No ladder

[Atileman]

I am in the process of buying a 2022 cougar half ton RDSWE. It looks to be a great trailer it has the frameless windows, solar panel bla bla bla.
My concern is that it doesn't have a ladder. I brought this up with the sales manager telling him that the brochure states walkable roof/slide box with rear wall ladder for easy maintenance

His reply was they didn't have any at time of build (02/24/2022) and the price reflected that. I feel that that is BS. He said they can order a ladder in and install it when it arrives at my cost.

Am I crazy to walk away from this deal and see if I can find that model elsewhere over a ladder ? I know telling them if you don't supply a ladder I am going to back out will not get me anywhere because they only have the 1 unit and if I don't take it someone else will.

[JRTJH]

First, you have NO IDEA what the dealer paid for that trailer, so there's no way to "prove/disprove" whether the price you're paying reflects the deduction of the ladder.... So, that part of his response is BS...

That said, anybody who has an RV with a ladder either "loves it or hates it"... Personally, weighing 185 pounds, I hated all of mine. They are too "flimsy" to climb, they are mounted vertically on the trailer which means you have to lean back (pulling the ladder away from the trailer mounts) to climb it, there is only about 6" between the rungs and the trailer skin, and with "size 12's" I'm not able to get a good "foothold on the rungs"....

Invariably, the screws holding the ladder to the trailer will loosen, they will then start leaking. Water intrusion is the first step in "roof rot" on any trailer. Even if you try to stay ahead of loose screws and leaking sealant, it will catch up with you during your ownership of that ladder.....

So, if the trailer price is satisfactory, I'd buy an $89 collapsing ladder and be thankful that you don't have all the problems that come with an "installed nightmare ladder"....

And, NO, THEY ARE NOT A PERFECT PLACE TO STRAP A BIKE AND A COUPLE OF LAWN CHAIRS !!!!!

[Balvar24]

Originally Posted by Atileman

I am in the process of buying a 2022 cougar half ton RDSWE. It looks to be a great trailer it has the frameless windows, solar panel bla bla bla.
My concern is that it doesn't have a ladder. I brought this up with the sales manager telling him that the brochure states walkable roof/slide box with rear wall ladder for easy maintenance

His reply was they didn't have any at time of build (02/24/2022) and the price reflected that. I feel that that is BS. He said they can order a ladder in and install it when it arrives at my cost.

Am I crazy to walk away from this deal and see if I can find that model elsewhere over a ladder ? I know telling them if you don't supply a ladder I am going to back out will not get me anywhere because they only have the 1 unit and if I don't take it someone else will.

Very seldom is it crazy to save your money for what you want.

If he's like most salesmen I met while buying a trailer, you could discern whether or not it was BS based on whether or not his mouth was moving.

I'm a smart mouth, so my next question would be did they leave anything else off that you need to know about?

They make travel trailers faster than most people can make money.

FWIW, I'm terrified to use the ladder on my camper, but I'm at or just over the weight rating.

[sourdough]

Like the comments above I feel the ladder on an RV is useless. They aren't secured well enough, nor the sidewall strong enough, for them to be of any use. The WILL come loose, they will deform if any weight is put against them and they provide many points of access for water.

The ladder on my previous trailer was well used by the dealer when I took it in for annual roof maintenance. They LOVED to use it....and bend it.....and pull it from the wall. I constantly had to retighten it, seal it etc. I finally told them to never use the ladder again. I had tried it and came to the same conclusion; it just isn't meant to be used by anyone over 50lbs. regardless of what they say the weight rating is. I use a 12' folding A frame ladder then use the top step of my RV ladder to get on the roof. I could do it without it but it's there. If the RV has everything you want on/in it I certainly wouldn't worry about it not having a ladder....or the cost of it. Compare pricing with others, deduct a couple hundred from the other best offer and see where you are with your current dealer. If they didn't take it off I wouldn't care if it was the trailer I wanted, a dealer I liked and it was on hand to get.

[JRTJH]

Thinking again (I know, I know)....

I'd be WAAAAAY more concerned with whether the dealer's service department can support my warranty work than whether there's a $200 ladder on the back and/or whether the final price reflects a credit for the missing ladder.

It's far more important to have a warranty repair done "on time and correctly finished" than it is to have a trailer sit in their lot for 6 months while they "slow leak repairs because it's the low paying warranty reimbursement" ....

Way too many things that reflect which dealer to choose and which support after the sale you get than to worry about a ladder.....

