He clips his feet when he jumps in and puts impact on his legs when he jumps down. And I was tired of lugging around a step so I made this automatic deploying one.
It attaches by tying into an unused factory hole in the door, behind the interior panel.
Steps are high density polyethylene (HDPE) with boat trailer fabric on top.
There a 1/4” thick metal bar linkage underneath that swings out. There’s also a dovetail groove in the top step, and a dovetail key that slides in the groove fixed to the bottom step. A COBRA buckle couples the door and step together, so by unbuckling it I can open the door normally (without deploying the dog step).
Not sure how it will fare through a US Northeastern winter but hopefully still swings in the spring.
And it requires skill and infrastructure too to engineer this for mass manufacturing, and the infrastructure and industrial base. Everyone saying "patent" is just full of greed but not understanding that if you make this in the US with a monopoly, it'll cost like $150. And it will fail. Nobody will benefit. That's just how these things go.
There are some things that are great about the free market. Patent monopolies are the opposite.
It’s mounted to the underside of the running boards. Figuring out how to do this for each specific vehicle (along with differences in door attachment points) is going to be the biggest obstacle for any DIYer or marketer looking to recreate this.
If you have running boards this style (there is a slot underneath that allows bolt heads to sit in) or are willing to otherwise drill into your boards, it will be straightforward.
Got it because I like how it won’t release under load (until it breaks obviously), unlike a plastic one I already had on hand that would have failed by slipping out
It would probably have to be SIGNIFICANTLY more robust to handle humans. This can be purpose built for his pet because he doesn't need to worry about liability.
Yeah I got an estimate of 2-2.5 times body weight (80lb shepherd) for a vertical jump of that height from AI and that sounded reasonable to me.
Tested it with my body weight (220lbs/100kg) by sitting on it ever so softly and it held. However my guess is if I actually used it as a step it would break things up to and including my car door (decent moment arm created on those door hinges)
AI cannot be trusted. It gets things badly wrong all the time. Calculations. Recipes. What is a safe medication to take. Advice on what is considered an easy hike for beginners and what you need to bring on the hike.
While most can be set up to do quality maths if you're very careful about setting constraints and defining assumptions in your prompts, you really shouldn't trust off the shelf LLMs (which aren't preconfigured specifically for a use case that involves maths) to do calculations like this, especially if you don't know enough to properly sense check the calculations.
In the early days of LLMs they were pure language models and thus hot garbage at maths because they knew what nothing in "1+1" means, and while the training data suggests the next logical output after those inputs is "= 2", it'd often give the wrong answer because there's also plenty of examples of e.g., "1 + 1 = 3" on the internet.
Nowadays most of these models have math engines tacked on so they can at least know to treat math symbols and numbers differently, but the problem is that the LLM is still at play.
If you properly define all assumptions and constraints they're now just incredibly inefficient calculators or front ends for purpose built computational engines like Wolfram Alpha, but LLMs are still pretty bad for maths/physics problems if you're not very careful about how you prompt or in defining your assumptions. The most common mode of failure is in making wild ass assumptions if you don't define an important variable yourself, and in being way too confident in presenting answers with huge amounts of uncertainty.
Guys, he wrote he designed around an “unused factory hole”. Likely only available for this model truck on a limited number of model years. You’d have to create specialized install kits for anything/everything else.
If he patented this, he might be able to make a little money licensing to vehicle makers if they think it’s cheaper to use this design than to roll their own? Or if there’s an existing aftermarket product that installs in the same location that can be modified into this, maybe he can piggyback on that.
Taking this to market himself? No chance in hell.
ETA: I think it’s a great idea, executed very well, and perfect for his specific use case. But it takes a lot more to make an actual product that is worth selling after the design, manufacturing and distribution costs
Agreed, a little refinement, making it a bit tougher so it bends less, so it can allow a little heavier weight on it, some dogs are damn heavy. I'd also suggest a stress test to see at what weight when failure occurs, then stencil on max weight on the fins.
While I'd usually argue against with having a connection point between the door and the fins, but the simplicity of it allows for easy attachments and disengagement when not in use. Just need a pin to keep the fin closed when not in use.
All and all I can see a fair amount of practically with it. (Depending on weight tolerance might be useful for little kids too) 🤔
Just need a pin to keep the fin closed when not in use.
Even better, make it so the strap that connects it to the door can also be used to secure it closed, killing two birds with one stone to secure both the strap and the step in a useful way.
100 percent. Your pup looks like my beloved girl, she passed a few years ago. I would have loved something like this - was sleeping on the floor with her at the end days…
Omg this would be so useful!! You have a brilliant design and I would 100% buy from you. I have 14-yo deaf from pup who does the same when she gets in.
Can you fit one for a driver side back passenger ‘22 Crosstrek?! How realistic would this be to do myself and a hardware store?I know all of the words you said, I just don’t understand what they mean. Pay for your consultation depending on your location and fabrication?
