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Telescoping Ladder Suggestions


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Watching, 

I purchased a "Folding" Warner Ladder many years ago. It goes up to almost 20 feet, but is big bulky and difficult to use. Folds into 4 5ish foot sections and can be used as a small short scaffold, but you need a wide sturdy board to walk on. Using the rungs is a recipe for disaster. 

 

Rod

White 2000/2010Volvo VNL 770 with 7' Drom box with opposing doors,  JOST slider hitch. 600 HP Cummins Signature 18 Speed three pedal auto shift.

1999 Isuzu VehiCross retired to a sticks and bricks garage. Brought out of storage the summer of 2022

2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport S Two door hard top.

2007 Honda GL 1800

2013 Space Craft Mfg S420 Custom built Toyhauler

The Gold Volvo is still running and being emptied in July. 

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We went with this one, pretty happy with it:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08XLQ8ZNB/

One thing I will say about these extension ladders, though, is that when you don't need the full height, that last step can be tough, as you'll have several "steps" collapsed to make one BIG step.

You said 12-15', but I find that this one works just fine to get up on top of my 13'6" (all things height) fifth wheel.  Hmmm.  Well, I went to my Amazon orders to see what I had gotten, mine is actually 15.5 feet.  Either they don't sell it anymore or.... I don't know.  Mine is also not orange like the picture.  Here is my order pic:
image.png.189a5da82262ee4974e28d3118f5ad33.png

 

Sorry, this post might not have ben a lot of help.  I will say that I bought it, primarily, because I HATE the ladder on our rig.  Not this ladder specifically, but rather how close it is to the rig, and just so vertical.  We have a toy hauler, therefore the ladder is on the side.  And it folds out and in.  I take the telescoping ladder, at an angle, and hook it over the top of the rig's ladder.  Just feel so much safer to me.

Good luck in your ladder-hunt.

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I bought this one in 2017. I paid about $350 then.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003KGBIKC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The ladder extends above the 5er roof line but I put it next to a slide and step off onto the slide roof.

I ordered our 5er without an OEM ladder so definitely needed a way to get on the roof.

I opted for a telescoping ladder because it didn't take up much room in the basement.

 

Kim and Betsy

2017 F450 Lariat

2017 Arctic Fox 35-5Z

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I bought a standard 16 foot extension ladder. Many of the telescoping ladder are not solid me or getting heavy. The 16 foot extension ladder is light weight (important for me) and just fits in the basement. I don't consider this ladder a daily user as I have items stored on top of the ladder.

Clay

Clay & Marcie Too old to play in the snow

Diesel pusher and previously 2 FW and small Class C

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  • 2 weeks later...

i have never understood a ladder than collapses for storage. as how can it be safe for a 200+ pound man to be working on.

as just trying to get up it, the 200 pounds becomes a LOT more pushing the body up, or "wiggling" around doing something.

one would think the hold outs would fail and the ladder would collapse while you are on it. and a couple i have seen move around as in Not stable in the build. like a fixed ladder is. weight can even be heaver due to more material in the tubing.

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5 hours ago, packnrat said:

i have never understood a ladder than collapses for storage. as how can it be safe for a 200+ pound man to be working on.

as just trying to get up it, the 200 pounds becomes a LOT more pushing the body up, or "wiggling" around doing something.

one would think the hold outs would fail and the ladder would collapse while you are on it. and a couple i have seen move around as in Not stable in the build. like a fixed ladder is. weight can even be heaver due to more material in the tubing.

I have carried a telescoping ladder on my step deck to get on top of loads for many years. I don't use it a whole lot, but it works perfectly and I feel completely safe on it. But then, I'm not 200# plus, soooo.. It is something of a pain to put up and down, but I don't use it often enough to matter. Jay

 

 
 
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We have carried a Little Giant folding ladder for 8 years and it's been great for us. Paid $149.00 for it  at Costco and it fits real nice in the basement of the fifth wheel.

 

Dave

2004 Volvo 630 left tandem with 12 speed Freedomline

2014 Sandpiper 35 ROK 42' fifth wheel

Western Golf & Country Cart (EZ-GO frame)

 

 

 

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FYI, OSHA and general safety rules require a ladder to extend 3' past the top of the roof. I never gave that much thought when i was  <60 years of age, now in my 70's I really need that 3' of ladder to remain steady transitioning from roof to ladder or visa versa.

Edited by Ray,IN

 

2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.  John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961

 

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1 hour ago, Ray,IN said:

now in my 70's I really need that 3' of ladder to remain steady transitioning from roof to ladder or visa versa.

