SCOPE TESTS THE METALTECH TELESCOPING LADDER

By Harold Merton

"Scope photo by Harold Merton"

We all know how popular ladders are among RV owners. One just has to take a trip down any highway that has a fair bit of RV traffic and they will soon see all types of ladders hanging from rear ladders and bumpers and even on the top.

To me those bungee-tied ladders are not very pretty and there is always
the problem about whether it will still be there when you go to use it, so I
have refrained from attaching an ugly ladder to the back of my rig. I do
pay for this though when it comes time to get up to the top or sides of my motorhome. Quite often I am walking "cap in hand" to a neighbor RVer asking if I could borrow their ladder for a few minutes.

Besides the trouble of taking theirs off its perch, more people are
becoming reluctant to loan their ladders because of the liability
potential.

RVer#1 loans RVer#2 their ladder and RVer#2 falls off and is injured and that opens up a possible lawsuit. It is becoming easier just to say "Sorry" when one asks to borrow a ladder. Some RV manufacturers are now refusing to install roof ladders due to the liability factor. The last 30' Palomino travel trailer we purchased about 2 years ago was not available with one even though the previous year's model had it. The manufacturer would not consider including one under any circumstances.

What all this means is if you want a ladder to use you had better carry
your own! But where do you store it in your RV? There are a few large
motorhomes and coaches that you could stow a ladder in a cargo area but most of us don't have the luxury of that much storage space.

This is why I was excited when I recently discovered a quality telescopic
ladder that is available here in Canada.

The MetalTech Telescopic Ladder seems to be the answer for RVers.

They have two models and we thought they would be good products to look at for Scope's readers. One model is a little more heavy-duty than the other. The CSA Grade 1 model is rated at 330 lbs while the Grade 2 model is rated at 225 lbs. There is only about $40 difference in the retail prices so we thought the Grade 1 (330 lb) model would be best for RV use.

The folks at MetalTech Omega Inc. in Laval, Quebec also felt this would be the best model for our test story as that is the model they shipped to us.

The thing that really appealed to me was the fact that this ladder (made
of aircraft grade aluminum alloy) compacts down to less than 2' by 3' and weighs only about 28lbs. That means that even I can find a place in my RV to carry it and it will be readily available when I need it. The product has been available in Canada for about a year and a half and MetalTech is the exclusive Canadian distributor.

It has had great success in the construction industry because of its
sturdy construction and convenient size. It is not surprising then that the
majority of Canadian retailers who stock the product are home building and home improvement centres and stores that rent tools.

After it arrived we opened the box and slid the ladder out. To open the
ladder you simply unhook the Velcro-style strap and push the release on the rungs to allow you to start pulling the sections up. You do not have to
extend the ladder to its fullest point, you can stop anywhere you like. If
you do not plan to use it in its entire length you leave the extra sections
at the top so you can safely used the lower rungs of the ladder.

The product features anti-slip rungs and feet and if you are concerned
about leaning it against your RV it would be a simple matter to affix
cushioning pads to the sides in the position where it would lean against
your RV. Swim noodles work good for this type of application. They are
readily available and very inexpensive.

It certainly is great having a piece of equipment that will allow me to
safely access the top of the slide-outs on my rig and I probably will never use the attached roof rack ladder again because these ladders can be a problem for anyone heavier than a child that climbs them.

If you have slide-outs and do any winter camping you probably will
remember very well the first time you discovered that you had to climb up and brush the snow or ice off the top of the slide-out after spending a
night in a campground in the winter. We tested the ladder on our motorhome covered with snow in what would normally be a very unsafe situation if one had to climb the rear RV ladder and walk or crawl across the snow-covered roof. We were able to position the ladder right beside the slide-outs and climb up and brush the snow off. It worked very well and took just a very short time.

I now won't have the mental anguish any longer about the top of my rig
knowing I won't have to climb up the RV ladder and somehow make my way across the slippery roof to brush off the snow or ice. It will be handy too to get those pesky leaves off the awnings on the rig's awnings before we retract them after spending a few days in one campground.

This is one product that I feel a lot of RV owners will want to have with
them, especially those who own fifth wheels and large motorcoaches.

It is hard to put a price on safety but most of us are now getting to the
point that we will pay a reasonable amount not to expose ourselves to
potential injury. This is a good investment for that reason.

The Grade 1 model which is CSA approved and guaranteed for one year sells for about $299.00 in Canada while the Grade 2 model is about $40 less. You can find a list of their distributors on their web site.

This is a good investment and is an item that would make a great gift for the RVer no matter what type of rig they have.

 

"The Metal Tech ladder as tested in
the folded position"

We'll bet that RVers who get them will start using them at home too
because they are great for changing high light bulbs and other chores that need you to get up to any height. The MetalTech ladder extends to 12' giving you a reach of about 16'. The compact size when down (less than 3') means you can almost carry it or store it almost anywhere.

We'll give this product a very high rating!

For a list of retailers visit their website and click on "Distributors"