New Torklift Stow N' Go

AnEv942 wrote:

Skate board wheel to replace the rubber?

Yeah. Great idea. I can replace the original soft-rubber bumper and add double on inner side, where the steps would rest.
This way when I step on folded set, the pivoting force will not go on new pins, but on the new stops.

Ya- the all-thread bolts are kinda silly-trying to figure it out it appears at one time T/L did supply shouldered.
Unknown why they changed and added an extra inch to boot.
I ended swapping, to get length in SST at local hardware was 3" lg with 2 1/8" shoulder, better for going thru step bars and the nylon spacers.
Also cut them to 2 11/16" to minimize stick out. Ran from inside out with nylock.

Noted your pins are between treads- my instruction said to mount at step 3, which doesnt work flush mounting. Mounted between #3&4.
One of the many small items that lead me to believe Torklift really didnt make allowances for flush mounted...

As to the flex, mine the entire bracket flexed, lower half of the side plates sets 1/4" away from bumper.
I added 2 corner pieces to support. Wouldn't do anything for the 1/4" pins against the rubber stops but did overall stiffen a lot.

My concern was, cutting top corners, flex would cause to crack.
Skate board wheel to replace the rubber?

Here is my set. Probably not final, as I can see few points that can use improvement, but working for now.

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Camper is dry, so sitting higer, therefore steps slope backwards, what will adjust when loaded.
The main problem dogs had was lack of platform to jump the 12" at the door. Now they have wide platform to jump up and down.


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The design left 2" gap, what I think I will fill up by buying long 1/4" rod between hinges and sliding pipe on it in the center.


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Torklift needs to hire someone who can read tape measure.
I don't like the design where steps hinge on machine thread, so will look for bolts with smooth part (and proper length)


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For the times when I just need to get something from camper, I like to pull myself on the bumper, so using folded steps as platform would be very helpful.
I put my 210 lb on it and it holds, but everything flex, leaving unsecured feeling. Main issue is that the Stow N'Go bracket has bottom of it hanging with no support. In my case the rubber bumper rest at very bottom on original step bracket, but I think adding hard rubber or even wood block under the bracket will stiffen everything up. Same with supporting lower steps in folded position.


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Good deal.
Our orignial scissor steps the tread clipped to a U channel so virtually no gap. When we first set up our Glow steps I wasnt't thrilled with the gap. Its a big gap.


I briefly set up with the top tread rotated 180°, redrilling for the vertical bars.

That sucked tread within 1/4" to bumper. Maynot work with the StowNGo thouhg without redrilling pivot. Adding the flat or angle probably as effective-less rework.


Subequently we ended swapping an 8" tread onto our basement step, the 6" tread just way to close to camper stepping out for me. Kept over steppin. As it hangs out over stair tread allowed rotating it back to stock and gap unnoticed.
One of the nice things about the way Glow steps are assembled- like an erector set and can reconfigure easily.

I figured it out already, so thanks.
Made the step flush (within 1/4") with the bumper and with about 2" gap from step to bumper. Might add a bar to fill it, but this is not bad the way it is.
The job took me whole afternoon to figure out, what include adding 1 step that I had left in garage.
My camper sits on the ground right now, so could not do the extended test, but plan to play with it tomorrow, so I will post my picture.
Turn out that 1 active season with Glow Steps already developed small problem with end pin, so had to address that as well.
I have narrower steps and could do everything without cutting.

Heres a few. Unless yours are somehow different stairs should mount flush to bumper with the bracket, using the bent arms to replace the factory horizontals. (flush in height but 1-1/2" gap between)
However it only worked using the very short clipped pins. Couldn't use locks?

THis is the left side

Right side

The pin holes line up.

This was my issue, the short clip pins would work. However I'm simply not carrying them without a means at least to slow down them growing legs. Plus I didnt like the last support at middle of tread instead of bolted to end of tread like factory horz. bar. Note pic above the middle arm replaced by overlayed bent arm supplied.


Getting thru to inside tread the holes didnt line up.

I drilled the tread hole a little larger for new pins using pins I had to size.

But new pins are slightly different, longer and smaller. I wanted full support of end of tread on the pivot. Otherwise you 'could' simple cut off end of tread arm to use locks.

I'll post some pictures-uploading now.
Mine bracket was previoulsy split and mounted outboard. If I didnt reuse I would have need to plug holes. Plus the locks I had wouldnt work. New long locks are a bit longer than ones I had.
I had mentioned the issue mounting stairs in flush and the StowNGo bracket to T/L.

Got my stow n' go and now I see why you had to cut it and reuse the original mount on the bumper.
It will not go flush without modification.
Could you post side pictures of yours?
thanks

Um I have stepped on while folded but try not to. I dont think really designed for that, once you get them you can see some of the weight would be transferred to the pins (1/4-20 bolts) and the thin end of slot they slide into.
All weight would be on steps and bracket instead of spread length of deployed steps and top/ bottom of them.
It literally takes less than 30 seconds to deploy steps, unless I just need to close a door or something really quick. Secondly quite a hike from ground to the bumper.

That is the answer I was looking for.
Thanks a lot AnEv942
I have the bracket in the mail already.
Are the folded steps steady enough to step on them during quick stop?