Ladder for MCI

[CountingFireflies]

All -
Some time ago, we all talked about ladders and all agreed we wanted ladders, but couldn't figure out how to do it easily.  I've since mounted a few solar panels on the roof, and now I can't get up there to tilt them, so I'm on the search for ladders again.  I was stuck in traffic in Tucson parked next to a fire truck, and found these:

http://www.worktruck-outfitters.com/folding-step-diecast-zinc-aluminum-alloy-chrome-plated-fs200chr-p-1538.html

I'm thinking I can mount 3-4 of them up the side of the bus, and one on the top to scurry up and down with.

So, my question firstly, has anyone done this?  AND, will the side of the bus hold me?

Thanks for all the input as always;

Chris.

[buswarrior]

Provided you get them fastened to something of substance inside.

There are fancier ones out there, that can't fall open on their own, they slip down into a bit of a pocket when stowed, and have to lift slightly and then flip out. No springs or other moving parts, just two castings that fit together.

Mounted to the sides of streetcars, trams, electric trolley buses, for generations, in order to get on the roof for pole maintenance.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Sean]

You may never encounter a problem, but before you move forward with this you should know that technically it is unlawful for you to have these on the side of your coach in most states, since it is already 102" wide.  The only items on the coach that can protrude further than the 102" are "legally required safety equipment" which include such items as mirrors, marker lights, and reflectors.

Lots of folks get away with it -- I see 102" coaches all the time with awnings, slide-toppers, and even side ladders (on toy haulers) wider than 102" driving around all the time.  For the most part, they don't get stopped.  But all it takes is one hard-@$# trooper and you can be cited, fined, and forced to get overdimensional permits, pilot cars, and a CDL driver to even move the coach off the highway where you got stopped, all the way to the state line, or else bring the coach into compliance with the state's dimensional limits.

You can avoid this problem by installing them on the rear rather than the side.  Or you can come up with a solution that is somehow recessed into the coach side so that it does not protrude beyond the 102" limit.

Fire trucks and other emergency vehicles, the target market for this item, don't have to worry about it -- they're exempt.

FWIW.

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

[wildbob24]

I can see using one of these to reach something that is a foot or two over your head, but to use them to climb up and down a 12.5 foot tall bus sounds like a recipe for disaster. As in broken bones or worse.

I carry a telescoping ladder. It takes up minimal bay space and is much safer, IMHO.

Like this:

http://www.acehardwaresuperstore.com/167-aluminum-extension/921.html

Bob

[junkman42]

Chris, I have folding steps similar to the ones in the ad on My motorsail boat!  They are stainless and have a sharp grip surface so far I have never slipped or busted My old backside!  Ray Stiltner had them up the side of His newmar and at eighty climbed up on the roof quite easily!  As to the police when the steps are folded up they only protrude about three quarters of a inch.  Look at bosun's supply for stainless steps.  Regards John L

[brando4905]

I favor the telescoping ladders too, Bob. I bought one like this on ebay a couple years back and it works great, http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-12-5FT-ALUMINUM-ALLOY-TELESCOPIC-TELESCOPING-EXTENDABLE-LADDER-EXTEND-/150766894074?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item231a683bfa#ht_3394wt_1697

A lot cheaper than the ones at Camping World.

[Scott & Heather]

I've always climbed in and out of my roof hatches...I'm going to get one of those chain link emergency ladders (for second story homes) and rig it so that I can hook it to the interior ceiling and use it to get on and off the roof. I just hate ladders.

[oldmansax]

My Wanderlodge has a ladder mounted on the back. It is in two pieces. The bottom is wider than the top so when you open the hood the ladders don't hit. Very simple.

TOM

[Lin]

I also have the extending ladder bought online in the $100+ range.  I personally would not try to go up the side of my bus due to the roof curvature.  I want a good square edge to step onto.  Further, it is nice to have the ladder extended enough beyond the roof line to have something to hold on to when transferring from the ladder to the roof and back.  I don't mind the idea of falling much-- it's the hitting the ground that bothers me.

Another thing is that that is just a very useful ladder to have around for other things.

[Iceni John]

I've always climbed in and out of my roof hatches...I'm going to get one of those chain link emergency ladders (for second story homes) and rig it so that I can hook it to the interior ceiling and use it to get on and off the roof. I just hate ladders.

I also use my emergency roof hatches/ventilators to easily and safely get onto the roof.   A 6-foot step ladder inside is high enough to get through them, and back down!   I don't want ladders mounted outside, because they're an invitation for undesirables to also get onto the roof  -  I'll eventually have about 2000W of PV panels up there, so I don't want to make it easy for someone to steal them.   Because my roof is more curved than most buses, I will have a walkway along the center between the two hatches made from 12"-wide diamond-plate aluminum, and this will give me a safe place to walk without damaging the roof or falling off, and I can hinge the panels to it (but that's a whole other project!).

John

[artvonne]

  Just a thought for us curved roof guys. Some grit in the paint down the center section of the roof wouldnt be a bad idea. A fall from that high could kill, if not maim you for life.

[Scott & Heather]

  Just a thought for us curved roof guys. Some grit in the paint down the center section of the roof wouldnt be a bad idea. A fall from that high could kill, if not maim you for life.

yah...you're not kidding. Just finished washing our entire coach by hand today and standing up there...wow. It's high up. With our 9 inch roof raise, we're up at around 12 feet. I'm six feet tall, so standing on the roof, my eyeline is nearly 18 feet up.

[artvonne]

  Someone here, I cant recall who, maybe BCO? They said a neighbor put his foot through a roof vent while up on the roof of their RV, lost his balance and fell to his death. I'm sure its quite rare to fall off the roof, but its not a fall we want to risk. Lets all be careful while were up there.

  I think going up through the escape hatch is likely about as safe a way up as we could find, lacking a built in ladder. I thought about a ladder, but didnt want one for all the reasons that have been stated, plus it makes the rig look like an RV. A light bunk bed type ladder that would allow roof access through the hatchway could be stored out of the way just about anywhere quite easily.

[Ed Hackenbruch]

 That was me Paul, it was the neighbor of a friend of ours who is just a couple of blocks away from us here in Yuma. Happened 2 years ago.

[artvonne]

  Sorry, Ed, that is just simply really tragic.