A side ladder is part of my roof-access equipment, alongside the rack and the work above the van.
Where it fits my build
I removed the factory roof covers, widened the mounting holes and scraped the paint and adhesive from the landing-pad areas. I then fitted the landing pads and assembled the side rails, crossbars and fairing.
The sealant timing made the assembly messy. I applied it early and got it on my hands and parts, while the installed pads left little space for reaching underneath with the nozzle.
Black sealant around a roof-rack landing pad during my installation.The close working space around one of the rack attachments.
My build notes
The access around the pad was the memorable part of this job. Small spaces between the roof, pad and rail affected how I could position the sealant and tighten the hardware.
The order of assembly changed which parts of the joint I could reach.
Alternative products
Two alternatives to compare
The Flatline ladder stays attached to the van. The Xtend & Climb telescoping ladder and Little Giant multi-position ladder offer two portable approaches to reaching a work area.
Xtend and Climb 785P+ Ladder
This telescoping ladder extends into a straight ladder and retracts for storage. Its separate sliding sections provide a portable roof-access format.
This aluminum multi-position ladder folds and extends into several working configurations. Its hinged frame and telescoping sections provide an alternative to a fixed van ladder.
