Power Steps for Desert/Rock Crawling?

[sassyinsd]

Hi all, I have a '22 JLUR with Xtreme Recon package (35" tires) and will be adding a 2.5" lift so I need help getting in and out of my rig. I have a bad back plus it's my daily driver, so I've decided to splurge on the power retractable steps. However, we go to the desert and rock crawling in the mountains, which I've heard doesn't necessarily mix with the power steps. I've read a lot of the forum posts on this topic but seems like most of the posts relate to people that aren't rock crawling or desert running. And while I'm not "hard core", I do want to go out and play! We're most likely to be on the moderate 4-5 range trails.

So, does anyone know of any power step options with protection for people that still want to go off-roading? Is RSE at $2K+ the only one out there that offers protection in addition to the retractable step? I like the $1000 price of Rough Country, but can I pair them with rock sliders or other armor to protect?

Appreciate any feedback, thank you!

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[Shark01]

Welcome!

I have a Jeep on order and I thought power steps would be a given for me.......until I did alot of research, which I recommend for you to do as well. I think now I will get one of the manual versions that has a quick removal system when going offroad.

 

[Adv_aw8s]

We have the RSE steps and we love them. They aren't cheap but they are quality. I know some have had issues but ours have been solid. Occasionally they won't come down but usually it's because they are dirty and need cleaned and lubed. They were worth it for the wife and for reaching up on the roof rack.

 

[sassyinsd]

Welcome!

I have a Jeep on order and I thought power steps would be a given for me.......until I did alot of research, which I recommend for you to do as well. I think now I will get one of the manual versions that has a quick removal system when going offroad.

I don't post here unless I've done my research first without success - I try to be self-sufficient before bothering others, especially since I know this topic has been discussed on the forums before. But I couldn't find information matching my situation so came here for advice/opinions/feedback. The tradeoff of every day convenience vs. the 6-12x/year that we'll take her off road is starting to outweigh the limitations. And then as my husband says ... if I get a 4" lift added then I won't need to worry about the clearance - best of both worlds.

 

[sassyinsd]

We have the RSE steps and we love them. They aren't cheap but they are quality. I know some have had issues but ours have been solid. Occasionally they won't come down but usually it's because they are dirty and need cleaned and lubed. They were worth it for the wife and for reaching up on the roof rack.

Thank you! it's the good experiences that will push me over the edge to order!

 

[Ratbert]

Every person that's attempted to climb into our Jeep has paused, looked down at the step, and commented on how much they love them after climbing in. The RSE sliders are pretty damn awesome. We opted for the additional protection since we do quite a bit of rock crawling.

Note that there's a switch to disable them if you're ever in a situation where having them pop down isn't desired. E.g. when straddling a boulder.

Definitely recommend.

 

[Left Field]

So, does anyone know of any power step options with protection for people that still want to go off-roading? Is RSE at $2K+ the only one out there that offers protection in addition to the retractable step? I like the $1000 price of Rough Country, but can I pair them with rock sliders or other armor to protect?

Another vote for the RSE power steps. The fit, workmanship and construction are excellent. I had some difficulty with the door sensors at installation, their support in getting them working was prompt and helpful. I've had mine for a little over a year and 14,000 miles, including about 2000 miles off-highway.

Three additional bonus features I hadn't considered are:
1) They protect the sides of the vehicle and in particular the hinges from rock dings and mud
2) The running board portion makes a great step point for accessing any roof mounted items
3) Our friends and guests rave about how nice they make vehicle access

A minor thing I didn't like: The rear steps repeatedly deploying when using the vehicle for camping while accessing the back seat area. Fixed that by adding a 'disable' switch to each side for the rear door sensors, installed in the door center post trim.

Note that these steps do require loosening the frame body bolts. I had no trouble, but it is best with some experience and care as the consequences of a broken bolt are substantial. There are threads on how best to accomplish this. The advantage of this mounting approach is the strength and rigidity of direct attachment to the frame.

I know that a number of folks have had some troubles, primarily with the electronics, but for how durable and wonderfully convenient they are, I consider the risk of having an issue to be worth it.

