Maybe you've struggled to reach the roof rack of an SUV during loading and unloading of baggage. Or, if you live in a winter climate area, maybe you've also found it extremely difficult to clear snow off your van's roof because the brush in your hand wasn't long enough to reach the center. Either way, opening a vehicle door and standing precariously on the floor with both feet just inside can easily lead to loss of balance and injury. Plus, there's always a plenty of snow that spills into the passenger area - no matter how hard you try to avoid it.
And if you've got a pickup equipped with a tool box, cargo boxes, shelves, or lots of loose items you need to access regularly, maybe you've found the continual up-and-over reach into your bed to be a strain on the back. Especially when you're lifting heavy items. Running boards along the sides of the vehicle are a traditional solution to this problem, but they compromise ground clearance. Perhaps you're simply turned off by the look of them, or by their cost. If you can relate, we've got several low-cost options that give you easy accessibility to all roof and cargo areas - without being cumbersome or changing the look of your vehicle. In the scope of this article, we'll examine small fold-up truck bed steps that bolt to your truck's frame rails along the sides of the vehicle as well as at the rear corners. We've also got small fold-up hitch steps designed to fit neatly into trailer hitch receivers, if your vehicle is so equipped.
Steps For The Sides Of Your Pickup Or SUV
For best value, we'll start with the smallest step - Bully's aluminum Flip Out Truck Bed Side Step with black powdercoat finish. It can support 300 pounds, and has raised nubs in the surface of the metal step pad for traction. For those with dual rear wheel pickups, the aluminum Amp Research BedStep 2 Side Step can be selected with a mounting bracket kit that repositions the location of the step assembly further out - ensuring the wider fender of the dually rear does not pose a hindrance when using the step (rated for 300 pounds). The BedStep 2 stepping pad is comfortably wide and features a composite plastic top section to enhance grip.
If you find yourself needing a side step that's rated to support a higher amount of weight, CARR's Tool Box Flip Step 10 can handle up to 500 pounds. The die-cast aluminum framework is available in your choice of polished stainless steel, titanium silver powdercoat, or black powdercoat. CARR also offers the Work Truck Step that's available with a wide, grated step surface that scrapes off the heaviest of muck and passes it through to the ground. The Work Truck Step can also hold 500 pounds, and features a steel frame with aluminum step section that's available in 1- and 2-foot lengths.
Steps For The Rear Corners Of Your Pickup Or SUV
Like side steps, corner steps do not tie up the use of your trailer hitch because they bolt to vehicle frame members found underneath or behind the rear bumper. So if your vehicle is equipped with a trailer hitch, it can still be used for towing, bike rack placement, or rear cargo carrying trays. Plus, corner steps we offer won't be a hindrance to other items attached to the back of your vehicle - thanks to fold-up retracting designs. And if you don't have a trailer hitch on your truck, corner steps will give you the back-saving ability to reach into your bed easily from the rear.
For best value, Frontier's Truck Gear Assist Step features a fixed, non-folding design that's designed to stick out fully to the side of the vehicle. Traditional steel construction can support up to 300 pounds, and black powdercoat finish effectively resists corrosion. For fold-up designs that angle out from the corner of the rear bumper, we've got two that can support 300 pounds as well. First, Amp Research's aluminum Bedstep Bumper Step features a black anodized finish with plastic grip pad, and Bestop's Trekstep features a stainless steel frame with aluminum step pad finished in black powder coat. Both of these attach to vehicle framework and flip up manually.
Rear Steps That Mount On Trailer Hitch Receivers
If you have a receiver-style trailer hitch installed on your vehicle, we've got a versatile selection of "hitch steps" that create a useful stepping area at the center of your vehicle's rear. You can read all about it at our article "Hitch Steps Give You a Leg Up!"
As you look through the various steps we offer, you'll notice each individual product is categorized as either "vehicle-specific" or "universal fit". Vehicle-specific products will prompt you to enter make, model, and year because they're tailor-made to match the framework of your specific truck. Universal-fit applications such as hitch-mount step pads will only require you to choose a size of trailer hitch. Regardless, you'll be sure to appreciate the added convenience all of these steps provide, and you'll value the fact that they're only present and visible when you want them to be. Should you have any questions before purchase, we encourage you to call us seven days a week.