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Retro Fitting Electric Step

21K views 20 replies 10 participants last post by  TheNomad 
#1 ·
Hi All,

Is it possible to retro fit an electric step? Our new (to us) Devon Provence on the Renault Master doesn't have one. Plenty of room underneath for one if its a) possible and b) affordable..........

Any help will as usual be greatly appreciated.

Caulkhead
 
#2 ·
Yes can be fitted
Sorry no idea of the cost
Electric steps can be a PITA though once they have been fitted for a while
I think I will have spent more time keeping ours running smoothly than any other maintenance job on our van.
They are handy but if it had not been on the van when we bought it I would have stayed with a manual step
 
#3 ·
grenwelly said:
Yes can be fitted
...
I think I will have spent more time keeping ours running smoothly than any other maintenance job on our van.
...
Hi - can you explain what you have had to do?

Had ours for 3.5 years now and it still works perfectly but I do always wonder for how long given the about of crud that gets thrown up onto it from the front left wheel.
 
#5 ·
Brackets are the hardest part, and fit a mudflap in front of it to stop so much crap being thrown into it from the front wheel.
 
#7 ·
On mine, there are 2 plastic [ shaped guides each side, and grit gets behind them making the [ guides clamp the sliding sides of the step, I had to completely dismantle the step and remove them to get it working freely again, they had taken a more enclosed shape, so I warmed them up to get them back to a [ shape, and used countersunk allen head stainless bolts to re-assemble it, in future it'll be just drop the bottom plate and remove the ['s clean and refit, without having to take it all off again.
 
#8 ·
grenwelly said:
Yes can be fitted
Sorry no idea of the cost
Electric steps can be a PITA though once they have been fitted for a while
I think I will have spent more time keeping ours running smoothly than any other maintenance job on our van.
They are handy but if it had not been on the van when we bought it I would have stayed with a manual step
1 - ditto

2 - about £400 + fitting

3 - Even more ditto

4 - Even more, more ditto

5 - As above.

All the above applies to both "swing down" and "slide out" versions.
 
#9 ·
Ebay for Omnistep, they're around £120 new for slide or step down type, probably plus a switch.

There's a couple of used ones on there too if you're not too bothered.
 
#10 ·
Hi

We had Rhino Installs fit such a step to our 2006 Renault Master. He comes to you and fixes on site.

Great guy who did an absolutely brilliant job.

He also fitted internal screen blinds, cruise control and Battery Master for us so I can't tell you what the cost of the step on its own would be.

Search for Rhino Installs on the internet.

Cheers
Tony
 
#13 ·
Stanner said:
TheNomad said:
Or just buy fold-up plastic step.
£4 from Lidl.
Works perfectly. Never gets jammed. Needs no maintenance. Weighs buggerall.
Spend the £400 saved on fuel and wine.
Sorted. :wink:
In fact if I were looking for a new m/home, one WITHOUT a step (swing down or slide out) would take priority on any shortlist.
Agreed.
Don't underestimate the substantial amount of weight that they and their bracketry add to the MH too.

I took the folding one off our previous MH to repair it, and really was astonished at just how heavy the damn thing was - and that was without the weight of the two substantial brackets that had been added to the chassis to hold it in place.
 
#14 ·
Everyone is entitled to an opinion and mine is that I wouldn't be without an electrically operated step!

I have very recently had to replace the step on my van a single fold out the best price I found was from a German eBay supplier delivered for €201, most other prices for UK were well in excess of £200 plus delivery.

As to retro fitting one it will depend on what fixing is available on your vehicle, it may be as simple as drilling 4 holes and bolting in place or having to make bespoke framework to support it. The price it costs will reflect the time and materials used, the actual wiring up is not complicated and the kit supplies all necessary hardware, switches, relays etc.
 
#15 ·
eurajohn said:
Everyone is entitled to an opinion and mine is that I wouldn't be without an electrically operated step!

I have very recently had to replace the step on my van a single fold out the best price I found was from a German eBay supplier delivered for €201, most other prices for UK were well in excess of £200 plus delivery.

