temporary ways to make it easier to get in and out of my truck

[BigDaveZJ]

A couple weeks ago I broke my leg and tore up some ligaments in my ankle, haven't been in my truck since. I'm going to try and go back to work next week, but I still can't put any weight on my left leg for another 5 weeks or so. I will be MUCH more comfortable driving my truck than the alternative (my wife's Jeep) although it will be much more difficult for me to get in an out of my truck than the Jeep. At 6'5" leg room is already a premium in the Jeep, and with this ginormous boot on my leg I'm not even sure it's possible to drive the Jeep.

So I'm trying to come up with ways to make it easier to get in my truck, on a temporary basis since in 6 weeks I should be back to normal. It's already got nerf bars, so that helps, but I can't use them like I normally would.

My only idea so far is to use some of those ramps to get smaller cars off the ground and hop up one of them to get me 8-10" closer to getting into the truck. I'd tie a rope or something off on it too so once I was in the truck I could pull it up and keep in the truck.

Anybody got any other ideas?

 

[bushpilot]

I have one of these...pretty sturdy...Im about to
have knee surgery myself & im thinking...if i put a rope on it...
i can use it to get INTO the truck, then pull the step
up into the truck...fold it up and put it on my floor board.

I dont have a lifted truck per se...just stock fx4 350 4x4

they make one of these that has TWO steps but i havent found
a link to it...be sure to scroll down so you can see how this
step/stool folds flat.

ez_foldz_stool

 

[Maxtor]

Hello Big Dave;

Since my hip replacement I have used a step box and have a bundgee attached to it. When I need to get into the truck or tractor, I step on the step box holding the bundgee, then after aboard, I pull up the box. Before I get down, I just reverse the process.

 

[bushpilot]

heres the TWO set version...17" high (2 steps) vs. the 9" high SINGLE step.

CAMPING WORLD LINK

cheaper price link

 

[WD40]

We keep one of these http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-steps/folding-step-stools.htm in the RV and use it all of the time. Good luck man and get well soon. Bushpilot are you having a knee replacement? If so be sure to do the PT as they tell you to. Good Luck to you both.

 

[BigDaveZJ]

I'm right at the weight capacity (300lbs) on those steps, which has me a little worried. I'll basically be jumping up onto them to make them work. The thing I liked about the ramp is that it's a gradual incline, I don't actually have to make a full step to get to the top of it. Getting up a full step requires some pretty fancy work with the crutches that I'm just not quite graceful enough to pull off!! LOL

 

[bushpilot]

I'm right at the weight capacity (300lbs) on those steps, which has me a little worried. I'll basically be jumping up onto them to make them work. The thing I liked about the ramp is that it's a gradual incline, I don't actually have to make a full step to get to the top of it. Getting up a full step requires some pretty fancy work with the crutches that I'm just not quite graceful enough to pull off!! LOL

have you thought about how long the ramp is gonna have to BE !?!

 

[bushpilot]

Bushpilot are you having a knee replacement? If so be sure to do the PT as they tell you to. Good Luck to you both.

nah im getting screwed again

I had a TRIPLE ligament tear on my left knee (along
w/ some VERTICAL fractures at the base of my femur
and the top of my tib/fib...where the bone "collided" behind
my knee)

there are 4 screws holding everything together now & ive
TORN my ACL again.

theyre gonna go back in and add a new ACL ligament (gonna
use some one elses this time, instead of BORING a hole thru
my femur to get one from my hamstring...like they did last time).

if im lucky they wont "bump into" the existing titanium hardware & just
ADD some more...

 

[BigDaveZJ]

have you thought about how long the ramp is gonna have to BE !?!

They're probably about 3 ft long. They're just those regular ramps that you can buy at Pep Boys or wherever, I figure that'll be much easier than try to get up a step.

 

[Maxtor]

nah im getting screwed again

I had a TRIPLE ligament tear on my left knee (along
w/ some VERTICAL fractures at the base of my femur
and the top of my tib/fib...where the bone "collided" behind
my knee)

there are 4 screws holding everything together now & ive
TORN my ACL again.

theyre gonna go back in and add a new ACL ligament (gonna
use some one elses this time, instead of BORING a hole thru
my femur to get one from my hamstring...like they did last time).

if im lucky they wont "bump into" the existing titanium hardware & just
ADD some more...

Ouch... Hope everything goes well for you. Sounds painful.