Straightline

Thanks for the photos - I was wondering how the step worked. A bumper pullout step like this would be handy for putting stuff on top of minivan racks too.
 
The problem with trucks is that most of their beds are too high, even with the tailgate down.

This is an idea (solution!) that is soooooo overdue it's not even funny.
 
Only the Honda Ridgeline, with its swing-out tailgate, makes it easy to get into the pickup bed, as you can use the step bumper. You can't do that with the tailgate down though.

They could just make the damn things lower. I personally wouldn't know, but the superintendents at the construction company I work at generally agree the height of the latest trucks is more work than gain.

The reason the bed is so high is for clearance when fully loaded. The Payload Wars I guess you could call it. If the bed isn't high enough, it'll rub the rear tires when loaded. Another option that apparently never gets used is to install a stiffer rear suspension. Problem with that is that your cargo is in for a rough ride.

Pickup beds have always been a hassle to climb into, so this is nothing new. What's new (within the last 25 years or so) is the popularity of 4x4 models which are always a bit higher, and the popularity of HD pickups which are also higher because of their stiff suspensions. So as I said in my blog entry, this is something that should have been addressed years ago.
 
FWIW, the previous generation Chevy Avalanche had a neat little step built into the side of the rear bumper to aid in getting in the pickup bed when the tailgate was lowered. This too was also was a great idea! This could have easily made its way on to the rest of the pickup line, but GM (in their infinite wisdom?) decided this was not worth the effort, and so this great feature has been dropped from the new Avalanche.

Good idea. Finally this segment is seeing some innovation. Seems like everyone spent the last 5 years or so innovating the minivan segment, now it's on to the trucks.

Too right Bob. GM saved some pennies by reutilizing the last gen Escalade EXT's bumper on the new Avalanches. This is why there's no step now. I wish they'd taken the design and modified it to have the steps like the cladded models had though.
 
Also, I'd love to see a fold-out bed extender option for the Avalanche- but something that didn't need flipped to face in or out. The drip rail design on the Av means that the currently available products are made extra narrow on the center straight section to allow them to clear the drip rails when flipping them.
 
Ford's got some people with good ideas, that's for sure.

I'd love to see the bed extender be built into the the tailgate, so that you sort of "unfold it" in order to use it—much like the grab handle on the Ford's tailgate step.

A Ford with innovation, thats a first! I hope they can dig themselves out of the huge hole they are in.