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Old 09-13-2022, 09:38 AM   #1
mskeyspirate
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Question Sorry for yet another stupid ?

It seems that i ask more than my share of what seem to be just plain dumb questions. But why stop now ??? I most recently ask about restoration of gel coat. Good answers and much appreciated.
So....I have the standard curved cap that is impossible to reach with a buffer. Add the "NO WALK" roof and I'd do 10 campers if someone would do my camper upper cap.
I fit into a certain demographic that I know is filling campgrounds, and that's ok with me. I'm 65, short (5'8")a little overweight, so since I've not found a way to reach that very top, I've thought about plastic diamond plate to cover that area, which means no more buffing and waxing. There are many different manufacturers. Anyone ever think about this before ???
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Old 09-13-2022, 09:44 AM   #2
bsmith0404
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Go to your nearest hardware store and get a set of basic scaffold and set it up over the tongue of the trailer. Should be able to get it close enough to get you within reach. Probably looking around the $200 range, but that’s not a lot different than the price/headache you’ll have trying to put something else up there
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Old 09-13-2022, 10:00 AM   #3
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I just use a folding ladder to reach up to my front cap on my 5er...around 12' to the top of the cap. The ladder opens into an AFrame which adds stability. It should be fairly easy to navigate that kind of ladder on a shorter trailer around the front hitch.

You can buy these at lots of different places. Here's one from Harbor Freight

https://www.harborfreight.com/17-ft-...der-63419.html
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Old 09-13-2022, 11:20 AM   #4
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In case the utility of this ladder is not apparent, you can set the sides to different heights; meaning that you can make the leg alongside the trailer practically vertical and the other leg a bit more sloping, allowing you to climb right up next to the trailer cap at height. It's still a bit of a reach to the very center the way that cap slopes, but the ladder makes it doable.
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Old 09-13-2022, 11:24 AM   #5
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If you did, how would you attach the Diamond plate? Plastic will fade, get brittle and crack. I think your way ahead using a ladder/some type of scaffold.
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Old 09-13-2022, 01:35 PM   #6
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My issue is not the height so to speak. The problem for me is the curve of the cap. By the time I'm high enough, I'm too far away to reach the top of the cap. Just looking for ideas to keep me from doing this every year. last year I paid a kid to lay on the roof with my buffer. He's not too interested now that he's older.
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Old 09-13-2022, 01:37 PM   #7
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Chuckster....thought about 3m auto trim tape. Then seal around the diamond plate. Just throwing ideas around in my head.
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Old 09-13-2022, 02:09 PM   #8
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Do you drop your tongue all the way down? That helps on that curve when you get up there. I use a 12' A frame for most of it but if I'm having a hard time getting to that back edge where it runs into the TPO I will on occasion bring out my Lion ladder (telescoping) and run it up over the "bulge" (not touching the cap) and run up it to do the work. It has soft rubber ends that won't mar the gel coat and I double a towel over that. I wouldn't put anything up there, BUT..this just came to mind; I bought a roll of clear 3M tape, some kind of chip guard or something for another project (can't remember what). VERY adhesive and I think it can come in a 6" wide roll if that would help.
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Old 09-13-2022, 02:25 PM   #9
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Why not park it under a tree and hang from a limb of the tree over the top of the trailer?

OK, that sounds really crazy, but still, the idea is good. If you can't reach it from the ground, is there any way you can engineer something to reach it from "above"?
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Old 09-13-2022, 03:46 PM   #10
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This is the ladder I have and use it a lot...Podium Ladder

https://www.uline.ca/BL_2271/Fibergl...f&gclsrc=3p.ds
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Old 09-14-2022, 11:20 AM   #11
mskeyspirate
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Sourdough....I can't tell you how really dumb you make me feel with your suggestion. No, I never thought of that and can't believe that someone had to tell me. My driveway is slanted slightly until it comes to a flat area, so that will even increase the tilt of the camper and therefore my access to it. Gonna try that this weekend, I'll let you know. But I've never been happier to look stupid.
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Old 09-14-2022, 11:27 AM   #12
sourdough
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I hope it works out for you - it does help.
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Old 09-22-2022, 08:53 AM   #13
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This might be overkill for you. But I was getting tired (and too old) to constantly have to remove oxidation, wax and polish the nose of our 5th wheel with all the same issues you describe about reaching the top. So I took it to a professional RV paint shop and had the nose painted with automotive grade paint and gel coat. That was 3 years ago and I have never had to do anything other than occasionally wash it since then and it still looks perfect.
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Old 09-22-2022, 11:18 AM   #14
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BTW the main difference between the Harbor Frt version and others that cost almost twice as much is the weight. Considerably heavier than a name brand but other than that they are almost identical. Have both and actually like the HF better if I don't have to carry it very far. If I was younger than 74 that would not have mattered b4 now.
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