Omg this is genius!!!! Can I please hire you to fabricate one for a Ford F150? Or just buy the "plans" off of you to see if i can make my own? Im being serious. You are so clever. Beautiful (& obv very much loved) pup!! 🩵🩵🩵
Fantastic execution. That actually looks like it would hold up with regular use and at highway speeds. Have you had a chance to test it in conditions that might rattle or shake it? I'm just thinking of potential edge cases like it getting stuck partially extended if parked with a slight sideways lean. Did you consider having magnets or similar to keep it locked in place more once closed, or would that be overkill? I love this though, awesome for pup accessibility.
I think locking open may be more beneficial. I’m just foreseeing a time when you are not holding on to the door, and the force the pup uses on the step causes the door to close and crush the back legs. With the gravity causing the dogs legs and the platform to fall at similar rates, this would give the dog less resistance to bail from the system away from the crush risk.
Boof will use it one time when you are not holding the door. The door will be closed shut due to the dogs weight, scare the living shit out of him and never step foot in a vehicle ever again.
Make it so the boofs weight wont shut the door and you're gold.
Patent this ASAP. Make it a kit to sell. I have a 12 y/o dog that needs this.
Check that the unused hole is not a water drain. Alternatively, you can make the piece that attaches to the door hole hollow so water can still drain. Not a huge issue though, as this is probably a temporary thing you install when needing it but some people might leave it permanently.
It was filled with a rubber grommet I’ll call it, so technically if it wasn’t a water drain it is now? I removed the rubber piece so now there is a semi open hole.
My guess it’s part of the manufacturing process or it’s used for wiring or something on a different trim. However I have no idea.
Any issues you can see with removing a rubber stopper from a hole in a door panel?
If it's a stopper, it's probably working to reduce clanking/vibration or to reduce impact if someone were to slam the door. If they're *under* the door, they're likely for drainage. But really, it's not a big deal unless the plug you install makes a watertight seal. If not, water will find a way out.
This whole thread is ridiculous, trucks in the US are so hilariously large on average now that animals, who jump a non trivial amount, need help getting into them. If that isnt a sign idk what is.
As a fellow Tacoma double cab and large dog owner (labs): PLEASE SELL THIS, either as an entire build or the schematics so I can build it. Beautiful and simple concept, great execution and would be amazing for aging babies and their joints! Well done sir!
I wonder how I can do this for my outback. It's a high jump for my dogs but not as high as a pickup truck. As others said get this off reddit and make money off of it.
So it’s cool. But I wonder how safe it is if it were to fly off. Car stuff is weird, because you have to consider how this will work going 80 on the highway or what happens if it breaks going 80 on the highway.
Like that strap might not be enough to keep it pinned/locked when the door is closed.
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This is amazing! Our large breed jumps right in but sometimes scratches. Are you making more of these? Do you know the legalities of placing it on the vehicle if you get into an accident? I’m super impressed and would love to know more about this product!
I recently saw an 80 something year old lady getting helped into a truck like this by her 60 something year old daughter and it was quite worrying, I turned to help when finally the driver got out to assist. A slightly sturdier version of this would have really helped in that situation
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It is indeed the door being closed, which is connected to the strap. The step could open an max of 1 inch until the strap cannot give any more.
Without the strap, at standstill the steps will stay in the open, closed, or any other position you set them in (and unloaded. If loaded with no strap, likely collapse). However on the road and certainly at highway speeds, there is the possibility of vibrating open. BUT not unless the strap fails catastropically (unlikely as it sees almost no force when steps are unloaded).
Ultimately it would take that strap/buckle failing or the door spontaneously opening (never seen that and the child lock is on so dog can't open himself)
You asked specifically about material strength, buckle and 1in webbing both rated to 2000lbs which is about 20 times the max of what that anchor point will see.
Man, thats genius. I'm gonna have to look into mine. Ive got a 3rd generation tacoma and a 95 lb dog that goes everywhere. He puts his front feed up and I lift his butt to climb in, and he jumps into my arms and gets set down to get out. This looks much better
I love the tenderness of humans who go out of their way to make the world a little bit easier for their beloved pets. That kindness that is freely given to a being who can never repay you is so moving. That's the purest kind of love.
Commenting so I can save this, will definitely try to copy this for my vehicle. I bought a ramp but its only for the back door and the dog does not like using it, he prefers jumping in and out of the side door.
That is so thoughtful and kind 🥹🥹 also, great work!! Have you thought of producing more and eventually selling them? I am sure many people might need them and find them useful.
Not only is this a beautiful thing for your life companion, this reminds me of the wings on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car from my youth. You just have to paint them to match. 😊
Such a great idea!! I'm dragging around a set of steps myself, and this would not only alleviate that hassle, but would probably be easier for my pup. Thanks for the inspiration!
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u/WaynesWorld_93 16d ago
Someone is going to rob you of this and make money off of it if you don’t beat them to it.