More pics.

Here is the extender before I started, with the new brackets. One bracket is apart, and the four screws are laying next to it.

 

Measuring where to place the bracket.





Marking where drill the holes. I put a little black shoe polish on the plastic peg. Then drilled a hole for the peg, which prevents the bracket from sliding side to side.

 

This is what is looks like with the extra bracket on. Now you can see how it would interfere with pushing the end down. You can still unlatch it, but you can't push the end down to get under the pin.



Now if you want it off, you'll have to unscrew all those little screws on the two brackets, which I put to the outside.

 

Cool. Thanks for all of the information!

 

greencrew, I see how the extra brackets keep the extender safe while the tailgate is up and locked - assuming it is positioned so that the extender has to be pushed down and not pulled up to remove. If you do want to remove it, can you flip it out (extend it) and release the catches and pull up? You don't have to remove the extra brackets to remove the extender do you?

 

They can have mine I don't even use it, actually I don't even have mine in the truck its sitting in the garage.

 

Yes, you can remove it the same way. The extra bracket does not change the way it works. With the extra bracket it now works as it was designed to.
Flip it out onto the tail gate and release the clips.

 

I typically try to keep mine out of the truck unless its really needed. Kinda a hazard in the garage though. You see these things all the time on Craiglists so evidently some people still like to "borrow" them just like them dang thugs stealing your receiver hitch's.