Truck tail gate ladders

[Muley Gil]

Worked around and on trucks all of my life but now at 76 things are quite different. Much of the repair work I did myself I now hire out.

Example I have the good weather tires/wheels changed over to a good winter snow tire as my driveway is hilly and curvie and I need all the traction I can get. I managed to still get the 4 tires/wheels into the truck then drive to the service station, in the spring I repeat the operation!

Hard to get into bed so I use a steel rake to reach back and get over the tire and pull it to the tail gate. Seems like each year the tires/wheels are getting much heavier!

I also use the rake to move anything else in the bed rather than get in it. If done carefully I can move bags of wood pellets without ripping them to the gate. Rake is normally left in the truck unless i absolutely need the space. Hey necessity is the mother of invention, you do what you got to do.

My '88 F150 4x4 has a 8' bed with a camper shell on it. The steel rake has ridden in the back for quite a number of years now. I also have a step ladder back there. I'm 6' tall and wear a 37" sleeve and I still can't check the oil without the step ladder and no, I don't have a lift kit.

 

[soFlaNative]

Going back to an old beef of mine, up until about '05 we all did fine with the pick'em up options available. Then manufacturers found they could defeat the guvmints gas mileage regs by building the behemoths we see today. (CAFE Act) My 2017 Frontier is just a couple inches all around smaller than my old '84 F150 and suits me fine. Those of you who need a truck for work or other utility, I feel for you.

 

[Jon651]

Search on Amazon for "Amp Research Bed Step". Had one on my 2004 Silverado 2500HD 2WD and my current 2013 Silverado 2500HD 4x4.

I have it; use it; recommend it!

I should have mentioned this in my original post - the main reason why I use the Bed Step I indicated above is that it mounts to the corner of my rear bumper. This means it can be deployed and used while the tailgate is either up or down, unlike the steps that simply slide into the hitch receiver that can only be used with the tailgate up/closed.

Of course you pay for that privilege!

 

[glowe]

For $50 you can't go wrong unless you fall off the ladder!

Tailgate Ladder - YouTube

 

[lrrifleman]

I purchased a tailgate ladder from Sportsmans Guide sometime after 2010 for my GMC Sierra. With significant leg and abdominal (skeletal) injuries, I've found the tailgate ladder to be a saving grace. I'm actually looking to install one on my 2018 Silverado.

The only complaint that I have, is that the velcro strap intended to keep the ladder secure against the tailgate is too short. I needed to lengthen it.

 

[mtgianni]

A 5 gallon bucket with a 2x2 screwed onto it, extending out 12" makes a great step. The 2x2 prevents someone from walking off with it.

A co worker put his foot in a pull out tray on the back of a work truck then slipped to the ground. His foot stayed there, breaking his ankle and resulting in enough nerve damage that it was amputated a year later. I am very careful of anything I step out of a bed and land on. It must be dry and a hand hold should be close. The bucket and bed edge work for a contractor friend of mine and is a great idea.