After looking at the very few possibilities for our van of nerfs, sliders, and running boards, I finally decided to fully embrace my chrome/stainless/black&white theme and got these Luverne Mega Step Nerf Bars through AutoAnything.com. I had some specific requirements and these steps fit the bill nicely. Some points:
- The steps are deep, so you can actually step out of the van without slipping and this is aided by the black ribs bonded to the step.
- They have a backsplash for an extra $70. It makes the install look finished but also provides a bit of safety for people and dogs hopping in.
- They're lower than some, which, I wanted, because my van is about to rise several inches and this is my daily driver.
- They're STRONG, much stronger than I imagined. When you jump on the step, the whole van moves, not the step. There's some really beefy brackets under there, made to fit exactly for the van. They attach to the pinch weld and the body, so really stable. The Step itself is stainless with an extruded aluminum underbody and very strong of its own accord.
- be forewarned that the instructions are terrible, but logic will win out. Also, two of the driver side brackets didn't fit under the AC lines. I will be calling the supplier about this because I seem to recall that there was an option to order different brackets, which I thought I did. We'll see, I guess. But, even minus the two brackets, it's incredibly strong.
I've had the Bushwackers in the garage for months, toying with the idea of painting them another color. But, the black theme won out, if only for simplicity, and now I'm glad I went there. They're expensive but fit the van like a glove. Very easy to install and I think they look great. Plus, I was getting tired of all the gunk coming off the front wheels and that seems to have been tamed for now.
I've been hopping in and out of the van like a kid, should've put these steps on sooner!
.