I am so tired of hanging up on these running boards that I take them off more than they are on, but most passengers complain about the high step to get in.

I was looking at putting these power steps in.

anyone have any personal experiences with these? or any other brand?

AMP Research | Bestop | Power Step | Bed X-Tender™ | BedStep®

thanks!

 

nice steps...but they are expensive.

 

I have had them for over 2 years now and not a single problem! Expensive? yes, worth it? To me ...yes. Tried the extensions for them (my lift is 8" plus gained 1.5" with tire height) but did not like them. These have spent winters in Utah with plenty of ice, snow, salt and still no issues. They are made extremely well.

 

I kept the stock King Ranch running boards and installed a Kwikee model 39 electric motorhome step underneath the stock boards. Cost for the passenger side was about $340 for brackets, wires, switch, breaker and steps.

 

any pictures?

 

Here ya go (I hope)

 

good replies, thanks!

I'm not worried about ice and snow I'm worried about the motor not holding up, from the Install papers I downloaded they talk like the motor can't take much knocking around.

Do they fold up under the edge or do they hang down on brackets?

these OEM steps are not very good rock rails, I don't want yet another bracket hanging down.

the only reply I got from the companies that make steps like these are saying they are made for normal on road use and designed to last 5 years trouble free.

well I guess I gotta go step-less, last thing I want it to be under the SD cutting brackets off covered in bentonite half way out of the fremont.

thanks folks, great photos.

 

Unless you put the extensions on they will fold up above the pinch weld. With the extensions they will hang under the pinch weld a few inches which is why I took them off. The motors are well sealed, insulated, like I already stated they have seen a fair amount of on the salted icy, snowy roads. They have also withstood my cousin standing on the rear while my father stepped into the front seat.........approx. 600lbs! As you can see in this picture....(I should say as you can't see) they are installed and are not visible.

 

rotun,
thats one tuff looking truck. i like that you cant see the steps when they are up.

 

Thanks, they help with the ground clearance on this looong wheel base too.

 

thanks rotun!

that's the way I wanted them, tucked up out of harms way, its not the salt that will wreck them down here its the bentonite and rock, I am in the south and run the backroads almost only. We are in Caineville and commute to Moab part year, both of us are allergic to pavement.

the NF roads are long closed to rigs so its not much snow they will see , but the ruts on cottonwood rd from escalante to big water in the last bentonite hills heading south are so deep from off roaders getting stuck and tearing it up that I get hung up and stalled by the truck steps catching, even in little wild horse last week I got hung up on the steps and the drop into the fremont river right now hung the steps up and got me good and stuck coming out of cathedral...again.

right now I pulled them off and carry a milk crate so my passengers can get in ok,
I was worried in the instructions when it says not to jar the motor much when installing as it can't take pounding that had me concerned...coming off some trails around moab will I find that the motor has crapped out? thats a expensive replacement from what it seems.

I don't rock crawl or off road play with the SD but places we hunt and fish are fairly to middlin' rough and jarring, I've snapped the bolts on my driveshaft Universals just going for a ride on the way home from shopping and on some of these roads after a quick shower, blue hills road for instance, after church one weekend comes to mind .. a shower came through mid ride and makes wishing you changed clothes after the service foremost in your mind...that and the knwledge that a winch is worthless when there aint a thing to winch it TO. lol

maybe I will try a set of these steps, wish they had a longer warranty on them, lots more expensive than a milk crate but would be a real neat thing if they work ok.

 

No problem, I have been on many washboard roads and believe it or not jeep trails on our hunting expeditions.
They have taken quite a beating, hit one rut so hard and fast it blew my dads colostomy bag off! Was quite the experience! But these have held up pretty well. I don't tread hard as I want to take care of my truck and most of the time my dad is with me so I like to give him the "gentle ride", being a long bed crew cab every bump gets magnified so I take it easy and do alot of crawling through the rougher stuff but those washboard roads are something else, I always air down to get more cushion on them. I think the motors will hold up just fine once installed.
Do keep in mind though, with these running boards you are taking away the protection for the rocker panels. Mud flaps behind all 4 are a good idea to keep the rocks from flying up and damaging paint.

 

Somebody asked for more info on my Kwikee step install and I lost the info before I could reply, so here ya go:

I had to drill two holes in the truck itself at the outer ends of the running board brackets. All the other angle iron bolted into existing holes in the frame. I installed a master cutoff switch in the engine compartment. Electrical feed comes off the passenger side battery post. There's a 30 amp circuit breaker installed in the main motor circuit. The control circuits use a tap off an alway live fuse under the driver's dash panel. There's a magnetic switch on the door post so the step operates in conjunction with the door - (open the door, the step extends, close the door, the step retracts). There's an over-ride toggle switch mounted on the lower part of the center console. Flipping that switch and the step will extend when the door is opened and stay extended as long as the engine is not running. Start the engine and the step retracts.

I installed the step because my wife has a bum knee and it was either make it easier to get in the truck or get a low-slung car (but not a Vette or Viper.) This step installation splits the difference between the ground and the KR running board exactly in half for her.

 

there is a set on ebay that are used off an 06 F350 crewcab, he is asking 800.00 but no one has bid on them after 2 times through the bid cycle,they are in Calif & he says pick up only no shipping.I love that black long box there Rotun,Gigger

 

Thank you, it is the truck of my dreams, if only I could stop finding or wanting to do more on it I'd probably save some $ for my sons college expenses.