[Atileman]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

First, you have NO IDEA what the dealer paid for that trailer, so there's no way to "prove/disprove" whether the price you're paying reflects the deduction of the ladder.... So, that part of his response is BS...

That said, anybody who has an RV with a ladder either "loves it or hates it"... Personally, weighing 185 pounds, I hated all of mine. They are too "flimsy" to climb, they are mounted vertically on the trailer which means you have to lean back (pulling the ladder away from the trailer mounts) to climb it, there is only about 6" between the rungs and the trailer skin, and with "size 12's" I'm not able to get a good "foothold on the rungs"....

Invariably, the screws holding the ladder to the trailer will loosen, they will then start leaking. Water intrusion is the first step in "roof rot" on any trailer. Even if you try to stay ahead of loose screws and leaking sealant, it will catch up with you during your ownership of that ladder.....

So, if the trailer price is satisfactory, I'd buy an $89 collapsing ladder and be thankful that you don't have all the problems that come with an "installed nightmare ladder"....

And, NO, THEY ARE NOT A PERFECT PLACE TO STRAP A BIKE AND A COUPLE OF LAWN CHAIRS !!!!!

Those are all very good points and I have thought about a lot of those points.
I also hate the idea of the new guy with no experience drilling holes in my back panel and roof. I am also almost 200 lbs and the ladder I climbed on the trailer next to the one i want to buy so I could get a glance of roof quality was very flimsy.

[flybouy]

Roof ladder on RVs? Not for me, I'm a "big and tall" customer and my size 15 xwide shoes mean I'd have to toe step up those ladders and never get both feet on the same rung. I don't think they are designed to actually be used but rather as "an adornment" to sell campers.

Is it worth it to walk away from the deal over that? Only you can decide that. To my thinking, the cost of the ladder is a small percentage of the total cost and wouldn't effect my decision to purchase, especially in the current market.

[jasin1]

Might be a mute point if you didn’t put a deposit down on it…I’m thinking that this time of year it will move pretty quickly if you hesitate

[madweazl]

Guess I'm the oddball when it comes to ladders. Our toyhauler of 15+ years had a ladder than I used numerous times and never had an issue with. Now, I never used that ladder to do any maintenance like I should have but I got on the roof plenty of times LOL. If you want a ladder, find a trailer that has one.

[Balvar24]

My experience at the dealer was the BS salesman was also the most competent person in the joint.

I swear, I think the guy who set the hitch up had to stop in the middle to go get a drink. I stayed out of his way for the first 2 hours before I helped him read the instructions and kick it in the drive way.

My advice is to make sure that you feel good about everything. They make more trailers every day and right now hotel rooms are probably easier to find than camp sites. As long as you still have your money you've got options.

[wiredgeorge]

I wouldn't put stock in anything a salesman said. Do your own research and come in knowledgeable. If you buy the trailer, there is a list of things floating around on this site to check and it is time consuming. If you find a problem I guarantee the dealer will be more likely to have it fixed if you haven't yet signed on the dotted line. Too many folks find issues once they take delivery and find out getting these fixed is a nightmare.

Next thing; about the ladder. I have one on my old 2002 Cougar. I find it useful for a bracing point for my 12.5' telescoping ladder. I personally would not use the one on the trailer for actual climbing up although I am confident the fasteners are all good since I redid them (old ones rusted out). The ladder on my camper is too narrow and the first step up is too high for this old boy anyway.

This ladder is very similar to mine; I carry mine in my front compartment (5th wheel).
https://www.ebay.com/itm/22438171438...3ABFBM1prE-Yxg

[wrvond]

In 2013 I ordered a new TT from the factory and one of the things I did was delete the ladder (and the ginormous hand grab by the door). There were a couple times having a ladder built in might have been handy, such as when my wife moved the folding ladder I had used to get up on the roof with. My new camper came with a ladder, which (as noted earlier) is way too high up for me to even get up on if I were foolish enough to try to use it. Still, it's good to know I have an emergency exit from the roof!

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by wrvond

... Still, it's good to know I have an emergency exit from the roof!

About 8 or 10 years ago, I was on the roof of my Springdale, washing and resealing the vents. As per my "usual", I just slid off the edge to drop to the ground. About halfway down, for some reason, I suddenly realized that if I hit the ground wrong, I'd be in the hospital for much longer than I'd want to stay... In that half second, until my feet hit the ground, I saw my entire life flash before my eyes... Since then, I've walked to the ladder and taken "the long way down, thinking, I'm too old to do that off the side stuff" ......

