We all see our caravans are our homes away from home (unless you are living permanently on the road, in which case – we salute you!). To make the experience of living in these homes away from home as enjoyable as possible, we kit them out with as many home comforts or alternatives to home comforts that we possibly can.
You probably have a television, toaster, hairdryer, various heaters, and all the other mod cons, albeit taking measures to compromise on the available electrical supply, etc.
There is also a lot of things you need to invest in for your caravan for its upkeep and maintenance. You may even have a set of tools onboard or in your touring vehicle, for those “just in case” moments and incidents. One tool you may not have, though, that you really should consider purchasing for your tourer is a ladder.
We know what you’re thinking, why would you need a caravan ladder? Well before we look at some of great caravan ladder options, let’s consider some of the reasons why a ladder for your caravan may prove useful.
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Why You Might Need a Ladder for Your Caravan
It’s true, for the most part, while you are staying in a caravan, you will be mostly staying on the one level, albeit it slightly higher than the ground, but just by a fraction. Even still, there are some activities and instances where being able to access the higher parts of your caravan easily would be helpful.
Cleaning the Roof
To keep your caravan in good condition, you need to clean it regularly and that includes the roof. Even if you usually leave giving your caravan a deep clean until once it is back in storage and you are not using it, there may be sometimes when, due to bad weather, you need to clean it while you are on the road. That’s when having access to a caravan ladder would be extremely helpful.
Of course, you can clean your caravan roof without even climbing up there, but if you really want to make a proper job of it, you need to be able to see where the dirt is and if its shifting or not. Either way, it’s also a lot safer to work at cleaning the roof on a stable footing.
Installing, Detaching and Cleaning the Awning
If you are on the road for any length of time, you will probably have an awning, as they are the best way to extend the usable floor, storage and living space you have in your tourer. Anything involving the attachment, detachment, and cleaning of an awning, if you want to do it properly, is best done from a height where you are level with the awning rail. Again, you may tend to take care of your awning, removing, cleaning and attaching it while you are at the storage facility you use or at your own home before hitting the road. That may not always be possible though.
What if something happens to the awning while you are on the road? What if it needs to be removed cleaned and then reattached or worse still, replaced? Having access to a ladder in your caravan for these possible occurrences, makes a lot of sense, does it not?
Just as you probably have a ladder for your house, you should really consider, therefore, investing in one for your home away from home. Even a collapsible caravan ladder is a good option if you have a limited amount of storage space.
What Options are There Out There?
There are various options available, but to help make your choice a little easier, we have highlighted what we believe are the best ladders for caravans below.
First in our list is this ingenious little thing from The Caravan Supermarket, a company that has been in the industry for more than 35 years. In that time, they have built the kind of reputation that most businesses would dream of and are highly respected. The tyre step ladder is made from high quality and durable materials. It measures 81 x 18 x 6.5cm and weighs just 6kg. Despite its compact frame and build, however, the 2-rung step ladder that can be slotted over the top of your caravan tyres is capable of holding a maximum load of 400-pounds.
A nice and simple solution, for more involved and labour-intensive work you may require a bigger and sturdier ladder. It’s a great option for when you need to clean the top sides of your caravan or awning and don’t want to faff around with a larger and bulkier set of ladders.
The next option in our look at caravan ladders is this great product from Finether. It is made from a sturdy and durable aluminium alloy. It has been awarded the EN131 certification, which means it has been designed and manufactured using metal and other materials to meet specific safety guidelines. It covers the light industrial and trade use for portable steps and ladders, making this model especially good for use with your caravan.
It has a maximum load capacity of 330-pounds and when fully extended can reach 10.5-feet. There is a total of 11 steps, all with a space of 1-foot between them. This will serve you well, whether you are looking to carry out light maintenance work on the awning, awning rail, roof or another aspect of your caravan that is high up and out of reach.
As safety is always important, except the two rungs directly up from the bottom, each has protection spacers made from plastic for your fingers. This avoids any injuries occurring if the ladders snap-down accidentally and suddenly. You will also find two robust slide latches on each rung, except the bottom and top ones, that help lock it into place so you can climb the ladder safely.
Easy to use and with a very compact 38.6-inches height when fully collapsed, this is a worthwhile investment.
For a more simplistic approach to caravan step ladders that offer better height clearance than the tyre step ladder we featured, why not consider this Hyfive set. It features 4 rungs including the top landing and is made from highly durable and sturdy aluminium.
The best thing about these is that they are foldable, so you can store them away conveniently when they are not in use. Like the model above, this also has the certification of EN131, so you know it is made to a high standard with reliable materials.
It has a total capacity of 330-pounds, so it is more than capable enough of supporting the weight of one adult. Another affordable and sensible investment to consider for your touring outfit.
Last on our list is the extremely versatile and flexible tough ladder made from aircraft-grade aluminium. It meets the EN131 standard and also has been given the G5 seal. With a maximum capacity of 330-pounds, it is more than suitable enough for most uses.
The ladders are fully equipped with security locks and large, over-sized joints, to help ensure it provides a high level of durability and helps to give you the load capacity you need. In fact, those features are 3 times better than smaller joints and there is a total of 6 security locks.
What we really love about this ladder is multi-functional and means it can be used in several different ways such as a simple step ladder, leaning ladder and scaffolding and it can be fixed into different shapes and styles so whatever you need, you will have the tool for the job.
As a nice additional piece, the ladders come with 2 scaffolding plates with anti-slip properties that can be used as a safety ladder while you are standing to keep you stable.
So, there you have it, folks, we are sure you can see how useful a ladder could be for your caravan setup. If you are, therefore, considering the merits of owning a caravan ladder and looking for a suitable option, we’ve presented you with great products to choose from. There is something for everyone in the selection above, whether you are looking for a huge all-purpose one or a simple step ladder.
If you just need a small step to get into the caravan then we have an article on that.