The MORryde steps had been on our radar since last summer when one of our friends bought them for his large 5th wheel. My wife has stumbled down our rickety fold-out steps and we were concerned that the next time might result in serious injury. We were fortunate that just as we were going to purchase them we met the MORryde manufacturer's rep at the Escapade we attended in Sedalia, MO. When I approached him about publishing a review about the product he was anxious to sell it to me at dealer's cost, and he offered to install it for us, which we accepted.
The steps were installed in about 15 minutes by removing the doorway's base plate, setting the step assembly in the doorway to center and adjust position, lowering the steps to the normal position on the ground and screwing the threshold support to the floor at the doorway opening. One problem with my particular installation was that because my rig is lower to the ground than most 5th wheels, my screen door is not perfectly aligned on the threshold. I believe I will be able to lift the door on its hinges by 3/16" and it will then close freely. That assumption made, the step kit is a fabulous upgrade from the fold-out stairs that came with the 5th wheel. First off, it sits firmly on the ground when in place, so the steps are solid. Second, the rise is only about 8" from step to step, and third, the steps don't overlap, meaning that you have a more natural step-down than when they are stacked up over one another. The feet are independently adjusted so that the stairs work better on uneven ground, and they are set back from the front of the bottom step so you don't have to step around them to or from the ground.
When the RV is being prepped for travel, the step apparatus swivels up into the doorway and locks into the door jam. The screen and outer doors then close like normal as the steps are held inside the RV in place. To re-open the doorway, you open the outer doors and turn a handle that releases the jam locks, then swivel the unit back down to the ground. Once down, the legs should be adjusted for ground angle. The unit is light weight aluminum and my wife has no problem handling the set-up or set-down. The steps also sport anti-slip grip strips.
Nothing is perfect and there are a few concerns with the MORryde solution. After years of being able to lift my steps out of the way regardless of whether the screen or outer door was closed, you can't do that when these steps are down. Both doors have to be open. My friend found out while camping in Moab last month that his rig's frame was too high for the step unit's legs to reach the ground, even when fully extended. He had to use blocks to bridge the gap and support the steps, which wasn't ideal. The aluminum steps and grip strips seem to attract dirt and are not easily cleaned. We ordered step covers and I would assume that will resolve that issue for us.
nou can also purchase a nice hand rail with the steps, but once attached, the rail enters the RV with the unit when put away. Our 5th wheel has a kitchen floor cabinet directly in front of the door, which didn't leave room for the rail inside the rig. Instead, we purchased a rail to replace the outside hand rail that came with the RV, a larger rail that will help support us farther down the steps than the original.
What to do with the existing steps? MORryde also sells a toolbox that fits in the enclosure the replaced steps left behind, and we are anxiously waiting to visit where we had it delivered. But, you can leave the original fold-out steps in place or remove them -- the new steps don't utilize or affect that space at all. When you order the steps, you must know the width of the doorway they'll be fitting in and the distance from level ground to the threshold. Ours is a 30" doorway, 38" from the ground. There are also 3-step versions for smaller RV's. The issues notwithstanding, I gave this product 5 out of 5 stars for its sturdiness, durability and ease in installation. 
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AuthorJack Huber is a new full-timer and an author and photographer. He and some fellow RV'ers will be sharing their favorite (and not so favorite) travel technologies and accessories in this review blog. Archives
June 2018
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