Welcome to the fourth entry in February’s Medium Mod-Ster Contest. One yummy Medium Mod will be published in every Email Alert in February. At the end of the month we’ll hold a reader vote to determine February’s winner. For information about the Mod-Ster Contest, including how to enter, click here.
Ken Larson, Vancouver, Washington
Access Stairs To The Cabover
2016 Ram 3500
2017 Bigfoot 25C10.6
My wife and I are in our sixties. Climbing in and out of the bed needs to be done with more caution and care. I made a couple of carpeted boxes to lessen the height of the steps which worked, but could tip with a misstep.
I decided to try to build something a little better aesthetically, easier to climb up and down, lighter in weight and easier to move out of the way to free up floor space.
I went over the plan with my wife. She then tried to describe to me what she wanted. I silently listened after which she said, “You will probably just do it your way.” I proceeded with my plan.
I am far from being a master woodworker. I just did what made sense and measured a dozen times before making my cuts.
I used clear grained hemlock. Tools used were a table and miter saw, a router, glue, clamps and some insurance screws. I finished it with stain and spar urethane.
It took me a couple weeks working on it slow and steady. The two coats of urethane also take forever to cure.
The top of the steps wrap perfectly on the foot board to secure it. Removal is a simple lift and pull. When it’s not needed I just slide it on the bed. Since I am the first one up in the morning, I made it narrow enough to open the refrigerator a bit.
My wife tested it out and thinks I am a genius.
It took me 12 to 16-hours over two weeks to complete this modification and cost me $60 for the wood and urethane. I bought a router and bit set at Harbor Freight for about $130. I don’t see the router set getting a lot of use in the future.
In my opinion, the skill level of this modification is easy.
Disclaimer: The modifications above are submitted by Truck Camper Magazine readers. It is your responsibility to make sure that any do-it-yourself modification project you undertake is safe, effective, and legal for your situation.
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