Truck Camper Stairs Install: TorkLift Stow N Go Tailgater Tips and Mistakes to Avoid

TorkLift sent us their stairs and tailgate mount to review, and Christian did what he does best: installed them the wrong way first, then showed you the right way. This video is the full install on our truck tailgate, mistakes included, so the next truck camper owner can skip the expensive part of the learning curve.

Disclosure: TorkLift provided the stairs for this review at no cost. TorkLift is a sponsor, not an affiliate link. Our full take after living with them is in the TorkLift GlowStep stairs review.

What happens in this video

A package from TorkLift shows up via UPS, and Christian heads to the garage with his supervisor, Bobby. The box holds the stairs, the mount, a bucket of bolts, a mat to clean your feet before you climb back into the camper, and what he lovingly calls the “encrypted” instructions. From there it is the install, start to finish, with commentary on every wrong turn.

What we learned

Step 1: Deal with the factory step and handrail. Our truck came with a tailgate step and handrail. With the TorkLift bracket, you have to close those up and mount the bracket, and you lose the good old step. Christian’s idea: cut that piece off and replace it with a hinge. Bolt the stairs to it, lift the hinge when you need it, and you still have your tailgate, tailgate step and handrail.

Step 2: Get a rivnut tool. You need a threaded nut rivet tool. Christian picked up a simple one at Harbor Freight. Drill the holes, put the rivnut in, pop it down. It takes half the time of other ways to do it.

Mistake 1: Drilling with the tailgate open. Make sure your tailgate is shut first. If not, the screws will not line up and you will waste rivnuts. We wasted four. Luckily the rivnut tool came with extras we did not know we would need. Now we know.

Mistake 2: Drilling before the bracket is on. Put your bolts in and mount the bracket first, because that sets your length. Measure it, then drill. We did it backwards and ruined a few more rivnuts. To be fair, the instructions did say to put the bracket on first. As Christian’s dad used to say, measure twice, cut once. Christian cut once, then went back and measured. The result is a few extra holes in our tailgate. We would not recommend it.

Leftover parts are normal. TorkLift sends a lot of parts. Our best guess is that many of them are for different installations, not this one.

Step 3: Pins and adjustment. Once the mount is on, the pins go in. To set the stairs, pull up, slide it off the screw, pull it out and put it down where you want it. Bob’s your uncle.

The final gotchas, in order:

1. Put the bolts in first and mount them to the bracket.
2. Set the screws in the direction shown in the video, because the other way gives you more distance.
3. If some pieces look like they will not fit and you think you need to move them, leave them. That is exactly where they go. They come correct.
4. Mount it with the rivnuts. If you need more, Harbor Freight has them.

Christian was able to reuse most of the rivnuts. With three bolts in, it is plenty tight, with room to add more later. Going up and down, the stairs are very sturdy. For Lori, who is 5 feet tall, this should fix getting in and out of the camper for good.

Gear in this video

The TorkLift stairs and tailgate mount are the stars here, plus a threaded nut rivet tool from Harbor Freight and some extra rivnuts. Buy a few more rivnuts than you think you need, especially if this is your first time setting them.

Key moments

• 0:00 The TorkLift package arrives
• 1:01 Unboxing: stairs, mount, bolts and the foot mat
• 1:42 Closing up the factory step and handrail
• 2:23 The hinge idea to keep the tailgate step
• 3:14 The Harbor Freight rivnut tool
• 3:55 Mistake: four wasted rivnuts
• 4:39 Bolts and bracket first, then measure
• 5:22 Bracket on first, drill holes second
• 8:45 Setting the pins and adjusting the stairs
• 9:26 The install gotchas recap

Later in the summer we gave a set of TorkLift Tailgater stairs away in our giveaway and huckleberry hunt video, and you can watch the winner drawing here.