and something fragile you don’t want crushed. The two-zone bed lets you keep the messy or wet items in the In-Bed Trunk while the main bed carries bulkier, drier gear.

The same logic applies to sports gear. Cleats and equipment bags that pick up mud or grass stains can go into the washable lower compartment, away from folded lawn chairs or a case of water sitting up top.

For home projects, the bed’s flat floor and width mean plywood sheets or long trim pieces can lie flat rather than balance diagonally across the wheel wells, a detail that matters when the load is awkward rather than heavy.

Storage Beyond the Bed

The cargo plan doesn’t stop at the tailgate. The Ridgeline’s 60/40 split rear seat lifts up, and the space underneath adds overflow room for taller or narrower items you’d rather keep dry and out of the weather in the cabin.

Up front, the cabin includes its own smaller storage spots for things you want within reach while driving, keeping the bed reserved for the bulkier or messier cargo instead of cluttering it with a phone charger or sunglasses.

LED truck-bed lighting is standard, and a 150W/400W power outlet built into the bed lets you run corded tools or accessories without stringing an extension cord from the cabin.

Who Gets the Most Out of This Layout

Active families juggling sports equipment, DIY owners hauling project materials, and weekend travellers packing for the cottage all draw on different parts of this system. A basic bed-only pickup gives you one open space and hopes you sort it out yourself; the Ridgeline splits that space into zones built for specific jobs.

Mixed-cargo carriers, people who regularly combine wet gear, dry gear, and valuables in the same trip, benefit most from the separation between the open bed, the locking In-Bed Trunk, and the underseat cabin storage.

See the Ridgeline’s Cargo Setup in Person

The 2026 Ridgeline’s dual-action tailgate and In-Bed Trunk give Quebec drivers a bed built around how weekend gear actually gets loaded, sorted, and secured, not just how much it can hold.

Visit Lallier Honda Montreal to see the tailgate positions and In-Bed Trunk in person, and ask about how the cargo layout fits your regular weekend routine.