Brought home our new trailer yesterday. Three of our grandkids showed up today to check it out. Our 8 year grandson discovered the ladder on the back and sure enough he was crawling around up on the roof. What do you do to keep grandkids and other folks off of your ladder? Product info would be much appreciated. And yes, he got a swat on the butt from his mom when he came down.

1. Tell them not to.2. Make the ladder inaccessible to them by either shortening it so that you have to use a smaller ladder to get up to it, orput a piece of plywood on the outside of the treads to block access.

What his mom did should take care of it. If he was my son I would have done the same thing that she did.Jack L

Tell them not toThen tell them againThen the next time bad stuff starts happening

Problem with new trailer, or is it the grandson?

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Apr 30, 2017
Well, when I was 8 years old, I remember getting into all kinds of trouble with all kinds of things. I learned to make judgment calls if the "crime was worth the time" .... sort of say.

And the end result, in an 8 year old mind, was.... "Yes!" So I learned I could go ahead and do the deed, and if my butt got whallopped afterwords, well .... it WAS worth it!

I had to make those same judgment calls in grade school too. So, we all knew what the consequences were for climbing up the slide backwards.... but we did it anyway. We all knew the consequences for jumping out of the swings, but I did it anyway. (never got caught.... so you know ... it was worth it!)

By today's standards and practices, a lot of stunts I pulled in my young life before the age of 13 years would be considered unthinkable today!

Climbing on the roof is really not ALL that bad. But ... I wouldn't want my grandson climbing around up there either. But if I were 8 ... you bet! I'd do it! What's "good for the goose, does NOT apply to the gander".... double standard, hypocritical??? absolutely yes!

So, you can threaten, spank, even ship them off to a deserted island, and they'll still find a way to do EVERYTHING you don't want them to do.

So... about your ladder? Block it! It might be as easy as cutting a sheet of plywood the same width of the ladder and strapping it onto the ladder. Whatever you do, find a way to keep the ladder from being usable. You cannot depend on the kids to behave. They are kids and they WILL do what you don't want. So, just find a way to prevent them from climbing up the ladder from the beginning. Their little butts will be happier, your nerves will be happier, their parents will be happier.

A lot of people will hang a blue tote (for your holding tanks) on the ladder. Some folks hang bicycles on them. Some strap on portable grills. Do whatever you can, but do something to block using. That's your best and easiest solution.

But in all reality, now that the 8 year old's curiosity is satisfied, having seen what's up there, he'll probably have no more curiosity to go up there again.
bobndot
Explorer II
Apr 30, 2017
Product info would be much appreciated. And yes, he got a swat on the butt from his mom when he came down. [/]

Maybe i misunderstood the OP . I thought the OP was looking for something to install on the ladder (like a piece of plywood covering the rungs) in case another child would try this while the TT was not occupied . I was thinking he knows it was wrong and the mother realized it too because discipline of some type soon followed .
Yes, it only takes a split second for something to go wrong and the adults were distracted when it happened. Thankfully, no injuries occurred and a lesson was learned by ALL involved.
Lantley
Nomad
Apr 30, 2017
toedtoes wrote:
Ductape wrote:
What a bunch of killjoys hang around here... as a boy I climbed trees and got on the roof of the house. Nobody had a hissy fit.

When the kids park themselves in front of a game console all day, I bet the same ones will complain about that too.

This isn't even like climbing on the roof of a house which most kids have to do in creative ways (climbing the tree, then swinging over to the roof, etc.). This was simply a kid who was checking out the trailer, saw a ladder and climbed it.

Why would he even think the ladder wasn't meant to be climbed - that's what ladders are for! It's not like he spray-painted the outside, or took apart the hitch, or opened the black tank valve. He just climbed a ladder. Big whoop. Explain to him that a trailer roof isn't meant to hold his weight, that the ladder is there for emergency use only to access the A/C, and let it go. He's not a hellion running around undisciplined, he's a curious 8 year old kid.

