Add a Step to the Ladder?

The top pic that AnEv942 posted is exactly like my rig. The last step is half way up the back window. It is hard to get your knee up over the luggage rack & on the roof & I am a tall guy at 6ft 2 in. I bet no one at Northwood has ever climbed up that ladder, if they had, they would know it is a bummer and change it.
It seems that bb_94401 has a solution, so I will be investigating that when I return from an upcoming trip.
Thanks to everyone for their comments.

Big Rig

How about carrying a separate extension ladder? You could tie it to the existing ladder while on the road and secure it to the top of the existing ladder when it's extended from the ground?

One of the nice features of the ladder system to get safely on and off the roof of my TC are the Roof handholds seen below. They are anchored to the roof the same way the ladder is anchored to the back.



Notice that my "luggage rack" is removed as it was just a branch catcher, made pushing snow off the roof more problematic and really wasn't mounted with very big hardware.

You might consider something like the roof handhold, if it can be mounted securely on the roof.

jimh425 wrote:
My Host has the ability to move the center step to the ladder side. Perhaps, you could do something similar by adding brackets to the ladder side. That's assuming you have removable steps in the center.

Distance from top rung... though the bottom is pretty far also.

double post

My Host has the ability to move the center step to the ladder side. Perhaps, you could do something similar by adding brackets to the ladder side. That's assuming you have removable steps in the center.

As hard as our is to climb up I couldnt see how you could 'add' another rung/step without also raising whatever you hold onto to get up on the roof. IE: a rung/step at same elevation as roof could be an accident waiting to happen, especially getting back onto ladder from roof. So I went and found a picture of the AF ladder.


Hokey Smoke.. what were they thinking?
Not only top rung twice as far as ours- the rack looks taller and further back.



Adding a rung definitely is what Id be doing & easily doable on the AF ladder. Appears it would end up at same spacing adding just before rails turn. Be close to our height. The link bb_94401 provided is how ours is made. Contacting AF might yield a rung option or source if different.

RoyB wrote:
That first step is definitely high off the ground.

Roy Ken

sleepy wrote:
Lets move up about 10 feet.... to the problem area.

Sleepy, I was about to say the same thing.

That's one nuance of camper ladders and that (*&^@# luggage rack... oh, and the rear rood overhang you have to swing yer leg over too!

I know exactly what you mean. I dang near threw my hip out last time trying to bend my leg up and over, and I'm not that old either. :)

If your AF 990 is like my sister's, the awning prevents the use of a typical RV ladder top piece that connects to the roof.

You could add one more step to the existing ladder. Factory RV Surplus has ladder repair parts that you could use. I've used them for my other repair / rebuilding parts for my TC.

Under the "RV Ladder Repair Parts" tab they list a VLPRSBB Premier Step and also the VLPRBS.2 Black Premier End Caps for attaching it to the 1" aluminum ladder tubing.

You should be able to diagonally fit the step in between existing uprights and then secure it where you want it. Images are shown below so you can see how it goes together.

The step:



An end view of the step:



The end caps:



The end caps installed:



If the problem of pulling yourself up still exists after this. My TC has two aluminum inverted U's mounted on the roof that are inboard from where the luggage rack used to be. Gives you something more substantial to hold onto, while getting on / off the roof. If you can't find these on the internet. You can readily make these from 1" tubing, tubing nuts and foot plates available on the Factory RV Surplus parts site above.

A 1" tubing bender can be used to quickly to do the job, however, you can pack the tubing with sand and bend it over a 3.5" radius. The tubing won't collapse, if you have packed it tight.