🚨 An updated version of this video is live now! https://youtu.be/lhY3v1S6lAI

In this video I cover the pros & cons of the Lippert SolidStep vs the MORryde StepAbove step systems along with Lippert’s Lift Assist kit and MORryde’s Strut Assist features. I also cover my removal of the MORryde system and installation experience of the Lippert system.

I’d like to thank Lippert for providing their Solid Step and Lift Assist Kit free of charge in exchange for my honest feedback on the product!

Table of Contents

What’s an old-style RV Entry Step?
What’s a new-style RV Entry Step?

PROS & CONS

Difference #1 – Width & Depth
Difference #2 – Weight Capacity
Difference #3 – Leg Adjustment
Difference #4 – Purchase & Packaging
Difference #5 – Installation
Difference #6 – Assist Features
Which Brand is Best?
Quick Tip for Both Models
Why Did I Decide to Upgrade?

INSTALLATION

First Steps
What to do with the old steps?
MORryde Step Removal
Lippert Lift Assist Prep
Lippert Solid Step Installation
Lift Assist Strut Cover

What exactly is the old-style RV Entry Step?

If you don’t already know the old style step is one that folds out from under your rig and the bottom step simply hovers above the ground without making any contact, therefore when you step on that bottom step you’re hovering, and therefore you wobble around like you’re on the edge of a diving board.

Luckily our rig (which is a 43-foot toy hauler) came with the new style of step on our front door, which means we never had to deal with any of those issues at our main entry. But we do have the traditional style on our back door and having used both I can tell you the experience is definitely night and day.

And especially as full-time RVers, going up and down a wobbly step with 50 pounds of groceries or something big and bulky that’s blocking your view, I can definitely understand how that could be an inconvenience on a day-to-day basis.

What is a new-style RV Entry Step?

Two of the most popular offerings on the market today are the Lippert Solid Step and the MORryde StepAbove step, which is actually what came installed on our rig from the factory.

At first glance you’re not going to notice much difference between the two. They’re both going to give you increased weight capacity and increased stability. They’re both constructed from lightweight, high-quality aluminum. They’re both stowed inside on travel days so they’re exposed to the elements a lot less, and they both have adjustable independent legs that work great on uneven terrain.

PROS & CONS

Difference #1 – Width & Depth

The number one difference between these two models is going to be the step width and step depth. The MORryde step has a width of 19.5 inches while the Lippert has a width of 24 inches. That’s four and a half inches in Lippert’s favor. And while that may not sound like much it can be a huge deal when you’re going up and down, especially in the dark.

And not only are you getting extra width, you’re also going to get extra depth. The Lippert step is 13 inches deep while the MORryde step is only eight inches deep. Again, that’s an extra five inches in Lippert’s favor and if you combine that with the width you’re almost looking at a top platform rather than a top step.

🚨 An updated version of this article is live now HERE with new dimensions!

Difference #2 – Weight Capacity

While MORryde offers a weight capacity of 500 pounds, the Lippert step is only rated for 400 pounds, which should work in most cases but, if you’re looking for the highest weight capacity, the MORryde is the winner.

Difference #3 – Ease of Leg Adjustment

Lippert wins here for two reasons in my opinion. The first is the fact that when you remove the adjustment pin on the feet, they automatically drop with gravity to the ground. The MORryde steps on the other hand require you to manually pull the leg out after you remove the pin, which requires a little bit of leverage and can sometimes be frustrating if you misjudge the distance.

The second reason is that the hole tolerances on the adjustment pin seem to be a lot looser on the Lippert step versus the MORryde step. This just means it’s going to be a lot easier to get the adjustment pin back in and fully seated. On the MORryde, if you don’t have the holes lined up just right you’re going to have a very hard time getting the pin back in and that can be frustrating, especially after a long day of driving. 

Difference #4 – Purchase & Packaging

Lippert and MORryde both offer a different purchase and packaging experience when it comes to obtaining the step and assist features.

When I mention assist features, I’m referring to the strut based upgrades that both Lippert and MORryde offer. These systems act just like any other strut system you’ve seen on a trunk or a hood, allowing you to lift the 50-plus pound step with very little strength or effort.

If you look on MORryde’s website it appears that they offer a StepAbove step withOUT strut assist and then they offer a StepAbove step WITH strut assist. So if you wanted the assist feature, you would buy it as a bulk package, as a single product.

Lippert on the other hand offers their step separately and their Lift Assist separately, so if you wanted both the steps and the assist feature, you would buy two separate products.

So while MORryde’s combo packaging may offer a simpler purchase and installation experience, Lippert’s add-on option could allow for more versatility. It really just depends on your preferences and specific application.

Difference #5 – Installation

While the MORryde system requires less screws in the floor, only four total, it does require wall mounts on both sides of the door frame, which means removal of molding from both sides as well.

And while the Lippert system requires many more screws to go into the floor, it only requires a wall mount on one side of the door frame.

Lippert’s wall mount is taller than MORydes though, which means removal of a much larger piece of molding and also possibly accessories that may be in the way. During our installation I had to remove the fire extinguisher mount and relocate it about 12 inches up in order to provide clearance for the strut cover.

Difference #6 – Assist Features

MORryde wins here hands down. When raising and lowering their system it’s smooth and even from the very top all the way down to the very bottom.

Lippert’s Lift Assist feature however provides almost no support after you’re about 80% of the way up. Same thing applies on the way down. For the first 20% or so, there’s no support at all and it almost feels like the steps want to fall out of the door.

It’s not a big deal once you get used to it and obviously the strut is going to catch it before it falls all the way, but I could potentially see this bumping someone if it slipped out of their hand at the top of the motion.

Which Brand is Best?

