One Step Less

Our camper van had a step when we bought it. It was electrically operated and needed a little help to move even when we picked up the vehicle for the first time. It is also the lowest point of the van and on our rougher roads it got bashed a couple of times. It seemed to collect grit and stones when we drove on the gravel roads. We weren't surprised when it eventually stopped working.
It is a rather long way down to the ground but there are plenty of cheap and light steps that you just put on the ground, and which serve just as well as the original did.
Finally we decided the best solution was to remove the broken step. Since it was a sunny day and the ground is fairly dry this seemed a good day to do the deed, as shown in today's picture.
The step hangs from four bolts and all were somewhat bent. One had to be sawed off, one had to be straightened with a club hammer but finally the step was removed. So now the step is gone and the van is about 10 kilos lighter.
I'm planning to strip down the step and see if I can get it working again. If I can we'll consider putting it back on again, but right now it seems to be more trouble that it's worth!