LF

 

[Megawatt]

A couple years ago I was at Logandale on a trail with the RSE Jeep. Their Jeep came down hard on a rock shelf and the thinner drop down step was bent severely but the slider body was ok.

Neat thing is the step still dropped down freely like there was no issue. Nice engineering on the design.

This is a picture before the damage happen.

 

[sassyinsd]

Another vote for the RSE power steps. The fit, workmanship and construction are excellent. I had some difficulty with the door sensors at installation, their support in getting them working was prompt and helpful. I've had mine for a little over a year and 14,000 miles, including about 2000 miles off-highway.

Three additional bonus features I hadn't considered are:
1) They protect the sides of the vehicle and in particular the hinges from rock dings and mud
2) The running board portion makes a great step point for accessing any roof mounted items
3) Our friends and guests rave about how nice they make vehicle access

A minor thing I didn't like: The rear steps repeatedly deploying when using the vehicle for camping while accessing the back seat area. Fixed that by adding a 'disable' switch to each side for the rear door sensors, installed in the door center post trim.

Note that these steps do require loosening the frame body bolts. I had no trouble, but it is best with some experience and care as the consequences of a broken bolt are substantial. There are threads on how best to accomplish this. The advantage of this mounting approach is the strength and rigidity of direct attachment to the frame.

I know that a number of folks have had some troubles, primarily with the electronics, but for how durable and wonderfully convenient they are, I consider the risk of having an issue to be worth it.

LF

This is exactly what I was hoping to hear! Thank you for taking the time to reply and will detail. They are pricey but rock sliders alone will still cost half of that and I really want the convenience of having a drop down step.

 

[sassyinsd]

Every person that's attempted to climb into our Jeep has paused, looked down at the step, and commented on how much they love them after climbing in. The RSE sliders are pretty damn awesome. We opted for the additional protection since we do quite a bit of rock crawling.

Note that there's a switch to disable them if you're ever in a situation where having them pop down isn't desired. E.g. when straddling a boulder.

Definitely recommend.

Thanks for the vote of confidence! By “extra protection”, do you mean the extra skid plate? If so, does it provide adequate protection on rocks? And do you happen to know if it can be purchased/installed later or does it have to be installed from the start?
Thanks again for your time!

 

[ChuckQue]

I’ll say this, I didn’t want to spend the coin on the RSE setup but my wife is not too happy climbing out of the Jeep in a dress. Guess I’m ordering a set.

 

[MtCamper]

One of the Jeeps I wheel with has (had) power steps. After our last rock run, his estimate to repair them was over $800. He decided to remove and replace with RockHard. The power steps work well until they don't and then they are spendy to fix. They are called power steps, not power sliders. I'd say they are about as good as the sliders on a new Rubicon.

 

[Ratbert]

Thanks for the vote of confidence! By “extra protection”, do you mean the extra skid plate? If so, does it provide adequate protection on rocks? And do you happen to know if it can be purchased/installed later or does it have to be installed from the start?
Thanks again for your time!

Yep, these. I have no way of knowing if the sliders would have been damaged without the skids though. We built it all to do three days on the Rubicon Trail this past September, but that got pushed back to June of 2023 due to fires near Tahoe.

I had a wall of stuff waiting to be installed months before my Jeep was built and had a local shop do the bigger jobs. That is, I didn't do it myself, but step one of the instructions imply that you install them after the sliders are fully installed.

 

[Ratbert]

One of the Jeeps I wheel with has (had) power steps. After our last rock run, his estimate to repair them was over $800. He decided to remove and replace with RockHard. The power steps work well until they don't and then they are spendy to fix. They are called power steps, not power sliders. I'd say they are about as good as the sliders on a new Rubicon.

What power steps did he have? RSE's are explicitly called step sliders, so I'm guessing that they weren't RSE. They also have an optional skid plate if you're doing more intense stuff.

 

[Wheelin Matt]

The Rockslide Engineering sliders work really well….. but I went with something that wasn’t as expensive and isn’t electronic. This is a guy I went Jeepin with a few weeks ago.

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