#HTE

Could/Should You Design a Folding Step That Deployed From a Car or Truck Wheel?

For accessing the beds of pickup trucks, or even roof racks on cars, lots of companies make these simple, portable wheel steps:

So I’ve been wondering: Would it be possible, or practical, to build this feature directly into the wheel itself? It would be a neat design challenge to create something that folded out of the hubcap, always stayed perfectly level and provided a wide, stable step.

Then again, maybe I’m suffering from designeritis. Companies like AMP Research already make aftermarket box-side steps, and perhaps those are the more practical solution, even if they provide a much smaller platform. 

Well, I’d still like to see someone develop a wheel-deployed variant, if only for designeritis sh*ts and giggles. If the step was wide and sturdy it would come in handy, and would be one less thing to have to carry in the vehicle itself.