[wrvond]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

About 8 or 10 years ago, I was on the roof of my Springdale, washing and resealing the vents. As per my "usual", I just slid off the edge to drop to the ground. About halfway down, for some reason, I suddenly realized that if I hit the ground wrong, I'd be in the hospital for much longer than I'd want to stay... In that half second, until my feet hit the ground, I saw my entire life flash before my eyes... Since then, I've walked to the ladder and taken "the long way down, thinking, I'm too old to do that off the side stuff" ......

When I was young I thought nothing of jumping from 12 feet to the ground. These days that same 12 foot distance looks closer to 24 feet to me.

Shoot, just falling off the second rung of a folding ladder results in serious pain...

[Balvar24]

Originally Posted by wrvond

When I was young I thought nothing of jumping from 12 feet to the ground. These days that same 12 foot distance looks closer to 24 feet to me.

Shoot, just falling off the second rung of a folding ladder results in serious pain...

My FIL always tells me, "If I thought I would've lived this long, I would've took better care of myself."

I'm also leary of the grab-rail mentioned above. Anyone have any trouble with them? I've got two kids, so I can imagine how it would be used.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by Balvar24

My FIL always tells me, "If I thought I would've lived this long, I would've took better care of myself."

I'm also leary of the grab-rail mentioned above. Anyone have any trouble with them? I've got two kids, so I can imagine how it would be used.

If the "grab rail" referenced is the door grab handle that folds against the trailer our unit has one for each door. I check the mounting screws every spring and have yet to find them loose. So for us, it hasn't been an issue for the 11 years we've owned it.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

About 8 or 10 years ago, I was on the roof of my Springdale, washing and resealing the vents. As per my "usual", I just slid off the edge to drop to the ground. About halfway down, for some reason, I suddenly realized that if I hit the ground wrong, I'd be in the hospital for much longer than I'd want to stay... In that half second, until my feet hit the ground, I saw my entire life flash before my eyes... Since then, I've walked to the ladder and taken "the long way down, thinking, I'm too old to do that off the side stuff" ......

Our brains somehow take a little time to getting "older". We want to do things we were always able to do, and try. Hopefully we realize that before something bad happens, my dad did not.

Always spry, thin and bouncing/running around like a spring chicken; nothing slowed him down and he just didn't get sick. I built a back deck for him and mom and was in the process of screening it in, the deck was about 10' above the ground. There was a storage building behind the house/deck where he kept his "doo dads". I was working on the framing for the screen when he came out and wanted to get something from that storage building. Big grin on his face he just took off and jumped off the back of that deck to the ground. Hit the ground and there wasn't any "spry" there. He rolled around a bit, tried to get up and fell - said I hurt my leg. Tore up his knee and it gave him issues with walking and hurt him until the day he died.

As I've aged I've tried to remember that day and the words from a Toby Keith song (to paraphrase) - "my mind says you can do that boy....but my body says oh no you can't". Our brains don't really know aging but the body sure does.

[wrvond]

Originally Posted by Balvar24

My FIL always tells me, "If I thought I would've lived this long, I would've took better care of myself."

I'm also leary of the grab-rail mentioned above. Anyone have any trouble with them? I've got two kids, so I can imagine how it would be used.

True words for sure!

The only problem I had with the big grab handle was symmetry. The camper came with a big handle at the main door and a small handle at the secondary door. I also figured that the foam grip probably had a short lifespan so in order to have the handles the same I deleted the big one.
This new camper (with a single door) has the big handle. It seems pretty sturdy.

[adm1949]

I purchased a 2022 Cougar 25RDS last September. After we had made the deal I noticed the trailer did not have a ladder. The sales person told me ladders are not standard. I showed him the brochure that showed ladders to be standard on that model. The dealership ended up lowering their price $600. I was happy with that. Some of my camping buddies don't like the narrow ladders anyway. If I feel the need, I'll purchase a collapsible ladder.

[RVGator]

I’m 250 lbs which is right at the weight limit of my ladder. I send my 8 year old 50lb son up and down the ladder with the blower to blow off the leaves each trip prior to pulling in the slides. If I need to check or do maintenance on the roof I use an aluminum collapsible ladder and use the camper ladder to lean it against. Even my 50lb son puts a bend on the support bars that connects the ladder to the back panel. I can’t imagine what it would do if I stepped on it.

That said I still like having the ladder as my son loves climbing up and down it. He thinks he is a big deal that he gets to blow the leaves off each trip. Looks forward to it.