Inventor creatively side-steps pickup problem

AutoBlog: Inventor creatively side-steps pickup problem

Click to watch videoOne Minnesota inventor may have just created a better bed step.

While Ford offers a pickup bed step that slides out of the top of the tailgate on its F-150, that particular step can't be used when towing. Now, one man has devised his own step that slides out of the side of the tailgate.

Myron Isaacson recently received the patent on his pickup bed ladder, affectionately named "My Dream Steps," according to a local news report.

It works in a similar manner as the Ford bed step, allowing a person to climb into a high pickup bed without grinding their knees against the truck's steel. Because this step works from the side of the tailgate, Isaacson's invention allows the truck owner to climb into the bed even if the truck has a trailer attached. The new assembly looks pretty compact and easy to use, and he's already won an award for its design. At this year's Minnesota Inventors Congress, Isaacson netted a gold medal.

Check out the video below to see it in action on Isaacson's Ford.