Ladders and Liability

[Dustdevil]

Was thinking the other day about ladders on RVs. Most of us have a ladder as a permanent fixture on our RVs, and it makes it easy to get up on the roof for maintenance, etc. But have any of you thought about it also being easy for neighborhood kids, or kids who come to an RV storage lot with their parents to climb aboard anyone's RV? And the possibility that they could actually fall off that RV? Does anyone take steps to make it more difficult for anyone besides yourself to climb up there?

If so, what do you do? Some of the newer RVs have ladders that are hinged halfway up, and the ladder has to be pulled down by an adult to be usable. Mostly, it's to free up the door to a storage area.

I am in a neighborhood that has a fair number of little tykes dashing up and down the street, and when I think back about when I was a kid, that ladder on the neighbor's RV would have been irresistible to me and to my friends.

[Homersimpson]

All you would need to keep kids off is something to cover the lower few feet of the ladder rungs, not all the way to the top. A 4' piece of plywood or OSB, width of the ladder rungs and clamped over the outside of the ladder, would do it, for example. Just unclamp and remove before traveling. Use a lock instead of the clamp if you really cannot trust the local kiddies.

If you intend to leave this cover on during travel, make it lightweight like aluminum or fiberglass, and fasten it well so it doesn't blow off and strike another car at 60 mph.

[Dustdevil]

Yep. I was thinking of forming an aluminum skin for the bottom half of the ladder, with a lock and a couple of hinges to allow it to be easily and conveniently opened for the owner.

I can't imagine the thought of someone's 6 year old on top of that RV.

[spepi]

You could always run an old extension cord to it, find a place for it to stick inside so it looks live, and put a sign on it that reads High Voltage. That would slow them down and make them think twice

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by spepi

You could always run an old extension cord to it, find a place for it to stick inside so it looks live, and put a sign on it that reads High Voltage. That would slow them down and make them think twice

Knowing the brats I grew up with, "I double-dog-dare ya to touch it" would've been heard too often.

My vote is for a good, solid, LOCKED, cover.

[bansai]

We have a ton of kids on our street too. My daughter likes to sit at the top of the ladder which gives the neigborhood kids even more motivation to do the same.

I'm really not sure if I have any plans to lock mine down somehow. Personal responsibility still has a place I hope.

We have some really good 'climbing trees' on our property too. If a kid climbs my tree and falls off, can I get sued over that too? Wouldn't surprise me, but I'm not going to sweat it. 'bigger fish to fry' I think in this case.

Everyone here on the forum most likely survived worse things than finding an unsecured ladder. Times have changed, but I guess that's what home owners insurance and common sense are for.

[Dustdevil]

Originally Posted by spepi

You could always run an old extension cord to it, find a place for it to stick inside so it looks live, and put a sign on it that reads High Voltage. That would slow them down and make them think twice

The sign won't work.

Originally Posted by mike837go

Knowing the brats I grew up with, "I double-dog-dare ya to touch it" would've been heard too often.

My vote is for a good, solid, LOCKED, cover.

OK, this is what the legal profession would view as "reasonable and thoughtful precaution". I think.

Originally Posted by bansai

We have a ton of kids on our street too. My daughter likes to sit at the top of the ladder which gives the neigborhood kids even more motivation to do the same.

I'm really not sure if I have any plans to lock mine down somehow. Personal responsibility still has a place I hope.

We have some really good 'climbing trees' on our property too. If a kid climbs my tree and falls off, can I get sued over that too? Wouldn't surprise me, but I'm not going to sweat it. 'bigger fish to fry' I think in this case.

Everyone here on the forum most likely survived worse things than finding an unsecured ladder. Times have changed, but I guess that's what home owners insurance and common sense are for.

The stuff we survived should be enshrined in a book somewhere. What not to do, LOL! Yeah, my nature tends to think we all get what we ask for. But man, if that was a grandchild of mine, or one of the little dudes next door, I would never sleep again. I think I might devise something simple and useful and see if it's something others would want to use. Cheap and effective.

[The Logans]

Tie a Pit Bull to the ladder.... :-)

[BCK]

We don't have to worry about neighbor kids because ours sits in our fenced/gated back yard where the dog roams freely but have chased my own kids off the tt roof more than once.

It has an ADCO cover on for the winter that is effectively keeping the ladder covered and kids off.

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by The Logans

Tie a Pit Bull to the ladder.... :-)

That'll work great!

Until another critter wanders into your yard....

And you watch the RV being dragged backwards across the street!