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Universal roof ladder
Posted: 23 Sep 2015, 08:14
by alank950
Anyone fit one of these ...wondering if they are any good or how easy they are to fit
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aluminium-Rea ... 0122192211" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Re: Universal roof ladder
Posted: 23 Sep 2015, 15:06
by CovKid
Bottom needs screwing into bodywork. Depends where you live and how often you need to climb up. My gut feeling is it just invites scrotes to jump all over your roof.
Re: Universal roof ladder
Posted: 23 Sep 2015, 16:07
by marlinowner
I've fitted one of those, it requires quite a bit of modification to the top to meet the curve of the tailgate above the window - doable but tricky to make it look smart under close examination (at least for me). Saying that, it is surprisingly robust for its cost and lightness.
There are some photos of my ladder (with spare wheel mounted on it) here
https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... it=+Ladder" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Re: Universal roof ladder
Posted: 23 Sep 2015, 16:56
by alank950
marlinowner wrote:I've fitted one of those, it requires quite a bit of modification to the top to meet the curve of the tailgate above the window - doable but tricky to make it look smart under close examination (at least for me). Saying that, it is surprisingly robust for its cost and lightness.
There are some photos of my ladder (with spare wheel mounted on it) here
https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... it=+Ladder" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Can you explain the modification?
This is aluminium and cannot be welded ..I think I will need to add something till it so I can bolt it on.Did you fold the bracket around the door edge and bolt it from the inside?
Good little ladder I think for the price if I can make it work
Re: Universal roof ladder
Posted: 23 Sep 2015, 17:32
by marlinowner
There are captive nuts inside the ladder tubes for the brackets to bolt to, I drove these further in and cut the tubes to match the slope of the tailgate at the top, then made some hooks from aluminium bar to bolt to the captive nuts and hook over the door, with some sheet rubber under the hooks to protect the paintwork. I then put the ladder under tension by pulling it down at the bottom and fixed the lower brackets to the tailgate.
Re: Universal roof ladder
Posted: 23 Sep 2015, 17:38
by marlinowner
I have wondered since if I could have just flattened the top of the tubes and shaped them into hooks, but would probably have to extract the captive nuts somehow and I'm not sure if the tubes would be long enough.
Re: Universal roof ladder
Posted: 24 Sep 2015, 07:41
by alank950
marlinowner wrote:I have wondered since if I could have just flattened the top of the tubes and shaped them into hooks, but would probably have to extract the captive nuts somehow and I'm not sure if the tubes would be long enough.
Why not use the captive bolts already inside the tubes and just bolt the ladder till the door as the photos illustrate in the ebay listing?.
Re: Universal roof ladder
Posted: 25 Sep 2015, 09:35
by marlinowner
The ladders too long, you would have to shorten it or bend the tubes over at the top until they met the top of the door. An unlimited supply of ladders would be nice to try different solutions to see which worked best...
Re: Universal roof ladder
Posted: 25 Sep 2015, 12:41
by alank950
That's what I was wondering ,as I have measured the back of the van ...I can make this fit ok I think
Re: Universal roof ladder
Posted: 01 Oct 2015, 14:41
by alank950
I assume a syncro ladder will fit my van ok??
see pic
http://i964.photobucket.com/albums/ae12 ... iofz9k.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Re: Universal roof ladder
Posted: 01 Oct 2015, 18:23
by silverbullet
There is no such thing as a syncro ladder...
Re: Universal roof ladder
Posted: 01 Oct 2015, 18:44
by alank950
silverbullet wrote:There is no such thing as a syncro ladder...
Can you answer the question since you seem to know so much about them then?
Re: Universal roof ladder
Posted: 01 Oct 2015, 18:47
by marlinowner
Tailgate is the same on syncro and 2wd so answer is yes.
Re: Universal roof ladder
Posted: 01 Oct 2015, 18:52
by alank950
Thanks just want to be shure .

Re: Universal roof ladder
Posted: 07 Oct 2015, 12:13
by alank950
When fitting this ladder do I drill right through the door and bold from the inside.Are there special bolts for this?