I guess if I left my car door unlocked,he could go inside because that's what kids do:S Not in my world.
My work van has a ladder on it. Can he climb that as well?
Surprising to me how many think the kids actions were OK.
ChuckV1
Explorer
Apr 30, 2017
First of all tell the kid to get down NOW!
Second tell him that he can not climb up the latter !
Third tell his parents to control their child !

You should not have to do anything to your camper, if the parents can not control their kids then ask the to leave. We have have a number of grand kids, we both tell their parents that if they can not control their kids we will while they are on our property or house or camping with us.

I might sound like a mean old grumpy man but my wife agrees with me, if you can't control your kids then don't bring them around our house nor camper, we paid allot for them unless you want to buy them or fix what you break .... gurrrrrrrr

Safe Travels
toedtoes
Explorer III
Apr 30, 2017
Ductape wrote:
What a bunch of killjoys hang around here... as a boy I climbed trees and got on the roof of the house. Nobody had a hissy fit.

When the kids park themselves in front of a game console all day, I bet the same ones will complain about that too.

This isn't even like climbing on the roof of a house which most kids have to do in creative ways (climbing the tree, then swinging over to the roof, etc.). This was simply a kid who was checking out the trailer, saw a ladder and climbed it.

Why would he even think the ladder wasn't meant to be climbed - that's what ladders are for! It's not like he spray-painted the outside, or took apart the hitch, or opened the black tank valve. He just climbed a ladder. Big whoop. Explain to him that a trailer roof isn't meant to hold his weight, that the ladder is there for emergency use only to access the A/C, and let it go. He's not a hellion running around undisciplined, he's a curious 8 year old kid.
Ductape
Explorer
Apr 30, 2017
What a bunch of killjoys hang around here... as a boy I climbed trees and got on the roof of the house. Nobody had a hissy fit.

When the kids park themselves in front of a game console all day, I bet the same ones will complain about that too.
Edd505
Explorer
Apr 30, 2017
Discipline, I told you no!
They don't learn to listen by making the latter inaccessible. Don't cross the street and they do. Going to block the road? I used to ask what part on no don't you understand?
Lantley
Nomad
Apr 30, 2017
downtheroad wrote:
Start out with softness (talking, explaining, educating, etc)
Get tougher and TOUGHER each time until they get it...and at some point they will. Parenting 101.

It's the "3 strikes" process.

In my world there is only 1 strike. I don't negotiate with 8 year olds!
This ladder incident is not the little angels first offense.
toedtoes
Explorer III
Apr 30, 2017
I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's a new "toy" and the kid was exploring. You see a ladder, you assume you can climb it. And you must be expected to be on the roof because otherwise why have a ladder go to it.

Explain why the ladder is there and why he shouldn't walk around on the roof. Then stop worrying unless he does it again. Most kids at age 8 can understand logic. Explaining to him that the ladder is there to be able to check the A/C, etc., but that the roof can't support his weight without being reinforced will likely be sufficient.

You could also try redirecting him. Show him things that he can help you with. Show him the underneath of the trailer - the various tanks, pipes, etc. He's got curiosity, direct it in ways that help you. How many folks here on this board learned to do things by "helping" dad or grandpa or mom or grandma when they were young. Start with him now (perfect age) and he'll be here posting about his new trailer in twenty-odd years. :)

As for others climbing your ladder, I wouldn't worry. Most folks won't go climbing it unless you've asked them for help with something.

If your grandson does climb it again, then you've got a couple choices:

1. Let his parents handle it; or
2. Handle it yourself in one of the following manners:
a. identify something he likes that's in your control and use that to keep him off the ladder (i.e., no camping trips with us if you climb up there again);
b. identify something he doesn't like that's in your control and use that to keep him off the ladder (i.e., if you climb up there again, you'll be mowing my lawn every week for the summer); or
c. block access to the ladder (strap your camp chairs to it, use wood as suggested above, etc.).
DownTheAvenue
Explorer
Apr 30, 2017
RSD559 wrote:
Our 8 year grandson discovered the ladder on the back and sure enough he was crawling around up on the roof. What do you do to keep grandkids ... off of your ladder?

I used good parenting. Worked very well for my kids.

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Problem with new trailer, or is it the grandson?

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