Step Up to Safety!

One of the biggest potential mishaps that could bring your customer’s RV vacation to an untimely or unpleasant end is either falling or slipping when making that final step out of their RV.  How many times have you heard of a customer complain of having to make a running leap to reach that first step as a result of leveling up their RV on a less than desirable lot. Not exactly the best way for your RV’er to get their daily exercise.

These are several reasons that your dealership should be carrying a high quality Step Stool designed just for the RV lifestyle.

There are two types of RV Step Stool customers.  First, there is that potential new RV owner who is looking to purchase a new RV.  He has entered your dealership and may be stepping into an RV for the first time. If that initial step is too high for his build or the customer is elderly he may quickly decide that this is not the lifestyle for him.  Or he has just finished his initial walk through and stumbles exiting the RV as a result of that high last step.  In either case, you are now in damage control.

The next Step Stool customer is someone who has just experienced this same issue entering or exiting his RV.  Possibly because of an uneven lot he has slipped or actually fallen exiting his RV. That customer has come into your dealership looking for a solution.

Either of these reasons is why your dealership should carry a Step Stool designed specifically for a RV or camper.

How to sell a step stool:

This may appear to be a silly question but you are not selling a low end big box store step stool but one specifically engineered for a RV.  Remember, the RV Step can retail up to $100.00 or more so there must be a benefit.  Obviously an effective method is to place an RV Step Stool strategically in front of a unit in your showroom.  This effective method quickly exhibits the reason for a step and also improves his experience entering the RV. We have dealers that have a Step placed in front of every RV in their showroom.  

A clean end cap or POP specifically designed for RV Steps is another effective method to move this product. Product should be displayed so as to show examples of the step’s use in an RV application. Promotional material should be available close to the product which explains the features and benefits of the RV Step.  One Step should always be out of the box.

If you are with your customer you should walk him through the features and benefits of a Step designed for RV use.  A safe RV step should have 5 key selling features:

Feature 1:  Anti-Tip Design

The RV step should be designed not to tip over if stepped on the edge.  Your customer will not hit the center every time they exit their RV. You should demonstrate this feature. Have your customer step on the product and move to the edges.  He will be amazed as to its stability.

Feature 2:  Deck Area Size

The RV Step’s deck size is roomy enough to step and move on but not so large that it becomes a storage issue.  Too small a deck size can be a safety hazard when exiting their RV. Sizes of platforms do vary, but a 14” x 19” platform gives most enough room without being too bulky.  However, many Class A owners are asking for larger deck areas such as 16” X 24”.

Feature 3:  Non-Skid / Non-Slip

A properly designed RV Step will have non-skid strips to prevent slipping when the step stool gets wet.  Your customer’s Step will be exposed to the elements and will also collect dirt and debris. Without some type of slip resistant material the chances of slipping are greatly increased.  Another feature is a Step’s abrasive strips will remove mud and dirt from your shoes keeping it outside and not in your R.V.

In order to prevent the Step Stool from slipping from underneath your customer the step needs to have rubber feet or leg tips for traction. The material of a RV Step’s leg tip is compounded for wear resistance. Step stools without some type of non-slip material on the feet are likely to slip on any surface, but especially on asphalt.  Point out the feet have a snug fit so there is no danger of them falling off or getting stuck in mud.  Caution your customer from the purchase of Steps without this feature.

Feature 4: Folding Legs

An RV Step’s legs fold flat for ease of storage.  Space is at a premium on an RV.  Steps with folding legs should also have a locking leg feature.  Without this safety feature the legs of the step could potentially collapse when in use.

Feature 5: Durability

Discuss the durability that is designed into an RV step. A good indication of durability is the weight rating of the product. Common big box store steps constructed from plastic can fracture especially in colder weather conditions. Steel is strong but can rust rapidly in wet conditions.  Full aluminum construction will give you the best combination of strength, corrosion resistance and product weight.  

These features should be present in any RV Step you carry.  In addition, you may have RV customers that frequently park on very uneven lots.  In this case you could offer a Step Stool with an adjustable leg height feature.  This high end product will actually allow the RV’er to “level up” an unlevel lot by independently adjusting each leg thus giving him the safest condition possible.

A complete line of RV Steps which meet these criteria are available from Stag Parkway Distribution. They are available in various platform sizes, heights and in multiple colors popular with RV’ers.

* This article was written by Paul Huffman.  Mr. Huffman is a metallurgical engineer and President of Safety Step LLC