moving stairwell outside?

[dentarthurdent]

Hi:

Has anyone here considered putting the door at floor level and having steps fold or extend outside? This would reclaim the interior floor space now spent on the stairwell. Any comments or suggestions?

thx - Tony

 

[dentarthurdent]

The stairwell is the only place in the bus that I have found any corrosion and I was planning to move the door back to the middle of the side. I'm currently planning to build a smaller stairwell (since the door will open outward rather than folding inward). But if I could have that floorspace back it would help tremendously as I am fitting quarters for 2 adults and 5 kids.

I've seen some coach conversions with steps that extend outside. We are staying this week in my parent's 28' RV trailer and it has steps that fold out below the door. But with the trailer, you'd always be entering first from the outside (rather than riding inside the trailer) and it's easier to do manually than from a bus.

Any reasons I am missing to leave it inside? (I am not nostalgic for the stairwell ;-) ).

 

[Crazy]

Build a door that folds down like a business jet. The door doubles as a staircase. If you use my idea, you owe me a fat rib-eye steak.

 

[Demonknight]

man...the ideas..as I was scrolling down I thought of the same thing...the plane doors/steps...

funny I hadn't given much thought to my stairs outside of reducing the height between them for the wife (make her life a bit easier)

 

[reprobate]

http://www.hijacker.com/pages/campersteps/index.htm Not being too computer proficient, I'm not sure I did the link right, but something like this might work.

 

[dentarthurdent]

Thanks for the links. Those look kinda like those I had found in this pair of photos from a 1987 Gillig coach:

Just found more...

Looks like Camping World has them for $400!. I wonder if any salvage yards would have something like that.

 

[reprobate]

I think RV Surplus Salvage has them much cheaper. Let's do the link thing again. http://www.rvsurplussalvage.com/catalog ... ory_id=107

 

[Brewerbob]

Why did this thread die?

Build a door that folds down like a business jet. The door doubles as a staircase. If you use my idea, you owe me a fat rib-eye steak.

I like this idea. It could still be a bi-fold door only horizontal instead of vertical. A single drop down door is going to stick out 37 feet from the side of the bus. And you're likely to drop it on your head at least once. There's generally more room up than down. Split the door 2:1 or even 1:1.

Where are the pics? Someone must have tried this .

 

[Biscuitsjam]

Still trying to figure this one out... I want to cut off the existing bottom step, and add a folding step of some kind. This will give me added ground clearance and I will still have decent steps for the kids, wife, and dogs.

However, I haven't found a step that I like - the scissor steps are expensive pinch hazards, and the other steps look unstable or don't fold up in a way to actually improve my ground clearance.

If I cut off the bottom step, that puts me 18" above the ground - one 9" folding step should be sufficient. Why is this so hard to find?

 

[o1marc]

How will you seal the now open floor where the step was if you remove it?

 

[Biscuitsjam]

I was considering welding in some steel. I am open to suggestions, however.

 

[o1marc]

I was considering welding in some steel. I am open to suggestions, however.

Have you had a clearance issue, or just contemplating one? In my mind I am picturing a step made with a riser and tread and 2 long arms from the back of the top of the riser. These arms would rest on the new floor and be hinged at the back. Wouldn't be real pleasing to look at when retracted, but it would save the issue of clearance.

 

[Biscuitsjam]

I've bottomed out that step 20 or 30 times - I haven't hit hard enough to cause much damage, but I want to figure this one out before I replace the folding door.

 

[Tootalltechie]

Being over 6 feet moving the stairs outside would cut into the head room at the door I would think.

 

[CaptSquid]

I was at a local RV shop today. They had a display of just what you're inquiring about. Trouble is, whatever gunk the stairs may have captured will end up being dumped inside. That, and the doorway is more suitable for Herve Villachez.

 

[G Dub]

If it were me, boss, I'd have a mini trampoline on the ground outside the door and just jump in and out. I might do it just for fun.

 

[Brewerbob]

I need to start getting serious about my interior, storage, water tanks, etc. I could also use a full size door in place of my e-door. It's only 54" (???) tall. If I keep the door, I want to replace it with something I don't have to duck to get thru. Fold out stairs under it would be awesome. Currently there's nothing in the basement there but if I do another set of storage lockers... I'll have to take stairs into account.