I just saw this at Harbor Freight today.

[SargeDiesel]

I've seen several write ups about this and thought I would share.

I've considered this due to my disability.
Hopefully someone that has installed one can chime in on it's functionality and ease of install.

Not much else to say about it. So I will let the pics do the talking.

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[Mr._Bill]

@ShadowsPapa installed something similar on his first Overland. There should be a thread on it about three years old.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

My wife bought me one for Christmas when they were still a fairly new thing.
I had it on my 2020 and moved it to my 2022 and would move it to any truck I might own in the future.
I did change how the plate is mounted, and modified it a bit due to the close clearances on the JT - but it works fine and I use it often.

I moved the one "post" that put the ladder a bit too close to the cable, but likely not actually necessary. My back and arthritis and now vestibular (balance) issues love this thing.

 

[Capngeo]

Without hand rails extending farther up, I don't see the usefulness of this beyond a simple folding stool

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Without hand rails extending farther up, I don't see the usefulness of this beyond a simple folding stool

You can get handles, too - a handle that slips into the striker. It's a heck of a lot handier than a folding stool that is still going to make you stretch between the stool and a high tailgate. Ladders allow smaller increments........

Until or unless you've had what I have and have been going through........... you'd maybe see - smaller increments to climb in is a lot better.

With the ladder, most of the time I simply grab the top rear of the bed side and it works fine.
Super simple to use - Unbuckle ladder, swing it down, use it - when done, fold it back up and buckle it back in place. But handles are out there to be bought or made and the commercial ones fit most pickups, including JT.

My ladder is always there, even on rocky or uneven ground, safer and more stable. Just grab the side of the bet, or get one of those handles that slips into the tailgate striker and clip it by the ladder.
I guess I know because I used to carry such a stool or step with me - I've been the stool route, inconvenient, slower, and if parked on uneven ground, a ladder offers smaller steps between ground and tailgate. A stool is just one step - often still too low from the tail gate, especially of a slightly lifted truck. I also don't like having my 200 pounds on plastic sitting on rocks and uneven ground. I can drop the ladder down on any surface, even a steep hill or pile of rocks.

 

[bleda2002]

I kind of want one due to my disability of being fat and short lol.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Until or unless you've had what I have and have been going through........... you'd maybe see - smaller increments to climb in is a lot better.

As an aside - I "graduated" PT today for my loss of vestibular function in my left inner ear. I still have to be careful about certain movements and so on, and some of the stupid commercials and TV shows will make me dizzy with constantly circling cameras and fast-switching images, but that with arthritis.......... well, if it was easy, I'd not have spent about $1500 on new stairs going up into my garage loft........... making the steps far more even, not so high, wider........

So not to pick on people who don't know - but we all seem to judge physical needs or abilities on our own self - and yeah, I've been know to do that. I try to be careful, and having worked at OWL -a head injury rehab facility, and Voc Rehab, I try hard not to be like I used to be.........
Anyone seeing me judge someone based on weight, age, physical or mental impairments, or anything similar, smack me good and hard.

So if anyone needs any "assistive technology" ladders, that sort of thing - I'm into it.
Expert - heck no!! But having been there......... (and having a wife with her own handicap from birth, then getting arthritis on top of it)

OK, back to Michael's original question and post.
Yes, I really like the ladder. Yes, you can buy or maybe someone can make a handle that slips over the striker and tailgate pivot point, I grab the top rear of the side of the bed and that has worked fine for me thus far - I see a handle in my future, perhaps??
i've used it on rough ground even where only one leg of the ladder was on solid ground and it was steady and strong. Chinese - sure, but more than adequate for my 200+ (don't tell my wife about the plus part). It's never bent. I did swap out some of the hardware for stainless over the years I've had this one.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I kind of want one due to my disability of being fat and short lol.

Yeah, the image of me flopping up into the back of a truck or onto the tailgate like I used to - hope no one was taking pictures.

 

[Jobofly]

You can get handles, too - a handle that slips into the striker. It's a heck of a lot handier than a folding stool that is still going to make you stretch between the stool and a high tailgate. Ladders allow smaller increments........

Until or unless you've had what I have and have been going through........... you'd maybe see - smaller increments to climb in is a lot better.

With the ladder, most of the time I simply grab the top rear of the bed side and it works fine.
Super simple to use - Unbuckle ladder, swing it down, use it - when done, fold it back up and buckle it back in place. But handles are out there to be bought or made and the commercial ones fit most pickups, including JT.

My ladder is always there, even on rocky or uneven ground, safer and more stable. Just grab the side of the bet, or get one of those handles that slips into the tailgate striker and clip it by the ladder.
I guess I know because I used to carry such a stool or step with me - I've been the stool route, inconvenient, slower, and if parked on uneven ground, a ladder offers smaller steps between ground and tailgate. A stool is just one step - often still too low from the tail gate, especially of a slightly lifted truck. I also don't like having my 200 pounds on plastic sitting on rocks and uneven ground. I can drop the ladder down on any surface, even a steep hill or pile of rocks.

Does it rattle at all when strapped to the tailgate?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Does it rattle at all when strapped to the tailgate?

No, never heard it and it shows no real signs of moving around. I did tighten things up, used more nylon washers where the ladder pins to the posts on the mounting bracket, placed the strap slightly differently than the directions and keep it super-tight (as tight as the plastic buckle will handle). If that buckle ever gives out, I'll likely use velcro or come up with something else but it was installed on my 2020 fairly early on so it's been in use on one of the two for 4 years so far.

 

[Volt0]

Yeah, the image of me flopping up into the back of a truck or onto the tailgate like I used to - hope no one was taking pictures.

Oh dang! I told ppl that I was just being energy efficient.

 

[Minty JL]

HF always has something new and useful for the money

 

[ShadowsPapa]

HF always has something new and useful for the money

Not sure how new it is.......... got mine and installed it in 2020, but useful, for sure.
And maybe it's new for HF and many would never know they exist if they didn't have a wife who plays video games on her phone and up pops an ad and she showed me and basically said "merry Christmas" and bought it.

 

[Minty JL]

I picked up some new shallow socket set from 10-24mm last week that's a new release

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I picked up some new shallow socket set from 10-24mm last week that's a new release

I need a set of 10 sockets that goes from 10mm to 10mm

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