So at the end of the day, after having both units installed and using them for some time, I would say that the Lippert Solid Step is the winner.

The wider and deeper steps are the main reason for the win, but the foot adjustment is a huge bonus. And while I definitely prefer the smaller footprint and smoother operation of MORryde’s Strut Assist feature over Lippert’s Lift Assist, it’s not a big enough deal to take the win.

So if I had the old, traditional style of RV step and I was looking to upgrade, I would definitely choose the Lippert Solid Step.

But if I already had the MORryde steps installed on my rig, would I still choose to upgrade? Well, I guess it really just depends on if I felt like ballin’ out or not…

I mean, I have had a few close calls over the past 15 months where I’ve almost missed a step on the MORryde system so… if I was looking to protect my knees, my back, my ankles and my crack… I’d probably go ahead and upgrade.

Quick Tip for Both Models

Make sure to put a piece of wood or at least a thick mat between the steps and the ground, just to protect the feet from rock damage. The damage you see here was actually sustained the very first night we moved into the rig. We deployed the steps on some gravel, went up and down all night, and then this is what we discovered when we packed up the next day.

Why Did I Decide to Upgrade?

So like I said, our rig came from the factory with the MORryde system installed and we’ve been using these steps for the past 15 months while living full time in the rig. So far we’ve had no major complaints. They’ve been solid, they’ve held up great in all weather conditions, and I would say that most people would find them a welcome upgrade to the old-style step.

Now while these steps have performed perfectly over the past 15 months, I was curious to try Lippert’s Solid Step and when they reached out to ask if I’d be interested in doing a product review in exchange for a free set of steps… Well… what do you think I said?

So like a kid on Christmas, I received my ginormous 165 pound package, took some product shots, then
ripped it all open, deciphered the instructions, and prepared myself to install these on the rig.

INSTALLATION

Now, first step for me, since I already had a new-style step installed, was figuring out how to best remove the MORryde system, which I had no experience with because it came installed on the rig from the factory.

Most people however will be upgrading from the old-style, fold-under-the-rig-steps and therefore wouldn’t have to worry about removing anything from the doorway because the new style of step would be the first thing installed there.

What to do with the old steps?

And quick side note about the old steps… If you’re not going to be using them anymore you can actually remove them from your rig and leave that space empty, but both MORryde and Lippert offer a solution for this empty space which is an external lockable storage box. (Check out my install of the Lippert Solid Step Storage Box HERE.)

MORryde Step Removal

So it turns out removal of the MORryde system was pretty simple. I just removed the strut cover and four screws from each side of the door frame. I then folded the steps up into the doorway and removed two screws from each side of the floor. I then removed two bolts from each side of the door frame plate. At this point the steps were completely loose and I was able to remove them from the doorway.

With the MORryde system gone it was now time to install the Lippert system.

Lippert Lift Assist Prep

So like I mentioned in the pros and cons, the Lippert system includes two separate products. The first is the Solid Step itself and the second is the Lift Assist kit. So my first step here was to take the parts from the Lift Assist kit and attach them to the Solid Step.

This simply required me to remove the original threshold plate from the steps and then replace that with the upgraded Lift Assist plate that came in the kit. And then I also had to remove the original transport latch and then I replaced that with the upgraded Lift Assist transport latch. Both of these swaps were very simple. It was just four bolts on each side for the transport latch and three bolts on each side for the threshold plate.

So with the new hardware attached on the top and the back, it was now time to install the steps into the doorway.

Lippert Solid Step Installation

After I carefully maneuvered the plate through the threshold, I set the step where it would go in general and then I used a tape measure to make sure it was in the exact spot as specified by the instructions. I then shut the door, made sure everything lined up and made sure there were no issues.

Once I was satisfied I went inside, found the two pilot holes and put two wood screws into the floor. This stabilized the steps enough for me to fold them into the doorway. But before I did that I wanted to put a mat down because the strut plate will slam into the floor before it’s attached to the strut.

I was then able to lift the step into the doorway and access the remaining nine holes. I ran the rest of the wood screws and at this point the steps were fully installed.

Lift Assist Strut Cover

Next up was the strut cover which is installed on the wall to the right of the door frame. So in order to get the cover to mount flush against the wall, I had to remove a piece of molding. I simply marked just above the cover and then I used a utility blade to slice through the molding. It was soft and pretty simple to do.

During our installation I also had to remove the fire extinguisher mount and relocate it about 12 inches up in order to provide clearance for the strut cover.

I then used eight wood screws to mount the cover to the wall a quarter inch from the door frame.

The final step was to attach the strut. The kit includes two struts… one for small steps and one for larger steps. I used the larger one. I popped it on at the top and the bottom and then I was done.

🔗 LINKS 🔗

LIPPERT SOLID STEPS

SOLID STEP LIFT ASSIST KIT

SOLID STEP STORAGE BOX

AFFILIATE STORE – PRODUCTS & GEAR WE RECOMMEND

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Camera Gear Used In This Video

Panasonic GH4 Camera Body – https://rebrand.ly/alhkrti
7.5mm Lens – https://rebrand.ly/vhtm769
Tripod – https://rebrand.ly/8pwpcxj
Tripod Head – https://rebrand.ly/1fq74b0
Wireless Mic System – https://rebrand.ly/4i0e01g
4.5mm Mic Clip – https://rebrand.ly/v9vs09p
Camera Stabilizer / Gimbal – https://rebrand.ly/xnuljsv
Osmo Pocket Gimbal Camera – https://rebrand.ly/qkbad7y
4k Drone – https://rebrand.ly/f10c0pv
Drone Lens Filters – https://rebrand.ly/fq9njr3
GoPro Black – https://rebrand.ly/pq9u9b8
Front & Interior Dash Cam – https://rebrand.ly/vlflie4