Now in my late 70's I just stay off of the roof of the RV and pay others to do what must be done there. I stopped going up there after I saw another "old guy" slip on the ladder of his motorhome and end up hanging upside down by one leg, after that foot went between the rungs of the ladder and into the space between the ladder and the rear cap. 

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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Thanks Ray and Kirk for causing me to recalibrate my risk assessment of getting on and off my roof.

I use the rear ladder on my fifth wheel to get up on my roof for inspection/cleaning.  I think it has about 1.5 foot of railing above the roof.  But it's solidly attached, unlike a ladder.  Still, I do find it awkward to make the transition off and on.  In my case, the most risky activity is probably carrying 5 gallon bucket of water and other smaller items up the ladder.  This seems like an accident waiting to happen. I need to adopt a safer approach.

--------------------------

I purchased a 22' Little Giant, for my two story house, and anticipated using it with my 13+ ft truck and 5th wheel trailer.  I've used it a few times at my house.  It's very sturdy and versatile.  But it's bulky and heavier than most alternatives. I've used the standoff option for some exterior work on my house and to wash my truck and it works better than tying rags around the top of a ladder.  My favorite option is the "work platform".  Here's a small (8MB) video describing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raQtR9BVjV0


------------------------

However, I think it's very unlikely for a Little Giant to be the best choice for someone's RVing Van.  A collapsible one does seem more practical.  One consideration that hasn't been mentioned. Is the treads.  One inch wide, or even worse, a tube will likely be very uncomfortable standing on it after more than a brief period of time.

Sorry for contributing to the thread drift.

p.s. This seems like a reasonably inexpensive way for me to reduce the risk carrying things up to the roof.

https://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Bucket-Shoulder-Carrying-Strap/dp/B07F6P6C3F/ref=pd_rhf_cr_s_vtp_ses_clicks_nonshared_3?pd_rd_w=lDJ7Z&pf_rd_p=f818a79d-4393-4f85-8a51-3c71ea371f3e&pf_rd_r=90330RATF0RYK955MV4B&pd_rd_r=8def31bd-101e-4449-a60b-47a6e16af653&pd_rd_wg=DQsbL&pd_rd_i=B07F6P6C3F&psc=1

Edited by DanZemke
Additional info

Volvo 770, New Horizons Majestic and an upcoming Smart car

 

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10 minutes ago, DanZemke said:

I use the rear ladder on my fifth wheel to get up on my roof for inspection/cleaning. 

That is exactly what the "old guy" I posted about above was doing. He got a wet shoe on the second rung of the ladder, while hanging on to the curved rails that rise up from the roof and bend around to become the vertical side rails of the ladder. As he was lowering his other foot to the third rung, the first wet shoe slipped toward the motorhome's rear cap, sliding off of the rung and down between the run and the fiberglass rear cap. Somehow he lost his grip on the side rails as his body dropped toward that rung and he went over backward, ending with his head down and his right leg bent over the rung that his foot had slipped off of. The stopped hanging by his right leg, head down until help arrived. Fortunately other saw his accident and help came quickly, but he was taken by ambulance and I never heard the final outcome. We were parked some distance away and I only became aware of the accident when all the noise and commotion began as efforts began to rescue him. What I saw when I arrived at the site is something that I will never forget and can visualize in great detail, even though it has been nearly 5 years ago. 

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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Kirk,

Genuine thanks for the vivid description of a real accident.  I vaguely remember a similar story (albeit without such a a bad outcome) of one of the rungs on a Teton ladder breaking while someone was climbing up it.

That said, although I am 72 years old, I haven't experienced a significant physical decline in the last decade or two.  I realize that I'm extremely fortunate.  For me, I don't think that climbing up on my trailer's roof is overly risky.  However I am very careful when doing so. 

Perhaps I'm foolish, but I'm looking forward to down hill skiing again, with my good friends next year for a week or so above Lake Tahoe.  That is probably more risky than using the roof ladder, but I'm not willing to give either up until I really need to. 🙂

Volvo 770, New Horizons Majestic and an upcoming Smart car

 

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38 minutes ago, DanZemke said:

Perhaps I'm foolish, but I'm looking forward to down hill skiing again, with my good friends next year for a week or so above Lake Tahoe.  That is probably more risky than using the roof ladder, but I'm not willing to give either up until I really need to.

I'm not a skier, but understand that choice as I have similar priorities that I choose the risks I take and put several hobbies above most risk prone work.  If I remember accurately, the person in the accident was somewhere around 75. At the time I was about 73 and am 78 now. I never really liked working on the roof even as a much younger person so it was not difficult to give up doing so. 

Edited by Kirk W

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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