Storing the telescope ladder

[Mjgman]

Okay all you engineers I want to store my telescoping ladder under the coach next to the spare tire... Any ideas? I was thinking about bungee cords but I'm a little worried that they won't hold... I guess I could use straps.. Just want to make sure it doesn't come off while we are going down the highway..

[FollySteve]

Ratchet type tie-down straps would be much more secure. I would use 4 (2 on each end) just to be certain.

[Wayne&Sam]

Or even nylon straps with spring loaded buckles that bite into the strap to keep it tight. I've used them to keep a generator on top of my battery box without a problem.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Mjgman

Okay all you engineers I want to store my telescoping ladder under the coach next to the spare tire... Any ideas? I was thinking about bungee cords but I'm a little worried that they won't hold... I guess I could use straps.. Just want to make sure it doesn't come off while we are going down the highway.

You also want to make sure it doesn't rattle or bang around from not being tight enough. For that reason I also recommend the ratchet straps instead of bungees. Just be sure you don't tighten them enough to bend anything important.

But I'll toss out another idea just for the sake of providing alternatives. Namely, a tray, hinged (piano hinge?) on the end farthest from the side of the van, that you can unlatch and tip down when you need the ladder. Then all you need is latches that will stay secure while you're driving, and some padding all around to cushion the bumps and rattles.

[InterBlog]

Any sewing skills in your family? Regardless of how you mount it, I think you are also going to want a nice protective sleeve for it. Maybe made out of blue roof tarp or something, with Velcro to close it up. These ladders are expensive pieces of engineering and I don't think you want road grit and crap getting into the workings.

[Mjgman]

But I'll toss out another idea just for the sake of providing alternatives. Namely, a tray, hinged (piano hinge?) on the end farthest from the side of the van, that you can unlatch and tip down when you need the ladder. Then all you need is latches that will stay secure while you're driving, and some padding all around to cushion the bumps and rattles.[/QUOTE]


I like that, that would be nice and easy to get the ladder out when I need it..

[Mjgman]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

Any sewing skills in your family? Regardless of how you mount it, I think you are also going to want a nice protective sleeve for it. Maybe made out of blue roof tarp or something, with Velcro to close it up. These ladders are expensive pieces of engineering and I don't think you want road grit and crap getting into the workings.

I was going to put it in a canvas marine bag, that should help keep it clean and dry.. And my sewing skills are limited to sewing buttons on my shorts that usually fall off after a few weeks.. The buttons not the shorts.. 😁

[LB_3]

I would us a flame retardant nomex fabric, not canvas or a blue tarp. Particularly if it is near the exhaust or generator.

If there is room to hang a grey water tank, I'm sure there would be room for a little tray.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Mjgman

I was going to put it in a canvas marine bag, that should help keep it clean and dry.. And my sewing skills are limited to sewing buttons on my shorts that usually fall off after a few weeks.. The buttons not the shorts.. 😁

I told my husband about both of our ideas and he was worried about combustibility under the vehicle. Better not put cotton or blue tarp material anywhere near either the engine or the generator exhaust pipes - in the wrong circumstances, a fire could start, he noted. Canvas mildews like crazy, and so that had me concerned. Husband argued for Nomex as a better choice. I argued that Nomex wasn't waterproof and wondered about Gore-Tex instead. So then I looked up Gore-Tex yardage prices and they are surprisingly reasonable, as is Nomex. I thought all that stuff was hideously expensive but perhaps that was 30 years ago when I first checked into it.

Anyway, this thread comes coincidentally on the same day when I sewed analogous sleeves for two shore lines (water and electrical; URL below). Those are intended for interior rather than exterior storage, and so they are an ordinary heavy polycotton canvas-type material. But the affordability of the other fabrics opens up a bunch of possibilities for Interstate applications, inside and outside. My wheels need to turn a bit.

THE INTERSTATE BLOG: SHORE LINE STORAGE FOR THE AIRSTREAM INTERSTATE

[Mjgman]

I found this on the interwebs I think it will work well:

http://www.tarpsplus.com/firrettar.html

[dznf0g]

I would investigate some commercial truck upfitting companies in your area. There are some really innovative ladder clamping systems out there. Most, if not all are made for rooftop, but some of the mechanisms would adapt well for underbody, perhaps. I think the location and idea is brilliant.

I wouldn't cover it however. Sure it will get dirty, but I think that a cover won't help much, creates some concerns as noted above, and will just hold moisture inside which may create problems.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

I wouldn't cover it however. Sure it will get dirty, but I think that a cover won't help much, creates some concerns as noted above, and will just hold moisture inside which may create problems.

If you implement the tray idea, the tray itself should help to keep the majority of road grime off the ladder, and strategically placed drain holes will ensure the tray doesn't retain water.

A bit of road grime is unlikely to do much damage to the ladder anyway, unless you're driving on icy streets treated with salt. Just whenever you go to the truck wash, pull the ladder out and spray-clean the ladder as well.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Mjgman

I found this on the interwebs I think it will work well:

Fire Retardant Tarps - Lowest Price - TarpsPlus.com

Nice - thank you for this.

