Bow step ladders

[Fishes in trees]

Just recently ( last few weeks, don't remember)  I got my 2020 BPS Master catalog in the mail.  On page 471, they have a Bow Step ladder for sale.  I'm wondering if anyone reading this has any experience with this product.  At boat dealers, on the very high end bass boats, I've seen something similar on some trailers, but I don't know anyone who has this product or anything similar.   Does anyone have any notions about if this product works or not?  What do yo need to look out for?

 

I had knee surgery last year and when I was putting in and taking out, getting from the trailer to the boat was a challenge, in that it stretched my knee farther than I wanted to.   Currently I have one step mounted on the trailer, it used to be good enough but now it isn't.  Advice/suggestions would be appreciated.  Thanks.

[Dwight Hottle]

This might work

 

https://easystepsystem.com/

[RFSims]

1 hour ago, Dwight Hottle said:

This might work

 

https://easystepsystem.com/

+1,000,000. I have these on my Legend. Best money I ever spent. I'm age 68.

[Log Catcher]

I had knee replacement surgery on both knees in the last 4 months. I have been wondering how difficult will it be for me to get in and out of my boat once on the trailer. I am glad to see there may be some helpful options.

[WRB]

The safest and easiest way to get into and out of your boat is from the dock. 

Todays remote controlled TM's makes it easy to launch your boat and remotely drive to the dock side. Seriously consider a new TM!

I used trailer steps for years and it's a pain to get onto or off the front deck using steps.

Tom

[Log Catcher]

15 minutes ago, WRB said:

The safest and easiest way to get into and out of your boat is from the dock. 

Todays remote controlled TM's makes it easy to launch your boat and remotely drive to the dock side. Seriously consider a new TM!

I used trailer steps for years and it's a pain to get onto or off the front deck using steps.

Tom

The problem is when you fish alone and you get the boat on the trailer you have to be able to get out of the boat and on the ground to get to the truck so you can pull it up out of the way.

[WRB]

I fished alone most of the time and learned to back my trailer down close to the luanch ramp dock. Drive the boat onto the trailer, clip on the bow line and get out of the boat onto the dock.

I realize there must be a dock available. 

My trailer I added a walk plank on the trailer tongue after getting out using a step when launching where no dock was available because I didn't want to get wet. I simply stopped fish where launch ramps didn't have a dock to assist me.

Tom

[jbsoonerfan]

Funny this thread came up today. When I was buying my boat I was in the showroom looking at a brand new Skeeter and it had this funny looking ladder/step thing going from the tongue to the bow of the boat and I thought that goofy thing was probably useless. After I got my boat, my buddy and I took it out a few times. Launching was simple, I just sat in the drivers seat while my buddy backed me in, then when it came time to leave he backed the truck down and I pulled on the trailer and we pulled out of the water. Easy enough. However, I knew that I would eventually be fishing by myself a lot but the thought of launching and loading by myself hadn't really crossed my mind. A couple weekends ago I took my boat out by myself. Backed it in and opened my door and noticed the water was up to my back tires. Okay, now what? I stepped on my back tire and climbed into the back of my truck. Stepped over my tailgate onto my bumper and walked across the slippery tongue of the trailer like I was looking for a perfect 10 on the balance beam. I'm now at the bow, this should be easy. The only thing I really have to do is avoid the trolling motor, oh and the graph, wait, and the rods, and the foot pedal. So I swing my left leg over and begin to slide my belly over the nose of the boat. I do a semi push up and get my right leg over while trying to avoid all the "junk" at the bow. All went well (I suppose) and I was able to enjoy a day of fishing. Heading back in for the day I realized I was going to have to repeat the process, only in the reverse order. It was then that I realized what that goofy ladder thing must be handy for. I started looking around and they are pretty proud of them but I thought as much as I plan to fish, it may just be worth it. I ended up finding one that I thought would work and ordered it today.

 

This was the one I went with

 

https://www.qualitymarkinc.com/product-page/bow-step-3-step-port

 

I'm only 40 with no knee issues, but I'm all about making life easier.

[slonezp]

17 minutes ago, jbsoonerfan said:

Funny this thread came up today. When I was buying my boat I was in the showroom looking at a brand new Skeeter and it had this funny looking ladder/step thing going from the tongue to the bow of the boat and I thought that goofy thing was probably useless. After I got my boat, my buddy and I took it out a few times. Launching was simple, I just sat in the drivers seat while my buddy backed me in, then when it came time to leave he backed the truck down and I pulled on the trailer and we pulled out of the water. Easy enough. However, I knew that I would eventually be fishing by myself a lot but the thought of launching and loading by myself hadn't really crossed my mind. A couple weekends ago I took my boat out by myself. Backed it in and opened my door and noticed the water was up to my back tires. Okay, now what? I stepped on my back tire and climbed into the back of my truck. Stepped over my tailgate onto my bumper and walked across the slippery tongue of the trailer like I was looking for a perfect 10 on the balance beam. I'm now at the bow, this should be easy. The only thing I really have to do is avoid the trolling motor, oh and the graph, wait, and the rods, and the foot pedal. So I swing my left leg over and begin to slide my belly over the nose of the boat. I do a semi push up and get my right leg over while trying to avoid all the "junk" at the bow. All went well (I suppose) and I was able to enjoy a day of fishing. Heading back in for the day I realized I was going to have to repeat the process, only in the reverse order. It was then that I realized what that goofy ladder thing must be handy for. I started looking around and they are pretty proud of them but I thought as much as I plan to fish, it may just be worth it. I ended up finding one that I thought would work and ordered it today.

 

This was the one I went with

 

https://www.qualitymarkinc.com/product-page/bow-step-3-step-port

 

I'm only 40 with no knee issues, but I'm all about making life easier.

I actually bought similar and returned it becasue it didn't work with my swing arm trailer. 

 

What I ended up doing is getting an extendable truck bed step https://www.etrailer.com/Truck-Bed-Accessories/Heininger-Holdings/HE4037.html and a bumper mount trailer hitch, similar to this https://www.etrailer.com/RV-and-Camper-Hitch/Ultra-Fab-Products/UF35-946401.html?feed=npn&gclid=CjwKCAiA98TxBRBtEiwAVRLquyXVXxOZwLVtUcrkz_LFjxNywv7exi8BlVxssX7qQpMmd6qxgpFiqhoCMeYQAvD_BwE

I mounted the hitch to the trailer and installed the step. I can climb off the bow, using the spare tire as a step and then down to the extended step. It works on what I would call normal to steep ramps. On a shallow ramp, I will still get my feet wet. you can see it mounted just in front of the spare. in its retracted state

 

 

 

 

[jbsoonerfan]

Well, I received mine in the mail and got it put on today. I think I am really going to like it. The only negative I could tell was it had very thin strips of red non-slip tape on the treads that left metal exposed. It only took me stepping on it once or twice to realize that was an issue. I happen to have a roll of non-slip tape so I measured the treads and cut some strips to fit. That worked out way better. I plan to send pictures to the company as a suggestion on how to improve their product. Anyway, only time will tell, but just sitting there it seems to be an improvement. 

 

You can see the black non-skid tape is what I added and the red tape is what comes on the steps.