A few months back, I noticed something off with our RV entry—our sagging RV steps were starting to feel unstable. What began as a small crack in the threshold turned out to be a bigger issue with how the stair system was originally built.
At first, I figured it was just the result of the constant 7.0-magnitude earthquake feeling that comes with rolling down the highway in a Class A RV. But a month later, I spotted something more concerning: the retractable stairs were starting to sag on the back side when stepping in or out.
It was time to crawl under and investigate.
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Why Do RV Steps Start to Sag?
Let’s be honest—RV manufacturers are notorious for cutting corners. They use the cheapest materials possible in places they shouldn’t, and our motorhome’s steps were no exception.
After some digging, I found that the internal stair box is held together with aluminum angle—think aluminum “angle iron,” although it’s not iron at all. One of these flimsy pieces had cracked. The culprit? A 1½” wide, 1/16″ thick aluminum angle. That’s way too thin to handle the leverage of a retractable stair system. Even worse, they only used two screws per bracket. No wonder it failed.
My First Attempt at a Fix (Don’t Do This)
Thinking it was just a fluke, I replaced the broken piece with the same-sized aluminum angle. Mistake. A month later, I noticed the same sagging. Sure enough, the new piece had cracked in exactly the same spot. Lesson learned: if it broke once, it’ll probably break again—especially if you use the same weak material.
Fixing It for Good (Hopefully)
The second time around, I did it right. I swapped out the flimsy aluminum for a piece of steel angle iron—same 1½” width, but 1/8″ thick. That’s double the thickness and a whole lot sturdier.
Tools and Materials I Used
Here’s everything I used to make this repair—with links to the exact products I recommend:
- 🔩 1½” x 1/8″ Steel Angle Iron – Steel Angle Iron on Amazon
- 🔧 Cordless Drill/Driver – Kobalt 24V Max Lithium Ion 1/2″ Cordless Brushless Drill
- 🪛 Screw Assortment – Self-Tapping Sheet Metal Screws
- 🛠️ Angle Grinder – Kobalt 5″ 24V Max Cordless Angle Grinder
- ✅ Safety Gear – Work Gloves | Safety Glasses | Hearing Protection
I cut the steel angle to size and fastened it using more than 20 screws. The install was mostly straightforward—although I had to work around the propane tank, which made for some awkward angles. Still, the heavier-duty support means no more step sagging and no more cracked threshold (fingers crossed).
Replacing the Threshold – The Parts Runaround
Getting the threshold replaced was another headache. I contacted Thor Customer Support, and they gave me a part number. I ordered it through Camping World in Reno and waited three weeks, only to receive the wrong part. What I needed was the threshold extension piece—not the full threshold they sent me.
After another round of emails and phone calls with Thor, I finally got the correct part. Unfortunately, I was still out of the money for the incorrect one. Just another example of how dealing with RV manufacturers can be frustrating.
Final Thoughts
Modern RVs are built cheaply—there’s no other way to put it. Manufacturers cut corners in areas that really matter, like structural supports for stair systems. It wouldn’t cost them much more to do it right the first time.
If your RV steps are sagging, I highly recommend climbing under and taking a look. Odds are you’ve got the same cheap materials failing under stress. A few bucks in steel, some elbow grease, and a drill can save you from further headaches (and trips to the chiropractor).
Got your own RV horror stories?
Drop us a comment below—we’d love to hear what parts of your rig have given you trouble and how you tackled the fix. Let’s help each other out!
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