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View Full Version : ladder install on laredo 5th wheel


oldschoolhdmike
06-07-2018, 04:42 AM
my Laredo 293 sbh did not come with a rear ladder, which drives me crazy. I have confirmed with keystone that it is braced for one. I have looked at some online the same model to kinda see where it mounts up. anyway, I bought a universal Stromberg Carlson ladder. has anyone ever done one of these on a keystone? pictures would be awesome. I read in another forum that Keystone does not have drawings, and they are correct, Keystone doesn't even know the from one trailer to the next of the same model. when I installed my second ac, the vent was held in by 3 different kind of screws....

Tbos
06-07-2018, 02:10 PM
I’d see if you can find a similar Laredo with a ladder and duplicate the mounting. Good luck.

JRTJH
06-07-2018, 02:36 PM
Something to consider: Even if the trailer is "built and braced" for a roof ladder installation, the actual ladders are not really sturdy. Most limit maximum weight to something between 150/200 pounds and they aren't the "sturdiest ladder" you can buy. While they "do the job" they are prone to loose screws, wobbling steps and leaking into the roof/rear wall.

Think through how you'll use the ladder and when you'll need access to the roof. For many, there are better alternatives that don't include the pitfalls of installing a ladder on the back of your RV.

sourdough
06-07-2018, 02:48 PM
I've been up the ladder on this trailer one time. I noticed it wiggled a bit and came down. I then checked every screw on the steps and mounts and most of them were loose so I tightened them all down. The only people that had been on the ladder were the folks at the dealership prior to the sale to me.

Fast forward; it's a 2014 and I take it in every year for a roof cleaning/inspection and treatment (it stays in a very nice storage unit when not in use - I inspect all the Dicor and reseal the seams). After my initial trip up the ladder the next year I noticed the same problem and retightened the screws after they had worked on the roof. The next year it was loose AND one of the top rails was slightly bent. At that point I told the service manager that the techs needed to do as I do....place a 10-12' ladder beside the trailer ladder and use it to get on the roof, not the trailer ladder. This time it wasn't bent (end of April) or loose. To me they look like an accident waiting to happen - not to me, but the trailer. They just aren't that sturdy, or anchored in a very solid manner IMO.

travelin texans
06-07-2018, 03:57 PM
You would probably spend less money on a good telescopic or multi function ladder that would be of more use, steardier, & safer than a rv ladder.
Mine has a ladder also & I do as sourdough, use my multi function ladder with some swim noodle padding leaned against the rv.
If your adding for access to the roof that's one thing, if you're adding to carry bicycles or something else, that's worse for it than stepping up it.