Rear steps swinging in the breeze - OK or bad practice

[tony_lee]

We have just bought an F350 with a Bigfoot 2500 10.6 camper to continue our travels in South America and while everything is pretty straightforward, I do have a question regarding the extending steps on the back. Previous owners - and I have seen one other do it - just collapsed the steps and put a loop of steel cable around them with a padlock and travelled with them swinging back and forth. Another owner at least used a ratchet strap to snug them back firmly against the back of the camper.

Given the long stretches of pretty terrible roads here, my inclination is to take them off and store them in the basement to avoid stressing the support bracket.

Any thoughts please.

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Also - my stairs have 5 treads and are all-aluminium construction and are now quite distorted with the bottom step tilted towards the front and the top one tilted badly towards the back - and of course the middle step is roughly level. All the pivot points are nice and firm, but the extension is uneven top to bottom causing the variation in tread angle.

Is this just a basic design deficiency that doesn't take account of corpulent owners clomping up and down over the years, or has it suffered a once-off damage caused by a forgetful owner driving off with it still extended.

[anutami]

Mello Mike wrote:
I have the Torklift Glowsteps. I leave mine hanging while on our trips. The mounted support bracket is rock solid and I've never had an issue even on rough roads and trails.

X2, I have the steps if anyone wants to buy them. The hardware is attached to my camper that was totaled and no longer have.

[tony_lee]

Been messing around with the step this morning. Mounting bracket was bent and one of the ladder-securing screws was seized and sheared and the coach screw on one end of the bracket wasn't holding so have sorted that out. Three of the fasteners were already bolts through into the basement.

Given that we stop for a coffee break or meal break every hour or so, the idea of removing the ladder and storing it (my initial thought)6 times a day doesn't appeal very much. Nor does getting down on my knees to tie the ladder forward to the tow hitch.
So I will add a couple of tie points to the bottom of the slinky storage tube (bumper-bar) and use a ratchet strap to keep it from moving around. Has to be heaps better than what was there.

As for the different slopes on each tread. I tightened all the bolts up so the ladder was very stiff to collapse and extend but it made little difference other than making the steps feel a little more solid.

The problem is that every bolt is slightly smaller than the holes so the whole structure bends quite a bit as can be seen by sighting down the treads - and this departure from a straight line is what causes each step to be at a slightly different angle to the next. I did find another post where a member had exactly the same problem and the only solution was to buy new steps. Given that my middle name is Scrooge, and we are a loooong way from an RV accessories store, I will probably put up with it. When it gets too bad, I will probably replace it with a chopped up builders' stepladder like we use in the OKA. Half the weight, a fraction of the cost and deploys in about 5 seconds from its travel position on the floor just inside the door.

[jmckelvy]

tuna fisher wrote:
I just lift mine off and put them inside on a door mat. I don't have a basement model.

Thats what we used to do with the Northstar TC. It was 4 steps and all were parallel. My new AF990 has the Fox landing....Nice.

[stickbowjoe]

I was offered the Torklift glow steps when I bought my new Lance 850 on 1/30/14.

Heavy, a pita to deploy and store, and $300+. I declined.

I bought a Werner 2' stepladder. $43, including tax, at the local hardware store.

It is the pure business. I never collapse it; just put it in in the camper, and it awaits my next need for it.

It is never in the wrong place. When I need it to get out, there it is, right where I left it.

When I need it to get in, it is right inside the door.

A faithful little ladder.

And $43..

Joe

[Mello_Mike]

I have the Torklift Glowsteps. I leave mine hanging while on our trips. The mounted support bracket is rock solid and I've never had an issue even on rough roads and trails.

[MikeJinCO]

More thoughts, I'd also carry a spare water pump, and frig control board, Dinosaur probably makes one. Never had a frig problem, but there is always a first time and supposedly the ones by Dinosaur(?) are better and cheaper the the original.

[MikeJinCO]

Had some second thoughts. We typically have a light weight 4 step tied on as we always have a trailer or a towed. When parked we put on the 5 step which with triple side rails is much heavier. I would if possible drill thru mounting bracket fastened to the camper and use thru bolts of at least 5/16" or 8mm and as large a fender washer inside the basement that would fit. Don't remove the bracket to drill it as they are just lag screws going into a wood backing in there. If you do have to remove it put something on the screws to keep then from backing out.

[Geewizard]

I have a 5-step attached just under the door. All I do is bungee it to the rear hitch so it doesn't swing around. Never a problem in many miles.

[MikeJinCO]

We have had two Bigfoots and have had the steps hanging off the back for probably 150k miles,and probably 50k of that in Mexico, rougher roads(not washboard gravel)with unmarked topes, etc. Average fast speed down here is probably 50-55mph much higher than the 30-35 I'd expect on the non Pan America highway roads in SA. Our current model the 30C1002 probably has the same bottom shell as your 10.6 with the steps hanging from the molded fiberglass bumper/ledge. We use a raft strap similar to the one pictured above and have put a piece of split pipe insulation taped to the bottom rung as othewise it bounces on the basement door. We also use locking jam nuts on the step brackets.

[tuna_fisher]

I just lift mine off and put them inside on a door mat. I don't have a basement model.

[kerry4951]

Mine hang off the back bumper. Ive had no problems but my truck does sit high in the rear, so clearance is never a problem. I used to fasten them with a rubber bungee but dont anymore.

[805gregg]

That is one of the problems with a basement storage camper, they are so tall you need a ladder to get inside, plus the taller C/G

[Dirtpig]

The above example looks really solid. I would never drive around on rough dirt/gravel roads with them hangin. Driving down the highway, well that doesnt seem as bad. My old camper i would take them off and put them inside the door when traveling but i like the above method by misiminoff as the weight of them is resting on the bumper of the camper.

[msiminoff]

Here's what I have done:



The webbing strap passes through a footman's loop on the bumper.

Unless something is bent, the stair treads should always be parallel to one another.
Cheers,
-Mark