That extra bit - Ladders and platforms.

B

bunkeroo26

New member
For us average sized people, teaching the top

of a SUV roof is a tall task.


Many talk about platforms that can give 4 to 6

inches of height. These are a great alternative

to ladders, and can make tool benches or

promotional displays when not in use.


You can make a sign saying the car and the service

that it is getting by XYZ company. The platform can

hold this sign up, under the worst conditions.


Okay, maybe not tsunami or that mudslide (tragic),

but these are a good study piece of equipment.

I don't have any, but have used them extensively.


Can a ladder be useful in a car also?


Surely the folding ladders like little giant make

ready work of any over sized vehicle, but they are

a pain to transport. This is especially the case

of multiple Giants.


Has anyone seen this ladder?

Www.extendastep.com


I cringe thinking about how there is no padding

at the top, but that can be wrapped with microfiber.


What is attractive about this one, is the compact size

and the ability to only extend to what is needed.


Yes the total height is 12 which is impressive, but I

personally like the adaptability.


Think of Scotts rig. Can he carry a ladder?

With this, maybe. Otherwise, probably not.

He drives a sedan if I remember correctly.


What ladders of platforms would you use?
 
Besides various ladders (which I might hang inspection lights from, but don't otherwise use when detailing), I have four Bauer 20900 Fold-and-Carry Work Platforms and a similar one from Wenger.  Don't know how people get by without them; with all the inspection angles required to ensure a truly proper finish, I don't care *how* tall somebody is, if you're aiming for 100%, you'll do better if you stand on something, especially on a tall vehicle.


 


Which sometimes leads to exchanges like this:


 


"Who cares if the roof is perfectly marring-free?  Nobody can see it..."


 


"The only person whose opinion matters will see it every time I wash the vehicle."
 
David Fermani- Eh, that one doesn't appeal to me- for me it's *way* too small, and too likely to be slick when wet.
 
I have the one from Home Depot (picked it up on Black Friday for $17).   It would be nice to have more than one but for the weekend detailer one is fine.  Haven't noticed any slipperyness (???) when wet, but I think the greatest danger with any platform is to forget your on it.
 
Accumulator said:
David Fermani- Eh, that one doesn't appeal to me- for me it's *way* too small, and too likely to be slick when wet.
Click to expand...


 


You could always throw some skateboard grip tape on it. :)
 
Yeah, I'd definitely put some kind of friction media on there.


 


Perhaps I'm all about the slippery-when-wet issue because of how things go when I'm using the foamgun.  Even with all five platforms set up, I'm up/down a *lot* and the older I get the more careful I am about taking a tumble.
 
Five platforms? Wow.....

I would ask why, but I can see the value

of not having to keep moving them around.


I worked with a tri hinge ladder set up in

mid scaffold mode, and it was amazing.

I had to purchase a 2x10x8 board for 7 bucks

so that I didn't have to balance.


That one scaffold set up allowed me to buff the

entire side of a class a 40 foot Rv. This saved

much time.


Thinking about it, I need some grip tape on my

scaffold board.


Accumulator, how flat do those five steps stack

on top of each other? I would love if they packed flat.
 
This topic seems to come up on a regular basis.


 


I have an elevated step-platform I've been using for 4 years now. Works great for doing vans, SUVs, and pick-up trucks.


It's a lot more convenient than step ladders.


 


Two safety considerations:


ALWAYS use the leg-lock tabs on the folding legs, regardless if it is only to use it briefly, like cleaning the middle portion of a windshield on said vehicles. One unexpected fall from a collapsed leg can really hurt and cost you a (an expensive) trip to the Emergency room.


 


As suggested in other posts above, get some type of non-slip tape for the step surface. While the ribbed aluminum surface is OK dry, when washing with soapy water that invariably ends up on the step, this too, creates a hazard, even if you wear supposedly slip-proof boat deck shoes or moccasins.


 


As a side note, be aware where you are on the platform. Sounds like common sense, but you can be SO intent and focused on polishing a surface, it may be easy to step to the side to reach something, and inadvertently step off the platform. (Which also suggests some form of "moderate sobriety" when working at elevated heights. Comments accepted....)


 


I think there are a few Autopians who could relate a fall (or near fall) from use of these step platforms, but I'd rather know that you are all safe-and-sound.


.
 
wwww-willywallywashwax-  I'll address the "why so many?!?" anyhow- I got the first platform to make it easier to do roofs on sedans, hated missing marring that only showed up from one weird angle, then I gradually accumulated more of 'em as I bought bigger (and taller) vehicles- two were pretty much the minimum for a minivan, needed three more when I got the Yukon XLD.  Besides finding them utterly indispensable when doing correction on the roof, I also need them to do my wash technique on those way-up-there panels.  No way I'm gonna stop in mid-roof to reposition the platform numerous times (remember, I do a multi-stage wash where every area gets done several times); I just walk around the vehicle on the platforms, getting up/down as needed to swap foamgun/rinse hoses and wash media.  I can even have my buckets up on the platforms if I feel I need that, the extra width can be handy as well as an extra margin for safety.


 


These platforms fold pretty flat- 6.5", so you could stack-and-pack them pretty easily.  Never had any problems transporting them in vehicles like a Blazer, let alone bigger things like minivans or the Tahoe.


 


Lonnie- the leg locks on mine engage automatically when they're folded/unfolded, but after a lot of (ab)use the screws that mount the locks can tear out of the plywood, necessitating an *immediate* removal from service until I have the five minutes to effect repairs.


 


Also, the rubber pads on the bottom of the legs will eventually wear down, resulting in a loss of grip on the floor. Not a hard fix with the inexpensive replacement parts, but having a riveter helps.
 
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