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Old 04-04-2012, 05:37 PM   #1
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Bolt a Ladder On?

Greetings all! We just picked up our 2012 32BHDS, and are very excited.

One feature it did not come with from the factory was the ladder. I consider it critical to have the ability to get up on the roof if need be, so asked the dealer to price out a Jayco ladder to be added at our first service appointment later in May. They came back with a pretty affordable price... $195. So I figured I'd definitely have them put it on.

But now I'm wondering if this is a good idea. How likely is it that, no matter how good a job they do, it will eventually leak and cause a bunch of damage?

If you purchased a trailer without the ladder, would you bolt one on, or buy a regular ladder and tote it around with you everywhere you went?
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Old 04-04-2012, 06:12 PM   #2
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Without supports or some kind of backing, good luck trying to bolt one on. You will be screwing into 1/4" plywood and there's no way to thru-bolt it without causing a lot of damage to the interior wall.. Also, any hole drilled, regardless of how well sealed is a potential leak. I bought a collapseable ladder that rides under the queen size bed until I need it.
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Old 04-04-2012, 07:26 PM   #3
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Without supports or some kind of backing, good luck trying to bolt one on. You will be screwing into 1/4" plywood and there's no way to thru-bolt it without causing a lot of damage to the interior wall.
Interesting. I guess I assumed they'd bolt it to the anchor points used to secure ladders normally installed at the factory. Figured regardless of whether the ladder came on the trailer or not, the anchor points would be there. If they're not there, without doubt I wouldn't want to install the ladder.
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Old 04-04-2012, 09:41 PM   #4
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I would ask the dealer when they install the ladder if it will be bolted into supports or just 1/4 wood. Maybe I am wrong but every trailer that goes down the assembly line is built the same way, with all the supports there but some trailers are not optioned out with a ladder. Just have to know where the supports are to install the ladder properly. Make sure that everyplace where the ladder connects to it is sealed good. Ernie
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Old 04-04-2012, 11:30 PM   #5
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Call Jayco and ask them to send you the diagram of where the studs are in the rear wall. Then ensure your dealer has mounted the ladder in the correct location. You should see if there is the same TT at a dealership with a ladder and then take measurements to see if yours is installed the same way.
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Old 08-10-2017, 02:20 PM   #6
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$195 for a ladder has to be somewhere north of 250% markup for the dealer. A quick search online for a universal ladder yields prices from $78 to $88.

I'd either tote a ladder with me, or get a universal ladder (which is probably pretty much like the off-the-shelf ladder that Jayco uses) and put it on myself.
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Old 08-10-2017, 03:31 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lurker! View Post
If you purchased a trailer without the ladder, would you bolt one on, or buy a regular ladder and tote it around with you everywhere you went?
I purchased the trailer WITH the ladder and now wish that I hadn't. The ladder is very cheap and moves quite a bit when you climb it. It produces 2 holes in the roof that require constant inspection and maintenance. It is in a fixed position and requires you to actually stand and walk on the roof to get anywhere besides the back corner. Also, I believe that the ladders require blocking behind the exterior skin to properly support the ladder. As much movement as that ladder makes with proper bracing, I would hate to climb up one that didn't have that blocking!!!

I would suggest buying a collapsible ladder and using that. They are light weight and fold down pretty small. They don't require a hole in your rubber roof material. You can move them to wherever you need (over by the slide if you need to clean it off, over to the front gutter to clear an obstruction, etc.). You don't need any blocking installed for a moveable ladder.
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