Prototype of safer passenger/driver running board

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by wachuko

Thank you for the additional photos!

I do not plan to install the Project2000. I do want to explore trying what you did by pulling out the stock step those 2" to see how it works and looks in the flesh.

Thanks again!!

WACHUKO - fyi, you are not limited to bumping it out only 2". I limited it to that so that half of the new step sits on top of original and the other half cantilevered past original step. And, I felt I was not going to like how it looks beyond that. But if you decide that maybe you want to bump it out 4", you also need to consider beefier support underneath. Probably add to the steel plate, some angle iron underneath to be sure. Best to be over-engineered than it's weight capacity be questioned. I have tested mine with 3 of us (wife, daughter, me, holding grandson). First, we all fit because it is 36" long. And our combined 456 lbs. bouncing on it did not affect the slightest bit.

[Alex AVI]

WACHUKO - steel plate top-side before 36" step was bolted on top.

[Alex AVI]

UPDATE - I had to order 2 new replacement hitch steps since I used my old ones as driver/passenger running boards. Also ordered a Shorty 14" hitch step. To my (pleasant) surprise, the new 36" ones are 5" deep (originals were 4" deep, so was the Shorty 14"). The manufacturer does not even make reference to the deeper 5" step.

This makes things very interesting. I will put one of the 5" on passenger side and test how it looks. If not too bulky sticking out, I will upgrade the driver side also to 5". In any event, I now have the ability to change from 36" x 4"/5" depth anytime, anywhere with just un-doing 6 bolts. A definite win-win for me.

[Alex AVI]

36"x4" Step running board removed (temporarily)
36"x5" Step running board installed

[InterBlog]

I like the larger one. It's too bad it's not tapered on the leading edge so that it never hooks a piece of retread or something like that.

[Alex AVI]

3 width/depth sizes now available - 4" 5" 6"
Just placed order for a 6" for testing purpose. Don't think I will go to that width/depth but want to put in person just to see how it looks. But I now will have 3 sizes to easily swap at anytime I feel the need.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

I like the larger one. It's too bad it's not tapered on the leading edge so that it never hooks a piece of retread or something like that.

INTERBLOG - me too, I would've preferred tapered leading edge. I searched but most aftermarket deep running boards are square-ish. And the ones with tapered leading edge are no deeper than original. I did find a couple if 36" running boards from SprinterStore.com & SprinterWorld.com.




The only downside is VERY expensive ($400-$500) and not nearly as nicely fabricated as mine. Very frustrating, pay more to get worse quality than my cheapo ($60). So my cheap running boards will have to do. I also wanted to match all running boards with rear hitch step. Symmetry is a big consideration for me, everything has to match, just my OCD side priorities Finally got chance to take pic of original step right on top of new 5" deep one. See below.

[Alex AVI]

FINAL Prototype done

Removed the 4" steps and installed the 5". This will be the final. All bolted down and welded. Not even going to try the 6" steps. Way too wide for my taste. The 5" strikes the best combination of width & aesthetics. This project is done

[InterBlog]

BTW, I'm impressed that you got away with that license plate in our current society which is suffocating on degenerative political correctness. Anything that might be seen as "offensive" by 0.01% of the population is typically disallowed.

There's a well-known case in Nova Scotia where a man with the German surname "Grabher" has been battling to retain his name on his plate. He's had it issued like that since about 1990, but someone recently decided that the sight of his surname could potentially traumatize some woman somewhere at some point in time, so they revoked it. He took the government to court.

[Titus]

Don't get me started on the current PC-insanity. Even if the potentially-offended are not offended, the would-be do-gooders intercede on their behalf because they should be offended. For example, the push to remove American Indian reference from sport team names even when the Indians' themselves don't care.

We were in AK this summer and were told that the word 'Eskimo' is offensive because it means meat-eater. (Offensive to who, vegetarians?) We asked an Eskimo tour guide about this and he was not aware that he was supposed to be offended by the term. Go figure!

On a related insanity note: I especially liked a recent attempt by somebody to get his age officially changed because he does not feel as old as he really his. Hey, if somebody can get his/her sex designation changed from one to the other because of how he/she feels, why can't one get his/her age changed because of how old he/she feels.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

BTW, I'm impressed that you got away with that license plate in our current society which is suffocating on degenerative political correctness. Anything that might be seen as "offensive" by 0.01% of the population is typically disallowed.

