Truck bed entry for fat old guy with lifted gladiator

[Gene26]

As the title says I am a fat old guy that has a 3.5 lift with 37's. We camp a lot and do offroad trails when camping. We will do trails with a level 8 difficulty but usually not 10s so I need to get in and out of the bed on regular basis to get camping stuff, air up gear, lunch coolers on trails, traction pads etc portable toilet for the princess etc.... currently I have a ladder installed on the tailgate from amazon similar to this one.

https://www.amazon.com/Traxions-Tai...fix=jeep+gladiator+ladder,aps,158&sr=8-7&th=1

It is not the best for a fat old guy to go up and down and just a pain in the but for storage.. slaps the tail gate etc. so i am looking at some different options and want some opinions form people on the ladders replacement:

Option 1: More sturdy ladders half gat option and full gate option.. but still clunky.. easy access

https://www.amazon.com/OMAC-Foldabl...mzn1.fos.2b70bf2b-6730-4ccf-ab97-eb60747b8daf

https://www.amazon.com/Foldable-Tai...19-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1

Option 2: outside the truck step. I have their steps and like them. but worry about long term durability doing trails and ease of access. but not clunky

https://rockslideengineering.com/pr...4dUkhl8uB-TbD00Vb2vrR8Zj7Vnq38l3cktgfov9E7_yk

Option number 3. Deck Drawer system. easy access when no trailer attached. no real access when trailer attached. not clunky. but loose a lot of large storage in bed. trail coolers, half doors etc that we normally put in the bed of the truck while towing to the campsite. small stuff in drawer very easy to get to... no ladder or step needed. big stuff still need a bed entry method...

https://decked.com/products/drawers...puST0zAQoQbeCwbeZfWxYsO9I5Llgd9RoCLBEQAvD_BwE

I have attached a picture my jeep and the 23ft travel trailer I tow for camping just a reference.

I would appreciate any advice / suggestions you can give.

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[kevman65]

You can also look at a bed slide. Kinda like a Decked but doesn't take up all the space.
There are others out there, but here's a Decked for an example.

https://decked.com/products/cargogl...MIzOig3oe-iAMVNzIIBR16UAEZEAQYASABEgJvhfD_BwE

 

[whysoserious]

If you have the cash...


R-Step Truck Bed Step - Rock Slide Engineering

 

[Zachanadandy]

I strap the coolers at the rear for ready access by just dropping the tailgate. Anything else is infrequently accessed and I don't bother with a ladder. Step up onto the notch in the rear bumper and step over the tailgate.

 

[MaximusTX]

If you want to make a trip to San Antonio I would sell you the Decked system at half price. I took it out of mine and it is just sitting in my garage taking up space. Worked great and held all my recovery gear. I just wanted to be able to use the truck bed again so I removed it.

 

[TheSolarWizard]

What about a 2 or 3 fold ramp (like for dirt bikes)

 

[SpeedNeed]

This will sound a little whacky, but what about portable dog stairs? Here’s a link to some rated for 300 pounds where you can select up to six steps. I imagine you would set them up to approach from the side.

https://www.petloader.com/product/pet-loader-xl/

edit - from the side IF trailer attached

 

[Billyj7175]

I went through this earlier this year as with arthritis in the knees makes it a challenge for sure. I had a Moab trip coming up and didn't have time to make a decision, so I just strapped in a folding step stool I had got at Harbor Freight years ago. It ended up being a good decision, as I used it for many things besides getting in and out of the bed. Washing windows, mounting my GoPro, working on my front camera that so conveniently quit mid-trip, etc and it allows you to just grab something in the front of the bed, without having to crawl in the bed. Since then, it has become a permanent accessory.
With that said, it's not pretty, not nifty, or cool and is a process to unstrap/strap, but to me the pros greatly outnumber the cons.

 

[Rubicon Runnin' Bob]

I use a DECKED CargoSlide slide-out, and I am very happy with it.

 

[JTenn]

Little Giant brand. Works great for me. I also use it alot when working under the hood. Very wide and stable. I think it's rated something like 350 lbs. Also, it folds up flat, maybe 3" thick.

 

[BennieD]

Here’s the cheapest way. I have a similar one and I just pull what ever I need to the back. Keep it inside the bed where it is easy to reach I have an ARE cover and I keep it on the inside lip of cover

 

[abe57]

Little Giant brand. Works great for me. I also use it alot when working under the hood. Very wide and stable. I think it's rated something like 350 lbs. Also, it folds up flat, maybe 3" thick.

How high off the ground is your tailgate ? Mine is 3' stock Mojave . The one you have says up to 4' so is it adjustable as far as height ? Great idea by the way.

 

[TheSolarWizard]

Little Giant brand. Works great for me. I also use it alot when working under the hood. Very wide and stable. I think it's rated something like 350 lbs. Also, it folds up flat, maybe 3" thick.

Ive been in trades a long time and ive never seen one of these used before, surprisingly.

This looks like a great solution. Are you at stock height? Do you know how long this is when folded? If this could sit sideways in the bed and fit under the tonneau vertically, im basically giving up nothing space wise

id still love to see some aluminum ramp options without sharp edges if anyone knows of some good ones

https://a.co/d/8TTp13v

 

[JTenn]

@abe57 @TheSolarWizard That first pic was from a couple years ago so i went over to the shop and got updated pictures and measurements. I am not at stock height. I have about 3.5" in the rear and on 37's so 5-6" over stock. The bed depth is 17" so the steps won't fit vertically with a tonneau cover but they lay flat in the bed or on top of the load. The steps are not adjustable. I use this step all the time so it was money well spent. I bought mine on Amazon and it was kinda pricey so don't be shocked at the cost. They are VERY well made and sturdy though.

 

[JTenn]

Here’s the cheapest way. I have a similar one and I just pull what ever I need to the back. Keep it inside the bed where it is easy to reach I have an ARE cover and I keep it on the inside lip of cover

I use a garden hoe, lol

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