# Whats my best ladder set up?



## Sparky J (May 17, 2011)

Maybe a fold up type like a little giant. Have not used one before but the fiberglass electrician versions are fing heavy.
Why not consider a rack on top (sorry missed that on your post) or I have seen some box trucks with ladder holders on the sides. Why not a rack on top to high?


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## Kite&KeyElectric (Mar 31, 2011)

Sparky J said:


> Maybe a fold up type like a little giant. Have not used one before but the fiberglass electrician versions are fing heavy.
> Why not consider a rack on top (sorry missed that on your post) or I have seen some box trucks with ladder holders on the sides. Why not a rack on top to high?


Yes too high. Sides can't be covered because of logo.


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## electricmanscott (Feb 11, 2010)

I don't know how you can operate without the ability to carry anything linger than a 20 footer. :confused1:


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## tkb (Jan 21, 2009)

What makes you think any other brand would be shorter?
24' is 24'. :no:


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## Kite&KeyElectric (Mar 31, 2011)

electricmanscott said:


> I don't know how you can operate without the ability to carry anything linger than a 20 footer. :confused1:


Yeah I was afraid of that. I may have to look into a ladder rack for the simple reason if I need to borrow a ladder. I really don't want ladders on top of the truck. Maybe a different manufacture makes a 24' that folds under 12'2".


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## Kite&KeyElectric (Mar 31, 2011)

tkb said:


> What makes you think any other brand would be shorter?
> 24' is 24'. :no:


I know, but Werner is 12'5" when closed. I need 12'2".


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## Sparky J (May 17, 2011)

Kite&KeyElectric said:


> I know, but Werner is 12'5" when closed. I need 12'2".


If you want to use it though not ideal get those ladder stabilizers that go on the bottom Werner has some that attach to the bottom but require the factory feet to be cut off as the stabilizers have their own feet but you may be able to retract them and then fit it in your truck.
But I'd definitely consider a top rack on taller vehicles not ideal but neither is making multiple trips to get ladders.

Time is money. And we all need more of both.


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## leland (Dec 28, 2007)

*Roof racks.*

Ya buy a 24' and you need more.

Skip the middle- get a 32' and be done with it.


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## garfield (Jul 30, 2009)

How about under the box where they put the ramps on Uhaul trucks


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## kaboler (Dec 1, 2010)

Scary tall ladders. Anything above 12 feet, I'll get a scissor lift or a bucket truck. Or if those aren't available, don't take the work.


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## zwodubber (Feb 24, 2011)

kaboler said:


> Scary tall ladders. Anything above 12 feet, I'll get a scissor lift or a bucket truck. Or if those aren't available, don't take the work.



I have a 4', 6', 8' and a 24' extension ladder on my truck. I used to hate getting on the extension but after 4 or 5 times I have no problem with it. As long as it's a good sturdy fiberglass ladder no problem but I won't get on those tall aluminum ones.


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## Kev'71 (Feb 17, 2012)

kaboler said:


> Scary tall ladders. Anything above 12 feet, I'll get a scissor lift or a bucket truck. Or if those aren't available, don't take the work.



I still don't mind the top step of 14' ladders or using extension ladders to fix pole lights (even round ones). Not as daredevilish as I use to be though. Whatever it takes to get job done. I do rent lifts when I must.


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## Pinoysparky (Feb 23, 2012)

Kite&KeyElectric said:


> I know, but Werner is 12'5" when closed. I need 12'2".


Just trimmed it down 3" with a hack saw.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Kite&KeyElectric said:


> Ok, I have a box truck that is 12'2" inside closed door dimension. I want 4 ladders to go inside. I know I want the 4' and 6' and 10' step ladders, now my dilemma is I want a 24' extension ladder, but so far I've only checked the Werner orange ladder at Home Depot and it's 3" too long to fit in my truck. Unless I can find another brand then I can only fit a 20' extension ladder.
> 
> What are your thoughts on all those ladder choices?
> 
> Ladder rack on top, is not a choice.


If you want it inside, you will need to have a 4" half bubble installed on the front of the truck.


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## electricmanscott (Feb 11, 2010)

leland said:


> Ya buy a 24' and you need more.
> 
> Skip the middle- get a 32' and be done with it.


For me 24' has been the perfect length. In 18 years I can think of only a couple of times that I had to put my ladder on the roof of the truck. And I don't mean to get it to the job. :whistling2: :laughing:


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

I carry a 24' and that works most times and is not that bad to handle inside a building which I need to many times.

If I need a taller ladder ............ I rent a lift.:thumbsup:


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

I use my 24 most often. I only use a 28 maybe once a month. I would put a rack on top for a 28 or 32, but I would carry a 20 from day to day.


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

32' is a heavy ladder. I'd rather carry a 24' and rent a taller one or lift as needed. If your decision is to cover your logo with a needed tool or go with a 20' I'd cover the logo and hang the 24' on the side of the truck.


