I made a storage tube for my 25-pound, 7-foot double-rung folding ladder out of a 5-by-5-by-96-inch plastic fence post with caps on each end. The storage tube is attached to the underside of the trailer via 3/8-by-6-by-7-inch square U-bolts using nylock nuts on either side of the trailer’s frame. I cut the tube so it is 6 inches longer than the ladder when folded up. One end of the tube is sealed off with a fence-post cap using PVC glue and screws. At the other end, I riveted on a fence-post cap with a stainless hinge and hasp for easy access to the ladder.
To keep the ladder from sliding around inside the tube and hitting the end caps while underway, I drilled two holes at each end and added bolts that run horizontally. I cut the threaded end off two ½-by-8-inch hex bolts to make them ½-inch longer than the width of the post. I put flat washers on each side of both bolts, run the bolts through the holes and use hairpin clips to keep the bolts from sliding out.
Tim O’Hara | Wichita Falls, Texas
In reply to David G.’s request (in the Comments field below), Tim O’Hara provided three photos that show the hinge in its open and closed positions.
Editor’s note: These folding ladders can be found at rvupgradestore.com, Camping World and Amazon.
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