As to retro fitting one it will depend on what fixing is available on your vehicle, it may be as simple as drilling 4 holes and bolting in place or having to make bespoke framework to support it. The price it costs will reflect the time and materials used, the actual wiring up is not complicated and the kit supplies all necessary hardware, switches, relays etc.
But what can your external electric step do that my internal, fixed, moulded in, waterproof step can't?

Ohh yes, I remember it can go wrong and cost a lot to fix/replace.

Been there, done that and got the bills to prove it - total waste of payload and money.
 
#16 ·
Stanner said:
eurajohn said:
Everyone is entitled to an opinion and mine is that I wouldn't be without an electrically operated step!

I have very recently had to replace the step on my van a single fold out the best price I found was from a German eBay supplier delivered for €201, most other prices for UK were well in excess of £200 plus delivery.

As to retro fitting one it will depend on what fixing is available on your vehicle, it may be as simple as drilling 4 holes and bolting in place or having to make bespoke framework to support it. The price it costs will reflect the time and materials used, the actual wiring up is not complicated and the kit supplies all necessary hardware, switches, relays etc.
But what can your external electric step do that my internal, fixed, moulded in, waterproof step can't?

Ohh yes, I remember it can go wrong and cost a lot to fix/replace.

Been there, done that and got the bills to prove it - total waste of payload and money.
Yep as I said everyone is entitled to an opinion and that is yours.
No better or worse than mine, just yours.
 
#17 ·
eurajohn said:
Yep as I said everyone is entitled to an opinion and that is yours.
No better or worse than mine, just yours.
Yep, just wait until yours starts sticking and then refusing to extend and/or retract the first day after you set off on a trip.

Then you may (or may not) appreciate mine.

I used to have the same opinion as you.................. :wink:
 
#18 ·
TheNomad said:
Or just buy fold-up plastic step.
£4 from Lidl.
Works perfectly. Never gets jammed. Needs no maintenance. Weighs buggerall.
Spend the £400 saved on fuel and wine.
Sorted. :wink:
How do you get back in the van once you got out to pick up the step :?: :?:

Don't bother with a step just bend your leg and push down, or get in through the cab.
 
#19 ·
Stanner said:
eurajohn said:
Yep as I said everyone is entitled to an opinion and that is yours.
No better or worse than mine, just yours.
Yep, just wait until yours starts sticking and then refusing to extend and/or retract the first day after you set off on a trip.

Then you may (or may not) appreciate mine.

I used to have the same opinion as you.................. :wink:
Wasn't going to bother to reply to you but just like everyone is entitled to an opinion, everyone's capabilities are different.
I am particularly adept mechanically and more than capable to repair most anything that can be repaired or more to the point maintained.
If maintained most things mechanical will work as intended, it's when you neglect things that they are likely to fail you.
As Kev previously said a mudflap will prevent most of the grit and mud that causes the damage add to that some occasional loving care cleaning and lubricating and you'll not suffer the problems you have previously experienced and fear.

Your current vehicle and some others have a door threshold low enough as to enable easy entry without extra additions, whereas most do not.
Apart from the problem highlighted by Kev plastic steps can often be down right dangerous, I've seen quite a few discarded in the rubbish because they have collapsed.
 
#20 ·
Our van has an internal cut-out step and is not supposed to require an external one. However, the threshold is quite high, so we carry a large sturdy plastic step and normally use it when pitched up. We can manage without, it's just more comfortable given our aging knee joints. The freestanding plastic step really comes into its own if the door side of the van has been raised significantly on the ramps to get the MH level.

The step also comes in handy for cleaning the windscreen, or fixing the wi-fi aerial high on the side of the van, or as an extra footrest when relaxing on an outdoor chair - so multipurpose use.

Not really considered investigating an electric step, which might not be feasible in any case on the design of our van.

Mike
 
#21 ·
Kev_n_Liz said:
TheNomad said:
Or just buy fold-up plastic step.
£4 from Lidl.
Works perfectly. Never gets jammed. Needs no maintenance. Weighs buggerall.
Spend the £400 saved on fuel and wine.
Sorted. :wink:
How do you get back in the van once you got out to pick up the step :?: :?:

Don't bother with a step just bend your leg and push down, or get in through the cab.
With the bit of string attached to it of course!
 
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