Heininger 3045 PortablePET Twistep Dog Hitch Step for Pickup Trucks

Very handy. Easy to open up or swing underneath the truck. Very sturdy. Works well for my Aussies at 60-70 lbs each. Taught all 3 of my dogs (7 y.o, 11 &14 y.o) how to use it in about 2 minutes per dog.

this is an interesting product which may work well on large SUVS and trucks. It does not work on my Subaru Forrester because it falls too low under the trunk. Before you purchase this item be sure you can or have someone available to install it. Also check that you purchased the right one for your "car." Go back to the Manufacturers site to check on specifications. I had to get a mechanic to redesign to fit the subaru trailer attachment andnow I have to lift it in and out of the car and weights a lot.

The media could not be loaded. I am a professional dog handler that takes packs of dogs off leash hiking on trails around Salt Lake City daily. I drive around and pick them up at their homes, take them hiking for a couple hours and drop them back off afterward. I drive a 2021 Tacoma TRD off road and the dogs ride in the back of the pickup. That can be a very high jump for some of my older or smaller dogs, so I bought this to help them get in and out, and to save my back from having lift them!It was VERY easy to install in the trailer hitch of my Tacoma and the instructions were very clear. It's very heavy duty, EXTREMELY sturdy and well made. Once it's swung out and locked into position, it's not going ANYWHERE. It doesn't wiggle or wobble in the least.I will say, some dogs are nervous to use the step at first, but they have all gotten used to it with enough help and practice and now they're mostly all comfortable using it. It has a great grip on the top surface so their paws don't slide around.The only issue(s) I've had with this step are;The first one I got had an issue with the pull pin that holds the step in place. Sometimes the pin would get stuck in the locked position and sometimes it wouldn't go down into place to lock it at all. I sent that one back and the second one I got has been perfect for many months now.The other issue isn't a problem with the step but more just something to be aware of. Even in my off road truck with big tires, I still have to be careful backing out of certain driveways or going over huge dips in the road or the step will bump or scrape against the asphalt. If you drive something shorter than a truck and plan to use this step, you may deal with frequent instances of bottoming out, so fair warning!In summary, because of my job I can't live without this step, but I think any dog owner who takes their dog with them frequently in the car would benefit from it! I highly recommend!I sincerely hope this review has been helpful to someone else! And yes, I paid full price for it. Feel free to ask any questions!

Pros: It seems moderately sturdy, but of course only time will tell. AFTER 6 MONTHS, I HAD TO REMOVE AND REINSTALL AN INTERIOR PLATE, WHICH GAVE ME ANOTHER 2 MONTHS OF USE. THE PINS WHICH LOCK EACH PART ARE JUST TOO SMALL AND FLIMSY. The flexibility of the joints is worrisome. The step has two pivots, one of which (the T-bar) is very easy to operate. The second pivot, to extend the step farther, is not easy to use. I expect it to get worse, as soon as some dirt or sand get in the small blue mechanism. This is, however, the only reasonable solution I've found for pickup beds and heavy dogs.Cons: It's very wobbly and loose - so much that I hesitate to stand on it, and my dogs so far refuse to put their weight on it. It comes with a small bolt, that is somehow supposed to stop the wobbling within the receiver, but the hole the bolt is intended for is not accessible, once you install the step. They need a new designer, lol. Maybe a design like the old expanding bolts for bicycle stems?

David got back to me. Easy fix, step is back to working great, and best customer service ever. Happy dogs. Happy owner.Exact same issue as the other reviewer: The T-Handle pin no longer catches. Step was working great since we bought it in December, our dogs were actually at the point of preferring it over the leap, but a month ago the pin stopped catching. The first time it didn't catch our Newfie tumbled as the step swerved out from under her and smashed into my shin. I'll spare everybody the gnar photographic proof of the shin incident.David from Heininger, cool to see you got back to the other reviewer. I'll try you on Monday. If I can get a longer T-pin I think the step will be back to working great. Happy to change my stars if so.

This product was expensive and I read the reviews from too top to bottom. After much deliberation and because there aren’t a lot of options out there, I decided to move forward with it and vowed to take super good care of it for hopes of creating longevity despite some reviews. I wash and lubricate this as advised. Four months into use, the T-bar portion broke. Snapped clean in half. Yikes! I let the company know and they told me I can buy a replacement part. I was a little peeved they didn’t offer to cover that cost because of how soon it broke but bought the park and fixed it. Six months later, the flat swivel function broke. No replacement part for that. Reported it to the company and didn’t even hear back. Spending hundreds of dollars for 10 months of a semi- working product? That’s a no for me. Will be finding another answer.

Just what I needed to assist my dogs into the back of our truck and for me when needing to get in the truck's bed as well. I've already had people ask me about the hitch step and try it out on my truck! This product performs to my expectations.....and they were high expectations!