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03-31-2021, 11:08 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 4
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Fastening ladder to Fun Finder
Hey all,
I’ve got a ladder I need to attach to the outside rear wall of the trailer. What do you use for that kind of load?
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04-01-2021, 08:43 AM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Arizona
Posts: 1,287
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If the trailer comes equipped with a ladder from the factory there is reinforcement inside the wall to attach it to and support the extra weight. If it didn't, you would have to install reinforcement on the other side of the wall, inside the trailer, to attach the ladder to. Probably something like a large sheet of plywood. Not sure how practical that is.
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2011 Chevy Silverado Crew Cab 4X4
2009 210 WBS
Prodigy P3
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04-01-2021, 09:26 AM
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#3
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 4
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The trailer didn't come with a ladder, I'm adding it. There was a spare tire on the back but it wasn't well reinforced so I relocated it to the front tongue. I'm building the ladder so it will have multiple contact points with the outside wall. I'm just unaware of what kind of fasteners are recommended to use on RV's since the skins are so thin.
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04-01-2021, 09:39 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Southern California
Posts: 2,142
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Since the back wall is so thin and weak, the more reinforcement, the better! For example, here is a project that I did a while back to reinforce the spare so that I could attach a gas can to it:
https://lookmomimcamping.blogspot.co...pare-tire.html
As it turns out, I am not doing the gas can thing anymore -- I felt that the can was too vulnerable and posed a risk of fire. But my spare is now solid as a rock, as a result of the reinforcement of the back wall.
So, for example, let's say there are bolts that attach your ladder. Instead of using ordinary washers or even fender washers, I would use a thin piece of steel plate (maybe 4 inches by four inches?) on each bolt to spread the load as much as possible.
And I would use nylon core nuts that will stay put, rather than ordinary hex nuts.
Good luck with this project! Let us know how it goes.
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2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
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04-01-2021, 03:33 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: Cumming, Ga.
Posts: 140
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Quote:
Originally Posted by profdant139
Since the back wall is so thin and weak, the more reinforcement, the better! For example, here is a project that I did a while back to reinforce the spare so that I could attach a gas can to it:
https://lookmomimcamping.blogspot.co...pare-tire.html
As it turns out, I am not doing the gas can thing anymore -- I felt that the can was too vulnerable and posed a risk of fire. But my spare is now solid as a rock, as a result of the reinforcement of the back wall.
So, for example, let's say there are bolts that attach your ladder. Instead of using ordinary washers or even fender washers, I would use a thin piece of steel plate (maybe 4 inches by four inches?) on each bolt to spread the load as much as possible.
And I would use nylon core nuts that will stay put, rather than ordinary hex nuts.
Good luck with this project! Let us know how it goes.
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I saw the pics, great idea, wondering did you do anything inside to reinforce the wall or was the angle enough to support say a gallon of gas?
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04-01-2021, 05:34 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Southern California
Posts: 2,142
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I didn't do anything to support the wall, other than using a big piece of steel as a "load spreader." But I suppose you could add a sheet of plywood, too>
The problem is that the rear wall of my trailer is fiberglass -- not very thick, and not something I want to make extra holes in, if I can avoid it. Not only is a hole a possible source of a leak -- it is also a possible source of structural failure due to material fatigue. The fiberglass can flex, and a crack might radiate out from the hole.
And the project was a technical success but a practical failure -- the spare tire and the gas can were well supported. But I later decided (with quite a bit of gentle encouragement by my wife) that carrying a gas can on top of the spare was too risky, no matter how well anchored it is.
The project was not a lost cause, though -- I absolutely had to re-anchor the spare tire due to the looseness of the original bolts, and that part of the project went very well.
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2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
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04-02-2021, 03:58 PM
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#7
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Canada
Posts: 61
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You don’t say which model or the year of it, unfortunately there is not much inside the wall except foam over which they glued thin fiberglass to the 1/16 luan plywood. The main support is the aluminum frame which is only tack welded at each point and not fully welded. For load wall support ie where the awning supports are they just put a piece of 1/2 inch x 4 inch wide plywood in there, not really connected to anything.
To put a ladder on you would have to figure out where the aluminum tubes go up the walls and put a support on the inside to bridge them.
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04-04-2021, 08:19 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 3,105
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I solved the "no ladder" issued with a telescoping ladder like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V72N3RY...osi&th=1&psc=1
Installing a ladder on a toy hauler isn't possible on the rear due to the drop ramp so this was the perfect alternative.
They are also available at multiple retailers like Lowes, Home Depot, WalMart, etc.
They take very little space, are lightweight and compact when collapsed. Also one can set them up anywhere around the camper and/or use around the house.
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2012 Fun Finder XT 276 Toy Hauler & Harley Davidson Ultra Classic with Condor wheel chock
2014 Dodge Ram 2500 AT 4X4 Crew Cab 6.4 L Hemi, 373 gears, tow package, Rambox option, Revolver X2 tonneau cover, Equal-I-zer anti-sway hitch.
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