No ladder= shoddy roof?

[Ptabaldwin]

Hi all,

Im new to the RV world, i am a traveling physical therapist that just recently got serious about buying a travel travel trailer. I was looking at a few 18-25ft double axel Jaycos at an RV show this weekend, and a salesman says to me that one of the models had a ladder on the back, and that if it didnt have a ladder, that meant the roof was shoddy and cant be stood on?? Ive been researching and learning 4yrs now prior to committing, and this is the first ive heard that. I want to be able to be on the roof to water seal and check AC and so on, and cant inagine they dont make them without knowing people will be doing that. Is this just a sales gimmick or is he speaking the truth about the ladder and roof?

[JFlightRisk]

Is Jayco the brand you're considering?

Our TT didn't have a ladder on it, when we first looked at it at the dealer. It can be a couple of things. Either it's an option, and the dealer can install it for you, like ours did, or there's no internal structure built into the rear wall to support one.

As far as the roof not being "walkable", Jayco's are. Other brands may be different. There are safe ways to be able to do it, from taking a section of plywood up with you, to spread out the load, to being careful to step on only where the rafters are located. You can see where they are one on the roof. A previous TT we owned only had thicker plywood at the rear 6 feet of the roof. I was up there many times.
We had our dealer add one on as part of the deal. I want access for cleaning and maintenance. For those with no ladder support structure, an extension ladder works.

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by Ptabaldwin

Hi all,

Im new to the RV world, i am a traveling physical therapist that just recently got serious about buying a travel travel trailer. I was looking at a few 18-25ft double axel Jaycos at an RV show this weekend, and a salesman says to me that one of the models had a ladder on the back, and that if it didnt have a ladder, that meant the roof was shoddy and cant be stood on?? Ive been researching and learning 4yrs now prior to committing, and this is the first ive heard that. I want to be able to be on the roof to water seal and check AC and so on, and cant inagine they dont make them without knowing people will be doing that. Is this just a sales gimmick or is he speaking the truth about the ladder and roof?

Why there is no ladder could be for various reasons, cost being #1, Liability #2.and some offer it as an option.

Not sure what model you are looking at, but this is on all of the specs I've seen on JAYCO's web site.

4,500 lbs. on a Jayco Roof
The Magnum Truss Roof System withstood 4,500 lbs., showing that Jayco's exclusive roof construction can hold a 50 percent heavier load than the competition. This strength translates into durability and is a result of superior quality construction.

Edit: JAY FLIGHT won..

[Route 66 Traveler]

When I bought my trailer I specified NO LADDER. The stock ladders are "Iffy" on the amount of weight they can support, and the mounting bolts are another point of entry for water. I opted for a portable, telescoping ladder that I can use to clean off my slide outs when needed and position it any where it's needed on the trailer. Light weight and easy to store and use.

As far as the roof supporting your weight, unless your an elephant you'll be just fine.....

My ladder:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1


PS: Most RV Show salesman don't know squat about the products they are trying to sell. RV Shows are about the worst place to get useful information. This Forum is full of highly trained experts who can help with almost any problem or question...so ask away....

[mokurt]

I'm 250 and walked mine that came with a ladder.its a 248rsbw.
As said above walk on the rafters.

I think all jaycos have the same roof integrity.

[Iraqvet05]

My guess is the salesman is trying to bait you into the service department (or maintenance plan) once they sell you a trailer. I can't speak for other manufacturers but I have walked on the roof of both of the Flights we have owned and felt confident they weren't going to collapse under my 220 lb frame. Neither had the optional ladder.

[jpgale]

I am 340 and my jay flight does not have a ladder (It is an option and not rated for my weight). I have been on my roof, admittedly on my hands and knees as I am not a fan of heights. The roof between rafters flexed a little but it felt secure, I try and only place weight on the rafters. I found with the right ladders I only need to be on the roof to actually repair stuff (which I have not yet)

[LuckyDuck]

On our model, ladders only came on the Rocky Mountain/Baja editions. We didn’t opt for that, and like Route 66, got this telescoping one: https://www.amazon.com/Lionladder-Te...H7CR7CVAD13ED8 .
I love it and can use it for other things too. Our roof is plenty solid for me, walking carefully. Take what salesmen say with a grain, or maybe a truckload, of salt .

[Jose&Kristen]

I agree with Route 66 Traveler. The salesman was talking out of his @$$.

No ladder on our TT, but the roof is not shoddy, nor did it show any weakness when I walked on it. The suggestions here about aiming for structurally supported areas are spot on. But you’d do that on any roof.

[SloPoke]

Lots of RV's are built with roofs that are not up to the standards that those who purchase RV's would expect. Even those with the best reputation in the RV industry.

... but I have never found that the presence or absence of a roof top ladder was an indication of the quality of that manufacturer's roof.

you might ask the Salesperson if they used to sell used cars....

[Kahoneys]

Our Open Range (now owned by Jayco) came with a ladder that you had to hook on to brackets. I liked it for then I knew that no kids or unwanted guests were crawling on my roof but when I wanted to get up I pulled it from the basement and in 15 seconds was on my roof!

[skids]

Maybe the salesman also sells Keystones. They say, if there is no ladder, you do not walk on the roof.

[WeRJuliian]

I seem to recall that the advertising for Jayco TT's used to include video of a couple of fairly hefty guys jumping up and down on the roof.

One thing to be wary of, though... the plastic "skin" on the roof is fragile, so, while you can walk on it, you need to be careful not to tear it

[skids]

Also, around the AC there might have been a sawed crossbeam on each side. Be careful when putting down your weight there. If you need to do some work there, use a 2x6 or something to bridge your body weight across about 6 feet - front to back.

[Ptabaldwin]

U weight 98lbs soaking wet. No elephants here luckily. Never thought of it as a port of entry for water and i definitely want to minimize that. Ill look into that ladder, seems the way to go. Mine will not be having slideouts luckily

[Ptabaldwin]

He did also sell keystones. It was a camping world salesman. Interesting in why keystones cant be walked on now??

[Ptabaldwin]

Hahahah, thanks, i mean it sounded weird to me XD

[Ptabaldwin]

Interesting, i had a feeling. Thanks for the comments everyone, y'all are super helpful

[DennisH]

When we bought our Hummingbird 16 MRB, they told me not to go on the roof because it's not made to be on, so it depends on the model.

[flintsters]

I have a slightly different opinion than everyone else. I have a 2012 29' Jay Feather...they are built to be lightweight and didn't come with a ladder. While cleaning the roof one time I stepped in a spot and it made some splintering sounds so I quickly moved away from that area (and haven't stepped there since). When I heard this same question posed a couple of years ago it made me wonder so I inquired with Jayco to see what they said. While they obviously didn't say they built a shoddy roof, they did say it was 3/16" plywood on the roof so if I HAD to get on the roof then crawl on my hands and knees or get a small piece of plywood to distribute the weight. With that said, I have been on the roof a handful of times but am considerably more cautious and insecure being up there than before. I am sharing this because I do think that there are situations where Jayco does build trailers that are not necessarily designed for walking on and we need to be cautious with some models. With that said, I still love my trailer (except for the small tanks).