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

mcclary's electrical said:


> I use my 24 most often. I only use a 28 maybe once a month. I would put a rack on top for a 28 or 32, but I would carry a 20 from day to day.


 
I have a 28' that gets used maybe once a month and a 20' that gets used constantly both indoors and outdoors. Haven't had to provide anything longer than 28' any of the places I have gone.


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## kevmanTA (Jul 20, 2010)

On and in the truck right now is a..
24' extension (Aluminum, of course), 12' fiberglass step, 8' and 6' both fiberglass inside the truck..

The extra 3 steps on the 12' make life so much easier..


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## thegoodelectrician (Dec 13, 2009)

Depending on what type of truck, or your shelving arrangement, this may or may not work. If you cab of your truck connects directly to the box, you should be able to gain your 3 inches removing a section of the dividing wall and letting the 3 inches of the ladder come into the cab, maybe behind a seat, towards the floor? Does that make sense? 



Kite&KeyElectric said:


> Ok, I have a box truck that is 12'2" inside closed door dimension. I want 4 ladders to go inside. I know I want the 4' and 6' and 10' step ladders, now my dilemma is I want a 24' extension ladder, but so far I've only checked the Werner orange ladder at Home Depot and it's 3" too long to fit in my truck. Unless I can find another brand then I can only fit a 20' extension ladder.
> 
> What are your thoughts on all those ladder choices?
> 
> Ladder rack on top, is not a choice.


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## CFL (Jan 28, 2009)

Can you store the ladder at an angle?


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## stackappartment (Apr 4, 2010)

Just saw in electrical contractor Werner make a extension ladder with three sections.


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

I have a four, six, eight, 12, 16 and 24 ext. But for the last two months ive just been rolling with my 6 and 24. I keep the six on the inside of the roof. 
I got sick of standing on the top of my 4 all the time... Now i only bring the four if im gonna be doing some roughing in.. And i pretty much just leave my 12 at a finishing facility. I always need it there and they leave it alone. 
I look at almost alll my jobs before i start work so i usually make a note of any special tools or ladders that i might need...its been working out pretty well.


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

Kite&KeyElectric said:


> Ok, I have a box truck that is 12'2" inside closed door dimension. I want 4 ladders to go inside. I know I want the 4' and 6' and 10' step ladders, now my dilemma is I want a 24' extension ladder, but so far I've only checked the Werner orange ladder at Home Depot and it's 3" too long to fit in my truck. Unless I can find another brand then I can only fit a 20' extension ladder.
> 
> What are your thoughts on all those ladder choices?
> 
> Ladder rack on top, is not a choice.


 I used to work for one contractor that had all box trucks. And to get the ladders off the roof all the trucks had built in pull out boards that would slide out almost like a diving board and you would stand on that and easily pull the ladders off. It was quite ingenious... and never a chore to get the ladders off.. The boards that pulled out were made out of some kind of engineered wood and were very durable... 
We used to pull them out at lunch time and lay on them .... I wish i had a pic of them.... All the inside shelves were home made out of plywood and the boards were designed to slide between two set of open shelving inside the truck.


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## kevmanTA (Jul 20, 2010)

captkirk said:


> I used to work for one contractor that had all box trucks. And to get the ladders off the roof all the trucks had built in pull out boards that would slide out almost like a diving board and you would stand on that and easily pull the ladders off. It was quite ingenious... and never a chore to get the ladders off.. The boards that pulled out were made out of some kind of engineered wood and were very durable...
> We used to pull them out at lunch time and lay on them .... I wish i had a pic of them.... All the inside shelves were home made out of plywood and the boards were designed to slide between two set of open shelving inside the truck.


It's got ladder racks on the roof, one has a fancy handle that allows you to hinge down the extension, the 12' step ladder is on a kind of a rack made for ladders, as well..
The 6' and 8' lay in front of the shelves on the inside, they're in the way, but I can't work without them.


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

kevmanTA said:


> It's got ladder racks on the roof, one has a fancy handle that allows you to hinge down the extension, the 12' step ladder is on a kind of a rack made for ladders, as well..
> The 6' and 8' lay in front of the shelves on the inside, they're in the way, but I can't work without them.


 Yea those are nice... I looked at them when i set up my rig but they were a bit pricey for me back then....Im an idiot though i still scale the back of my van like a rock climber..using the hinges and ladder rack to pull myself up.. I wouldnt expect my employees to do it that way i would just buy the door ladder.. But im cheap when it comes to certain things..


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## heel600 (Oct 31, 2007)

captkirk said:


> I used to work for one contractor that had all box trucks. And to get the ladders off the roof all the trucks had built in pull out boards that would slide out almost like a diving board and you would stand on that and easily pull the ladders off. It was quite ingenious... and never a chore to get the ladders off.. The boards that pulled out were made out of some kind of engineered wood and were very durable...
> We used to pull them out at lunch time and lay on them .... I wish i had a pic of them.... All the inside shelves were home made out of plywood and the boards were designed to slide between two set of open shelving inside the truck.


