Abstract: A control mechanism for controlling movement of a vehicle gate between a first and a second position comprises a dampener assembly and a lift assembly that are incorporated within the gate. The dampener assembly has a first component mountable to a vehicle structure and a second component supportable by the vehicle gate mounted for pivotal movement relative to the vehicle structure. The first and second components cooperate to control vehicle gate speed as the vehicle gate is moved from the second position to the first position. The lift assembly includes a spring operatively coupled to the dampener assembly to reduce lifting effort as the vehicle gate is moved from the first position to the second position.