RSD559 wrote:
... but we have 13 other grandchildren who we will be traveling to see in the next few weeks. ... I don't dare step on the thing. ...
If you will not be using the ladder yourself, but yet it's already installed on your camper, they why not put it to "work" for you.
Not only an easy solution to detour the kids from climbing on it, but also has many other functional uses. Anyone who has read my posts and comments very long knows that I am a very strong advocate for having items in the camper, and all camping gear that serves multiple purposes. For example, a pair of meat cutting scissors is all you need in a camper because it will also cut metal wire, paper, plastic, thread, cloth, rope. So why carry a dozen different types of scissors that takes up room that needed for something else, when one single set of good butcher block knives (with the scissors) will do it all? Not to mention, why carry a hammer when you've got one already built into a hatchet head? You get the idea?
So, with your ladder, you have a lot of options for things you could use it for, and all of these serves a double purpose. Not only for holding something, but as a deterrent for the kids climb on it. Here's one that's easy, easy to remove when traveling, and DEFINITELY something you'll find comes in VERY VERY handy .... especially with 13 grandkids coming along! If I had a ladder myself, I'd make one of these in a heartbeat! With 13 grandkid along sometime, your going to need clothsline space! I guarantee it, especially the first time you let them go swimming! Not to mention all the towels you'll be going through for showers, muddy feet, bed-wetting, and who knows what else!
We do a lot of camping at Indiana State Recreation Areas (as well as state parks). But most of the Recreation Areas are along bodies of water and the attraction is for boaters. Campsites are usually bigger to accommodate a boat and a camper. Over the years, I have seen many, many, many boat campers use a variation of this (photo below) to hang swim suits and towels on. (and those that don't, hang them on the sides of their boats, over the boat windshields, all over their picnic tables, in the trees, and everywhere else they can.) So, it really is a useful modification.
The other thing I'm seeing more and more of, more with trailers that don't have ladders, are folks attaching something like this to their trailer bumpers. If you did this, it would block the ladder, plus give you that clothsline space. Easy to remove when traveling, and serves a pretty good purpose.
