Patent ID: 6942271

Claim:
A step apparatus being selectively attached to and extended outwardly away from an inner surface of a tailgate, said apparatus comprising: a ladder assembly including a pair of side rails and a plurality of steps being attached to and extending between said side rails, each of said side rails including a first end and a second end, each of said side rails being divided into a plurality of segments such that a plurality of ladder sections are defined, said sections being hingedly coupled together such that each of said sections may be selectively positioned in an extended position linearly aligned with an adjacent one of said sections or in a stored position folded onto an adjacent one of said sections, said sections including at least three sections; a bracket assembly being hingedly coupled to said first ends of each of said side rails, said bracket assembly being removably attached to the inner surface of the tailgate, wherein sections of said side rails are stacked on said inner surface when said sections are in said stored position; at least one handrail having a pair of legs and a central portion extending between said legs such that said handrail is generally U-shaped, each of said legs having a free end, at least one of said side rails having a plurality of wells therein, said free ends being removably extendable into wells when said sections are in extended position such that said legs generally extend upwardly from said wells; and at least two couplers, each of said couplers being attached to said bracket assembly, each of said couplers being adapted for selectively attaching one of said free ends of said legs to said bracket assembly such that said central portion extends over said sections when said sections are in said stored position.