Anyone else have the bed step?

I've really grown attached to mine and my younger grandkids just love it too.

 

I didn’t argue with him! I happily paid the $50 instead of $200 from Toyota.

 

You have to pull a little like a hamstring curl and push it down for it to drop, so almost impossible for it to drop on its own.
I thought it was a lame add on when I got my truck (bought used w/ 5k Miles) but it helps my 3 year old climb into the bed, and useful for my burgeoning dad bod too.

 

Had mine installed today. These bed steps are well worth the $203 and change I paid for mine. $30.00 labor and 20 minutes I was out of my ole school pals auto service.

 

So I'm a cheap bastid. I couldn't make myself pay $200+ for a bed step so I just waited till something came along.
I found an old Bully brand hitch step at the Goodwill the other day for $15. Meant to mount in the receiver hitch like this:

It stuck out too much and I didn't want to use it as it was meant to mount. My hitch is a Draw-Tite and has 2.5" tubing that the Bully would fit inside so I did a little retrofit.

Cut the end off the step where your hitch goes thru it, drilled a 3/8" hole in it and the Draw-Tite hitch to mount a bolt in and slid it in the side of the hitch. This way doesn't prevent you from using the receiver hitch.

The Bully step had a pin you had to remove and re-install to lock the step tube in and out and I knew that would be a pain so I welded a spring pull pin in it. Pull out and rotate 1/2 turn to lock the step in or out.

2 hrs in the shop, got to use the welder and grinder, $22, and this cheap bastid now has a bed step I can use with the tailgate down.