Hitch rack steps

[Steve Scearce]

We use a hitch rack to haul stuff camping. Usually we fill it with firewood and other stuff we don't want to put in the camper. Before we headed down to Chaco Canyon for a quick I decided to turn the hitch rack into a "back porch." I built a plywood platform with pressure-treated 2x4s underneath, then troweled on some indoor-outdoor carpet glue and installed some astroturf. Trimmed it out with aluminum 3/4 x 3/4 angle stock. I added removable legs to stabilize the new back porch. Then I did the same to a couple of milk cartons and some scrap lumber I had. Viola, non-slip stairs that allow us to clean our shoes and get flipped upside down for travel storage.

 

[Steve Scearce]

I decided to get fancy and install two removable solar lights that I got from a local hardware store for $3 a pop. They lit the stairs nicely when I got up for a 4 a.m. nature call.

 

[DLN]

Nice mod, we had a fold up back porch on our Eagle that doubled as a bench for tailgating and loved it.

 

[Steve Scearce]

Nice mod, we had a fold up back porch on our Eagle that doubled as a bench for tailgating and loved it.


Thanks! I got tired of detaching the hitch rack in camp and decided to make better use of it. My wife has bad knees, so it's been a good thing. The "step" heights are irregular, but they are nice and wide... and slip-free. The astroturf is definitely keeping the camper cleaner. The "legs" are attached with bolts and wingnuts, so it's an easy on-and-off, and the keep the hitch rack from rocking.