Question Do you retract your steps at night?

[Joe Hogan]

This is an interesting question that has garnered many diverse response on various Group Boards. This is something I have started to do after a late night visitor banged on my door in a unsecured camping area. I am interested in you thoughts...

 

[NWIP]

Have never reacted our steps and to be honest never has entered my mind. Interesting thought and would be easily done.

 

[redbaron]

Never.

 

[Neemer]

I’ve never considered it, but also not certain of benefit of doing it.

 

[MapNerd]

No because I would forget that I did it and break my neck the next morning.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Never gave it a thought. Sounds like a lot of unnecessary cycles on steps that are already prone to failure.

TJ

 

[Joe Hogan]

We have worked the Steps into our evening and morning routines. Just as we lock and unlock doors, extend awnings, etc.
On Sunday night we were at a secured State Campground and at 3 a.m. a young teen camper had an emotional issue, she ended up running up and down the campground road, screaming and causing a problem. Reason, unknown. Fire, Police and finally ambulance arrived to take her to the hospital.
Point being, you just do not know who is in the campground and extended steps gives anyone a path to your door...

 

[ARD]

No because I would forget that I did it and break my neck the next morning.

That was my first thought too!

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

No because I would forget that I did it and break my neck the next morning.

I think the retracted steps will deploy as you open the door. Still, I don't see the necessity of retracting them. We lock the deadbolt and close the privacy shades at night, so nothing to be gained by coming up the steps.

TJ

 

[J&JD]

Heck no. I try not to work those steps in/out any more than necessary. Just lock the door.

 

[MapNerd]

I think the retracted steps will deploy as you open the door. Still, I don't see the necessity of retracting them. We lock the deadbolt and close the privacy shades at night, so nothing to be gained by coming up the steps.

TJ

And I would blindly step onto them as they were deploying and quickly find myself face in the dirt or laying on the steps

 

[Buly]

We leave them out. Steps will not make any difference to an intruder.

 

[VTPete]

I find our new doormat discourages such behavior

 

[CTI2000]

We have camera surveillance system....

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Can't remember how it worked, been a long time. When I would switch the steps if the setting was wrong and I ran the engine to work it they would come in and stay that way. The problem is when you think they should be out and they are in. remember I don't leave lights on and use flashlights to go out and do anything. A couple of times if I wasn't holding on to the handle I surely would have broken something. As it was my shoulder paid the price. I am glad to not have a step like that now days. More trouble but much safer to have manual steps.

 

[RKins]

We leave ours out.
Kevin, I have one of the rare types of steps that do exactly what you said - I usually leave them out while parked, so the switch is in the position to keep them out and if I turn the ignition key toward the start position for some reason, they are immediately retracted. If I open the door the steps stay retracted. I have to close the door, change the switch to the position that makes the steps follow the door and now they work correctly again. I put a clothes pin on the ignition key to remind me to not start until I change the switch.
I guess one good use of the operation is if you have physical steps at a long term site and you don't want the coach steps to come out at all. Otherwise it is certainly dangerous if you go outside without a light on.

 

[Neal]

Leave mine out, I don't want to extend/retract that motor any more times than needed. I've seen some people leave theirs in and use a platform stair setup instead, not sure why.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Leave mine out, I don't want to extend/retract that motor any more times than needed. I've seen some people leave theirs in and use a platform stair setup instead, not sure why.

maybe because they used up the action when it was new.
a new step type for tt's that folds out making a much sturdier step that doesn't rock the trailer when someone goes out the door is much better. My door would not accommodate so I built my own.

 

[Joe Hogan]

Over time I have become much more cautious regarding our safety.

Keeping random folks from having an easy path to us is becoming more important than ever. Dissuading a determined perpetrator does require something different than the random actor or casual opportunist.

While being armed may provide some sense of security (false or not), having many alternatives is becoming more important to me. Quite honestly the last thing I want is to be responsible for someone's death, for whatever reason, bad actor or not.

The thought of splattering some person inside my RV is quite repulsive, never mind the risk of inadvertently hitting some innocent person with a stray projectile. In a dynamic environment it is very difficult to hit your target. If you doubt that, try some dynamic target training at night. It is very difficult, then add being woken up in the middle of the night to an unknown situation by unknown persons. Ask any patrol police person that has been put in a dynamic deadly force incident.

If you spend some time thinking about all the potential repercussions of drawing and firing a firearm in a; crowded space, home neighborhood, urban street or campground. The less likely you are to use a firearm for defense, in my opinion.

Non lethal methods abound today. If you have any defense plan, all you need is some time to act. Non lethal means should give you some time. From simple application of a fire extinguisher to deter some person, fire extinguishers are at the door of many RV's, to purposes built items like Pepper Spray. These should dissuade all but the most determined perpetrators.
Of course if the perpetrator is armed, that is a different problem. How do you know? That is a good question....I'm back to try to slow things down and get some time to respond....non lethal means might just do that for you.

And if it turns out that the person banging at the door is some lost drunk, or emotionally challenged person having a problem, you can apologize for spraying them with Pepper Spray when they calm down...

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

We seem to have gotten a bit off-topic here. Returning to the retracting steps discussion, I really don't see much of a difference in terms giving a bad guy an advantage. It may be a little easier to see in the entry door window, but that's about it. Anyone pounding on my door at night will result in the security lights being turned on immediately so than a threat assessment can be made..

So, I'm not seeing the advantage to bringing the steps in each night. And, as I said in a previous post, I think any perceived advantage is more than offset by the additional wear and tear on the already troublesome steps.

I do like the cautions regarding using a firearm that @JoeHogan posted above, however. Doing so brings with it many legal, moral and psychological ramifications.

TJ