Secure the ladder to the ground?

Cabrito

I come in Peace
Does anybody secure the ladder to the ground?

My search-**** must be weak.. I haven't been able to find anything.

I recently got a FrontRunner RTT and depending on the location sometimes the ladder just barely reaches the ground. Maybe I need to get an extension.

I feel like the bottom could swing out while you're climbing up. Does anyone else experience this?

Do any of you secure the bottom of the ladder to the ground?
 

NatersXJ6

Explorer
No

No, I've never had problems with the ladder reaching the ground.

Maybe find taller ground? If you have this issue, you probably do need an extension or longer ladder.

I have strapped the top of ladder/bottom of tent to my vehicle fame or bumper to stop folding in high winds.
 

rickc

Adventurer
Cabrito: Get the extension! My ARB Simpson II is high enough that on completely flat ground, the ladder is only just sloping so I bought an extension. The first time I used the tent, the ground I parked on was uneven enough that I could easily use the ladder without the extension but many times since then I've needed the extension due to uneven ground in the wrong direction. This is also a basic ladder safety issue; the angle should be around 4:1; this makes it easier to get in and out of the tent especially if little kids are involved. I've never secured the ladder to the ground.
 

Kevin108

Explorer
With the height of our rig and the mounting of our tent, the stock extension ladder was right at the threshold of perfect and too short.

2016-04-07%2018.46.30.JPG



After spending a couple years with it, I decided to look into a telescoping ladder. A buddy had a spare NIB Tepui ladder he gave us. We have been very happy with it.

2017-05-14%2021.47.03.JPG



I only had to drill one additional hole to make the swap.

2017-05-14-17.43.10.JPG



Talk with member Boxx Rocket on here. I think the Tepui ladders were in the $150 range, but I don't remember for sure.

CVT offers 8' and 10' ladders as well. https://cascadiatents.com/shop/telescoping-ladder/
 

Cabrito

I come in Peace
Thanks guys,

Kevin, I really like your solution. I was thinking about that type of ladder, but now I'm sold.
 

80t0ylc

Hill & Gully Rider
Tips on the telescoping ladders. Keep it clean & protected. In other words, clean it before putting it away and keep it covered when not in use. Inside rig if possible. Easy to clean, and if you take care of it - will last and should have few if any problems. My CVT Mt Baker RTT came with one. Had it 6 yrs with zero problems, because it is well cared for. You may hear some negative reports of these type of ladders. IMHO it's because of abuse or neglect. I've attached a couple of pics of mine. I finally came up with a method of securing the top of the ladder to fix the only issue I had with it - kicking it over when exiting RTT...lol

Attached to rack:
IMG_1411.jpg

Unattached. I drilled holes in top brackets to make it work:
IMG_1413.jpg
 

Nd4SpdSe

Adventurer, eh?
I do secure the ladder, but I use a strap from the top most step down to either the rim of the trailer, or my sliders on the truck. I've started doing it since we experienced one really bad storm (that had spawned tornado's earlier) where the wind was coming on to the front of the tent and was trying to close the RTT while my girlfriend was in it, while I was outside holding down the awning.
 

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