I've spent a lot of time under our Interstate and I'm intimately familiar with the amount of fine grit that gets thrown up under there. If this were a conventional aluminum ladder, I surely would not cover it, because there would be no reason. But this has moving parts and tight specs. I would worry about grit getting into those sliding mechanisms far more than I would worry about a cover retaining moisture. Inside and outside, the Interstate breathes pretty well by virtue of daily temperature and humidity fluctuations. A properly constructed cover would protect against grit while still being able to breathe.

The OP's question is not far-fetched. As it turns out, my husband was thinking the same thing. I can accommodate the Telesteps behind the driver's seat, but my husband cannot. He is so tall that he must push the seat all the way back against the wall of the wet bath, leaving no room for it. So we have to resolve this predicament also.

Something else that has to be considered in any such design - how do you clear the ground effects in getting the thing in and out of whichever mount you choose to install? We've got exactly 9 inches of clearance at the sides of our Interstate. I am 8 inches deep at the breastbone, so I can (and do) scoot under there with ease (although I prefer one end of it to be raised a few inches on the Valterra levelers, to make it a bit less claustrophobic). Most adults are considerably larger than I am and would have difficulty even inserting a shoulder under there.

I took 1.5 days off work this week because endless weekend rains have prevented me from doing Interstate projects on the weekends (we had about 15 - fifteen! - inches of rain just across the past two weekends). I had to return it to our off-site garage last night because if I did not, I'd simply continue to play with it today rather than doing the paying work that I'm supposed to be doing (LOL... self-employed self-discipline methodology). If I get the time this weekend and if we get a weather break, I'll try to assess these under-chassis ideas in more detail.

[Evelyn Hill]

Many towns have small custom gear/outdoor clothing/bag sewing operations. I always check them first!

[xrvr]

Can you mount a ladder on the rear doors like you could with the older interstates? I did and I could put a ladder or chairs mounted to it.

[Mjgman]

I don't think under the coach is going to be a viable option.. I attached it to the back of the store all box and I think that I can fabricate a sleeve, box or mounting points.. As it is now I can still open the box and swing it out, the ladder does not get in the way.. Will most likely have to put a bike lock on it so it won't get stolen.. Now I think that I can fabricate some small storage boxes to put in the space that I was going to put the ladder..

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Evelyn Hill

Many towns have small custom gear/outdoor clothing/bag sewing operations. I always check them first!

You are absolutely correct. For this project, sewing an appropriate device would be 1 to 2 hours labor - a pittance. If not located through standard yellow pages, such services are readily identifiable on social media. Moms clubs often have stay-at-homes who jump at the chance to do projects for a small fee.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by avionstream

Can you mount a ladder on the rear doors like you could with the older interstates? I did and I could put a ladder or chairs mounted to it.

This, to me, is potentially more desirable than under-mount. Not to affix in such a way as to put the weight of a human on the ladder, but just as a holding mechanism. But depending on what your plans are, you have to start thinking in terms of theft potential, which I will comment on below.

[Kilroy]

I had a less expensive ladder than I have now that locked up from "grime" I think keeping the ladder clean is a very high priority. It has some pretty tight clearances as it expands and contracts. Also, digging under the van for a heavy canvas bag that is covered with "grime" will probably get old in a hurry. The suggestion for a hinged compartment is an excellent idea.

Originally Posted by Protagonist

If you implement the tray idea, the tray itself should help to keep the majority of road grime off the ladder, and strategically placed drain holes will ensure the tray doesn't retain water.

A bit of road grime is unlikely to do much damage to the ladder anyway, unless you're driving on icy streets treated with salt. Just whenever you go to the truck wash, pull the ladder out and spray-clean the ladder as well.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Mjgman

... I attached it to the back of the store all box and I think that I can fabricate a sleeve, box or mounting points.....Will most likely have to put a bike lock on it so it won't get stolen.. ....

I have researched this type of external security issue at length, because my husband and I intend to develop a custom hitch mounting system for our Yeti cooler (my husband is unhappy with the quality of the existing hitch products on the market - see this thread about hauling frozen food on long trips to remote areas).

A Yeti is a $400+ asset and it is absolutely astonishing the lengths to which people will go to steal them. If you read the boards, you'll discover all kinds of security-thwarting examples, to the point where many users echo the sentiment, "The only way to keep a Yeti from being stolen is to buy a Coleman".

I reckon the same is going to be generally true for a Telesteps. While not as recognizable as a Yeti, it is clearly an expensive item, and I bet that it's going to take much more than a bike lock if you wish to leave your vehicle for longer than the two minutes that it takes to execute a C-store mad dash.

Eventually my husband and I will construct a hitch device suited to the "we are disappearing on foot into the backcountry and leaving the Interstate unattended for the next 24 hours" scenario. Ach, so many projects, so little time.