Dogs Getting In and Out

[Risky4me]

The Twiststep has been our choice for several years now. Being puppy raisers for Guide Dogs for the Blind, the step has saved our backs (from lifting puppies) and the back of our Lexus (from the didn’t quite make leap attempts). It is also good at preventing stress injuries from dogs jumping out of the vehicle. Great item for puppies, older dogs and our about to give birth Golden Retriever breeder.
Yes they are expensive but are built really well and tuck away very nicely. One of my 1st orders for our new OuterBanks.

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[TxTrak]

I'm seeing a lot of options for the trunk access which makes a lot of sense for loading/unloading in parking lots and for trunk riding pups. My problem is that our 50lb pup is a back seat rider, and my plan is to install the Deck Enclosure from Tuffy which rules out a trunk load/unload. I don't think a typical ramp option or even a foldable step option would work from the rear door if another vehicle was parked next to us. I did buy a telescoping ramp off amazon to give it a try though. What I'd really like to know if anyone has had any luck with running boards or drop steps mounted to the side as a viable option for their pup. I'd consider expensive power running boards if they did the trick. I also imagine with these that the loading part is effective, but is the unloading part just as effective? In the meantime, I will be the human elevator.

 

[A51_Masshole]

For those of you who are looking for a solution for side entrance, I found one that works for me and my two large dogs (70lb English lab, 60lb mutt): The Pet Loader Mini 12" Platform - 5 Steps

A little background, I had purchased the PetSafe telescoping dog ramp off Amazon for my old SUV, but this ramp didn't work with the doors on the Bronco not opening as wide, making it difficult to land the ramp on the seats while also keeping it balanced for the dogs (nevermind avoiding markups on the door and fender with the left and right side of the ramp). I tried a few times to balance the ramp by shoving objects in the back seat leg area to help keep it level, along with towels over the side to prevent scratches, but this was not a working solution for side entrance. For trunk loading, I would absolutely recommend that ramp, as it's a very sturdy and well built ramp that I used for years to help extend the life of my older dog with leg issues, who passed away last year at 15 (he did manage to get a few rides in the Bronco with the top down though, and LOVED it haha).

I've always preferred to have my dogs in the backseat in dog hammocks when traveling, and while the 1 year old mutt can jump in no problem, the 9 year old lab can't. Lifting the dogs is an option for me, but not for my wife and honestly as I get older my back keeps tells me to stop being an idiot and pushing things.. so I really wanted to find a new solution. After looking into some pet steps on Amazon, I tried the white aluminum foldable dog stairs, which were also well built, and worked better for landing on the seat (due to the wider base contacting more of the seat), but the steps were too wide to fit between the door and fender. One of the screws holding a step in place actually marked my door up a little as I thought I was clear at first, but the weight of the dogs shifted the stairs. This was also not a working solution for side entrance on the Bronco.

At this point I returned the pet steps and started to load the dogs through the back using the dog ramp, but this wasn’t a simple process. Each time it involved unclipping the dog hammock, folding down one of the back seats, loading the dogs in the back, putting the seat back up and then re-clipping the dog hammock. It was quite a process and I found I was often times lifting our older dog in through the side to avoid having to go through these steps. After a few weeks of this I began to search for new solutions on google, but this time using “Jeep” as a keyword in the search. From there, I found a Jeep forum where people had the same issues with the doors not opening wide enough, and a commenter suggested the pet loader as an alternative.

Upon looking into the Pet Loader, it seemed like it could work and the website had some suggestions for ways to measure for fit. When taking the measurements, the 12” was the only one skinny enough to fit. I was hesitant to purchase this at first, figuring it may be too narrow for my large dogs to use.. but one of the comments on the page was from a Jeep owner who said it worked well for their two 90 lb dogs for side loading. At that point, I bit the very pricey bullet and bought the Pet Loader Mini 12” Platform – 6 steps.

The reason for the 6 steps was due to the height of the Bronco. I have a 22’ Outer Banks with LUX package and stock wheels. I’ve been planning on upgrading my wheels down the road as I’d like to get into more off-roading while providing a slightly more aggressive look. The wheels I’ve looked at would provide a natural lift of a couple inches. When taking my measurements, it seemed like the 5 step one would just barely fit. I ordered the 6 step one for future planning, as it’s easy enough to remove the step and add it back in down the road (but ordering a single step in the future would have been pricier due to the shipping costs). I’m glad I did this, as the 5 step fits perfectly when extended to the maximum height, meaning if your Bronco has any lift to it, either from a lift kit or larger tires, the 5 step will be too short.

I’ve added some pictures of what this looks like on the Bronco, and the gap provided between the door and the fender. When loading the dogs, I guide them up the ramp one at a time, using the handle on their dog harnesses. Out of fear that the dogs will shift the steps, I still place a towel down over the fender, but the Pet Loader is very heavy/durable so I doubt it will move. It’s actually heavy enough that they sell wheels for it, which may be helpful if you're on the smaller side as the steps are probably 30+ lbs.

Please note that I have not tested this out with 6 steps, as this will create a slightly different angle (one that is lower though, so in my opinion it would be less likely to interfere with the door or fender). Just wanted to give a heads up on that as I wouldn’t want a forum member to purchase the 6 step based on this review and have it not work for them. Would highly recommend measuring first to make sure.

Let me know if anyone has questions. Although this is my first post, I'm on the forum pretty regularly so I'll try to get back fast. Glad to be part of the community hear on Bronco6G!

 

[vzqhsg]

Have a 10 yr old Golden Retriever. She always rides in the back cargo area. We have her bed back there, and it's a bit safer. She pulled the equivalent of her ACL in the left rear leg. Before that she could get into the JK on here own. In the Bronco I have to assist her in, but she gets out on her own.

 

[TxTrak]

I'm seeing a lot of options for the trunk access which makes a lot of sense for loading/unloading in parking lots and for trunk riding pups. My problem is that our 50lb pup is a back seat rider, and my plan is to install the Deck Enclosure from Tuffy which rules out a trunk load/unload. I don't think a typical ramp option or even a foldable step option would work from the rear door if another vehicle was parked next to us. I did buy a telescoping ramp off amazon to give it a try though. What I'd really like to know if anyone has had any luck with running boards or drop steps mounted to the side as a viable option for their pup. I'd consider expensive power running boards if they did the trick. I also imagine with these that the loading part is effective, but is the unloading part just as effective? In the meantime, I will be the human elevator.

Here's what I discovered... the telescoping ramp was too wide and will end up scratching the door jam up over a period of years and constant loading and unloading (plust it was ~15in wide and perfect width would be ~11in). In fact any sort of manually foldable option will be a pain in the ass on the daily. What I landed on was a set of power boards from Rough Country. You essentially have 3-4 levels with it depending on what Luna wants to use. From the ground to the running board is ~14in, running board to door jam is 10in (another ~2in up is door frame), and door jam to back seat is ~15in. Running board extends ~7in from the ext door. I attached a getting up and getting down video and Luna seems to have it down using each level instead of going straight from back seat to ground.

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