PPL Motor Homes

Over the years, PPL has sold several step stools to the RV’er. During that time our customers have always asked questions pertaining to differences in step stools or folding step stools. While I was at a convention in San Antonio I spoke with Paul Huffman with Safety Step. Paul provided me an article on what to look for when buying a R.V. step stool. The article seemed to address the common questions our customers had about stools and I thought I would share the article. The following is the article and a link to the Safety Step stools on our web site:

Folding Step by Safety Step

Safety Features To Look For When Buying a R.V. Step Stool:

One of the biggest potential mishaps that exist which can bring a vacation in your R.V. to an untimely and unpleasant end is either falling or slipping when making that step into or out of your R.V. or having a homemade or plastic step stool slip out from under you or even break when you step on it. How many times have you experienced, witnessed or heard of this occurring to another camper? Perhaps your own camping experience has been less pleasurable because the lot you parked on requires you to make a running leap to reach the first step. Not exactly the safest way to get your daily exercise.

All of these situations can be avoided by making sure you have a safe, durable and well engineered step stool as standard equipment in your R.V. There are many step stools available on the market today, the challenge is to select one that meets your need and is designed with 4 key safety features.

Feature 1: Anti-Tip Design

A quick visual check can help you determine if the step stool has an anti-tip design. The legs should angle out at a sufficient angle to prevent tipping if you step on any edge. Be sure the Step cannot tip in any of the 4 directions. Physically step on the step stools corners and edges to be sure it will not tip over and stays firmly in place.

Feature 2: Deck Area Size

Be sure the deck is roomy enough to step and move on but not so large that it becomes a storage issue. Too small a deck size can be a safety hazard when exiting your RV. Sizes of platforms do vary, but a 14” x 19” platform gives most enough room without being too bulky.

Feature 3: Non-Skid / Non-Slip

A properly designed deck will have non-skid strips to prevent slipping when the step stool gets wet. Your Step is exposed to the elements and will also collect dirt and debris. Without some type of slip resistant material the chances of slipping are greatly increased. Another plus of this feature is abrasive strips will remove mud and dirt from your shoes keeping it outside and not in your R.V.

In order to prevent your step stool from slipping from underneath you it needs to have rubber feet or tips for traction. Step stools without some type of non-slip material on the feet are likely to slip on any surface, but especially on asphalt. Also, make sure the non-skid feet have a snug fit so there is no danger of them falling off or getting stuck in mud. The material should be compounded for wear resistance. Be cautious of purchasing Steps with metal or plastic feet.

Steps with folding legs should have a locking leg feature. Without this safety feature the legs of the step could potentially collapse when in use.

Feature 4: Durability

A good indication of durability is the weight rating of the product. Steps constructed from plastic can fracture especially in colder weather conditions. Steel is strong but can rust rapidly in wet conditions. Full aluminum construction will give you the best combination of strength, corrosion resistance and product weight. For metal Steps, welds should be fully structural and not spot welds. Ask your dealer if the Step manufacturer performs testing on the product.