INTERBLOG - I think being in Las Vegas, NV - there's much more stuff that are way more "offensive" going on here that people get away with. I am thinking my license plate does not hardly register in their pc meter The folks at the DMV table who processed the request actually loved it.That license plate was my gift to my wife & daughter. My pet name for my wife is BABE and my daughter's pet name for her husband is also BABE, probably coz she's heard me call her mom that for her entire 33yrs. So it actually was meant for a female/wife and male/husband. Ironically, it is being taken off the AI after I receive the newly issued Vegas Golden Knights plates. But itain't getti g retired, YA BABE is going into her car soon

[Lotus54]

The 2006 is a little different than the 2007. It only has a step where there is a door- looks like IB’s continues along. The later, longer one Might be nice to set things on when parked.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Lotus54

The 2006 is a little different than the 2007. It only has a step where there is a door- looks like IB’s continues along. The later, longer one Might be nice to set things on when parked.

LOTUS54 - Did not notice until you mentioned it. Yes, INTERBLOG continuous platform does serve a more utilitarian duty. The only thing I wonder is if a few people sat on it, is it rated to hold the weight of 3 or 4 adults? Maybe the reason they chaned the design, to discourage +7 people sitting on it? It is tempting to use it as a very long bench

[wachuko]

Joking aside...

Alex, final product looks great!

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by wachuko

Joking aside...
Alex, final product looks great!

WACHUKO - Hahaha, just laugh, definitely no offense meant to anyone. Glad you are back from AWOL

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Titus

Don't get me started on the current PC-insanity. Even if the potentially-offended are not offended, the would-be do-gooders intercede on their behalf because they should be offended. For example, the push to remove American Indian reference from sport team names even when the Indians' themselves don't care.

We were in AK this summer and were told that the word 'Eskimo' is offensive because it means meat-eater. (Offensive to who, vegetarians?) We asked an Eskimo tour guide about this and he was not aware that he was supposed to be offended by the term. Go figure!

On a related insanity note: I especially liked a recent attempt by somebody to get his age officially changed because he does not feel as old as he really his. Hey, if somebody can get his/her sex designation changed from one to the other because of how he/she feels, why can't one get his/her age changed because of how old he/she feels.

TITUS +1 +2 +3 . Actually, they should do him one better - change his age all way to 17, so they can charge him 10x his current auto insurance rates, bar him from bars, compel him to re-take his senior year in h.s., take away his senior citizen discount, and not let him collect social security (whatever it is called in Netherlands).

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Titus

....

We were in AK this summer and were told that the word 'Eskimo' is offensive because it means meat-eater. (Offensive to who, vegetarians?) We asked an Eskimo tour guide about this and he was not aware that he was supposed to be offended by the term. Go figure!
....

Not to get too far afield on this tangent, but NatGeo TV personality Agnes Hailstone self-describes as an "Inupiat Eskimo". She does not appear to offend herself while doing so. NatGeo itself uses that same descriptor.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

Not to get too far afield on this tangent, but NatGeo TV personality Agnes Hailstone self-describes as an "Inupiat Eskimo". She does not appear to offend herself while doing so. NatGeo itself uses that same descriptor.

INTERBLOG - No worries, it my thread, so we can tangent way off if we want, so long as you include me in the discussion

Yeah, not sure what the big issue is. But I do know Eskimo is now considered pejorative in Canada & Greenland. But it still widely used in Alaska. And as TITUS said, the supposedly offended group - well they do not seem to be?? I sooo confused

BTW, if you plug in Eskimo in Amazon, you get +8,000 results. In Ebay, you get 37,846 results. So it seems so long as they want to sell products, it ok to use the word Eskimo? Nobody tell Jeff Bezos now. He wouldn't want to be accused of being Eskimezosist.

Ok, here's a good one:

Department of Treasury docs related to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act references Eskimo as of it's latest revision of this 1971 Act - it was dated Sept. 2017.

The IRS also references Eskimo in Publication 526 Charitable Contributions as it relates to Expenses of Whaling Captains in Alaska, dated March 2018.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Alex AVI

.... But I do know Eskimo is now considered pejorative in Canada & Greenland. ...

Canada has overdosed on PC-ness and has run completely off the rails to the point of becoming an international laughing stock (e.g., here, or here).

I wouldn't suggest monitoring Canada as a gauge of anything, other than recommending that people fetch popcorn if they want to watch the inevitable virtue-signalling backlash continuing to evolve (e.g., Doug Ford).

[Lotus54]

I consider ‘PC’ to be

‘Polite and Considerate’.