I frequently am in and out of the bed of my truck and love the tailgate step, minus one major issue. If I step down onto the step and then to the ground, the plastic cover edge catches the sole of my boot. It won't be long and it will be damaged. I'm thinking of removing it and taking a router to the edge to prevent my boot from hooking and breaking it. Anyone else having the same issue? Have you found another fix?

 

Mine lasted less than a year before breaking! Just wait until water freezes the tailgate shut, that always makes for a great day when your tools are stuck on the other side. I've already had it at dealer and the response was "you shouldn't have ordered a truck with a step if you were going to add a tonneau cover."

 

It's a nifty idea, but it could be engineered a little better.

 

I've got a 13 with the tailgate step and have never had this issue, but I can see it happening, now that I just looked at it tonight..

My guess is your boot has a more aggressive sole on it then the 'shoes' I normally wear when using mine...

If you have 'cleats' on the sole of your 'boot', I can see it catching that plastic lip..

Yeah, that would suck for sure..

Mitch

 

I think it's more about the limitations of the tailgate steps than anything else. The Ford design engineers only have so much space to work with. I think more than anything else it would involve being more aware of the setup and readjust the way we exit the tailgate onto the steps.

Having said that, I'm sure there are some that can find issues with the tailgate steps. What would you do different if you were re-designing the step setup?

 

Laughing to myself. Too many years I’ve had a truck with no tailgate step. Older guy with bad knees and getting in the bed on your knees is a real pain in the yeah. Just traded my 2011 and upgraded to a shiny new 2018. This one came with the tailgate step. First time I used it I knew I was in love. In the past I didn’t realize how many times I grabbed the broom to push some item to the back where I could reach it.
I’ve been in the back of my bed more times since last November when I brought the truck home than I did in the entire time I owned my last truck.
I’m sure Ford could make it better. Heck I’d also like the Chevy pickup bumper with steps at the side. For now I’m totally happy with this one option that I wouldn’t have paid for but love.

 

Exactly right about the boots. If the plastic trim piece was a little smaller or had a different radius, I'd have no issue. Aside from that, I love the design! I'm constantly in and out of my bed. I couldn't own another truck without one.