Have Ladder, Will Climb to New Heights

Friday, March 16

I had a few emails about the ladder I was standing on in a recent post, so I thought a quick blog entry was in order.

We have a ladder at the back of the Phaeton.  It comes with a removable extension to deter just anyone from going up to the roof, and it works quite nicely if that's all you ever need a ladder for.  But if your motorhome measures 12+ feet (3.6+ m) from the ground to the roof, and you need to get to the higher reaches — when you're washing or waxing the coach, for example — then that ladder won't do.

After doing voluminous amounts of research — yes, Mui's famous for how much research he does — we ended up with the 15.5 foot Xtend & Climb 785P Aluminum Telescoping Ladder (Type I Professional Series).  It easily extends and collapses by the foot.  When fully collapsed it is only 36 inches (less than 1 m), making it easy to store in the basement.  At 36 pounds (16 kg) it's not too heavy to carry — right Mui?  After all, we've had non-wheelie luggage that has weighed more :-)

We've had the ladder for a year and Mui's been very happy with it.  Having recently been on it myself, I can verify what Mui's been telling me — it's sturdy, with none of the usual shakes and jiggles that come with tall ladders.  I felt quite comfortable climbing up to and standing on the higher rungs.

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9 comments:

  1. Jeannie and EldyMarch 16, 2012 at 7:49 AM

    Mind sharing how much the ladder costs? Eldy is looking for a ladder...we bought one with all kinds of collapsing connections, but it's not tall enough. Now he's thinking about the Little Giant.

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  2. ErinMarch 16, 2012 at 8:09 AM

    To answer's Sherry's question ... don't recall how much we paid a year ago, but online search has the price ranging from $225 to $279; not inexpensive, but safety first.

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  3. SherryMarch 16, 2012 at 8:58 AM

    Actually Sherry owns a ladder just like that and LOVES it. Worth the price especially for a little gal like Winnona with a smaller basement. Nice post on it!

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  4. Paul and Marsha Weaver OCT. 17, 2009March 16, 2012 at 9:41 AM

    Paul is considering purchasing one of these. How does it work when you want to wash the windshield? Thanks. ~wheresweaver

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  5. Gail HouleMarch 16, 2012 at 9:47 AM

    We have the Little Giant and Rick is very happy with it but it is a little heavier. He loves the idea of the telescoping ladder but then would lose his ability to turn it into a step ladder when he needed to. Oh well. There are pluses and minuses to everything :)

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  6. ErinMarch 16, 2012 at 9:56 AM

    To answer wheresoever: Mui prefers not to apply pressure to the windshield, so he doesn't use this ladder to wash it. We have a 3-step stepstool and an extend-a-pole brush to get that job done. There is a stand-alone model of these ladders, but since we already have the stepstool to use inside, we opted not to get that one.

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  7. Sue and DougMarch 16, 2012 at 10:37 AM

    even a ladder can create lots of conversation..and it is a might fine ladder..safety first!!!

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  8. Sue MaloneMarch 16, 2012 at 2:14 PM

    We have that same ladder and love it. It is incredibly sturdy and reasonably light.

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  9. Donna KMarch 16, 2012 at 8:42 PM

    Looks like the ladder of success to me! We need one and are currently looking for that perfect fit. I really like the looks of yours.

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