You really need to get us pics of that set-up!

Don't let me down!


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

captkirk said:


> Yea those are nice... I looked at them when i set up my rig but they were a bit pricey for me back then....Im an idiot though i still scale the back of my van like a rock climber..using the hinges and ladder rack to pull myself up.. I wouldnt expect my employees to do it that way i would just buy the door ladder.. But im cheap when it comes to certain things..


That's the thing that has always made me scratch my head on those high roof vans and box trucks. How the hell do you strap down the front of the ladder, and how do you get the damn thing off? 

As far as ladders go, we keep and a 4' and 6' step ladder in the van, and a 24' on the roof. That handles 95% of our service work. We also have 2 8' and 1 10' step ladders at the shop or whatever big job we are on, and have a 32' extension at the shop. That doesn't include the 34' bucket truck, but that is more a specialized piece of equipment. Make sure you don't go too cheap on the step ladders, as the ones with only a couple cross bars in the back tend to walk, but don't buy the blue Werner electrician's job station ladders, as those are heavy sons of beeotches. My Dad and I fight over the orange step ladders since they are waaay nicer to carry than the blue ones.


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## electricmanscott (Feb 11, 2010)

stackappartment said:


> Just saw in electrical contractor Werner make a extension ladder with three sections.


Genius!

http://us.wernerco.com/products/featured-products/compact-extension-ladders


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

electricmanscott said:


> Genius!
> 
> http://us.wernerco.com/products/featured-products/compact-extension-ladders


Looks like it should come in rainbow colors. :jester:


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

heel600 said:


> You really need to get us pics of that set-up!
> 
> Don't let me down!


That contractor went out of business a few years ago... His company was Ken Hyman electric... The owner eventually sold off his company to his foreman and he basically ran it to the ground and left... But at his apex he had about 30 guys, 5 box trucks, and three vans.. All the box trucks were set up exactly the same so every crew knew what was where.. I cant find any old pics where you can see the board but ill use a pic of 220's truck to show you sort of where they were. 


Sorry for the crude drawing... Both sides of the truck were identical and there was a board on each side. It was between the top shelves and bottoms. It was 10 inches wide and if i remember it was a laminate board, not just a 2x10. There was like a rope handle on each one so you could pull it out and im not sure how he did it but there was some kind of stopper that kept you from being able to pull it all the way out. It was long enough for an average person to lay on it.. We would step up on it from the truck floor. and getting the ladders down was a breeze...


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## Kite&KeyElectric (Mar 31, 2011)

Thanks guys, I wasn't able to put the 24 on top of my shelf like I planned, but I was able to put it on the floor leaned up against the shelves. It fit with 1/2 inch to spare. I'm ok with that especially seeing 95% of the time that is the extension used most often. I can't wait to see Werner come out with more compact extension models

I'm going with the that, 4' step, 6' step, and 10' step, for now.


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## PetrosA (Feb 18, 2012)

I keep a 4', 7', 28' and a 770P telescoping ladder from these guys http://xtendandclimb.com

The 4'er is comfortable for most residential I do, and the 7' gets me to where an 8' would but is much easier to carry around a house without banging into walls and doors. I got the telescoping ladder for a customer of mine who has a few office buildings with lights in the stairwells. I would have gotten the heavier duty one but at around $300 it didn't make sense. It's a heck of a lot more comfortable to maneuver than an extension ladder indoors. I wouldn't use it for anything other than relamping though since it's aluminum...


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## thoenew (Jan 17, 2012)

All the ladders where I work are customized by a long time employee. Two large hole are great for large cans of glue, screws, bits, wire nuts, or any small parts. Small hole for small glue cans. One small hole for screwdriver or sticking an impact with screw driving head in, slightly larger one for screwdrivers loosely, better for nut drivers. It's cheap and easily done.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

I keep a 4' step ladder and a three leg 5' that will extend into an 8'. I might need an extension ladder once every couple of years at the most so I don't even own one. I will either rent a lift or if I need to, rent or buy a ladder. 
I don't know what kind of work you Yankees do that you need all of these ladders. Do you guys paint houses on the side or something?


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

jrannis said:


> I keep a 4' step ladder and a three leg 5' that will extend into an 8'. I might need an extension ladder once every couple of years at the most so I don't even own one. I will either rent a lift or if I need to, rent or buy a ladder.
> I don't know what kind of work you Yankees do that you need all of these ladders. Do you guys paint houses on the side or something?


 Most homes in florida are one level...at least the ones on the west coast are.. adding floods, lights in tall foyers and great rooms its not uncommon up here..


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