ladder straps

[The Finch]

can anyone recomend anywhere to get some decent straps to fasten ladders to roof of van, im currently using the standard ladder clamps but its a pain when i try get in car parks and also clamps have rusted

also any tips or tricks to stop the dam things howling

 

[telectrix]

cut down on the winalot

 

[DurhamSparky]

Universal Heavy Duty Rhino Ladder Safe Clamp BRAND NEW | eBay UK

 

[The Finch]

Universal Heavy Duty Rhino Ladder Safe Clamp BRAND NEW | eBay UK

cheers il have a look at them

 

[Short Circuit]

Universal Heavy Duty Rhino Ladder Safe Clamp BRAND NEW | eBay UK

I have a pair these from screwfix and found them to be a nightmare! I have gone back to the metal ones you already have!

 

[ian]

my mate who is builder has these and hates them.

 

[TPES]

Why are these no good?

They look slot better and quicker to use than the traditional ladder clamps..

 

[rocker]

I use ratchet tie-downs, you know, the bright orange ribbon things. About 1.50 each from a lot of discount style stores, and there's no shifting them once done up tight. Also use a padlock and chain for obvious reasons.....

 

[The Finch]

I use ratchet tie-downs, you know, the bright orange ribbon things. About 1.50 each from a lot of discount style stores, and there's no shifting them once done up tight. Also use a padlock and chain for obvious reasons.....

cheers that was the idea of thinking rather than the clamps, i have noticed alot of the bt guys now have padlock and chain or bike lock on the ladders now to stop light fingered sods borrowing them and forgetting to return, luckily my steps fit inside the van if i had my choice wouldnt have the triples on wind noise is bad im going to end up blowing speakers in van i turn radio up that loud

 

[PC Electrics]

How do you position your ladders on the van. Are they central or evenly spaced on one side?
Do you have the little upstands that you push ladders against (sideways)?

Perhaps you could post a photo?

 

[The Finch]

its a transit connect with one of those big steel roof racks bolted on top, think its a sdv rack or something like, has a roller on one side, ladders are positioned on the left hand side and yes there are some upstands, i will post a photo shortly

 

[rocker]

Ooh tell me about it, I've gotten used to the ghostly whistle now but anyone else who gets a lift tends to get a bit worried about the screaming coming from the 10m triple, set of steps and 3m pipe on there. But back to the point, yep the ratchet straps are fine, though you'll want to change them every 9 months or so cos weathering and repeatedly getting them on and off causes them to get quite weak after this time.

 

[DurhamSparky]

so basically rocker in your last sentence you removed all element of blame that you may incur when members ladders become airborne and start an assault against unwitting drivers out for a Sunday stroll..

nice..!

 

[rocker]

Exactomondo! Mine did actually come off once when going round a corner at speed, but that was because I wasn't paying attention when doing the straps up (girls).

I love my new pipe sticking out of the middle of the roof, makes me feel like I'm driving a tank!

 

[DurhamSparky]

pipe rack!!! what size 3 or 4 meter!!

 

[rocker]

Pipe rack my arse, I'm a cheapskate, it's a waste pipe with a socket plug on the front and an access cap on the back! 3 and a bit meters, works a treat!

 

[RhinoTechTeam]

Hi. At the discretion of the forum moderator, I'd like to respond in a constructive manner to concerns raised in this thread about the "SafeClamp" product. As an engineer from the Rhino Products Technical Team, I can offer informed advice and technical support on product issues such as this (if that would be helpful?).

Do you know what the specific complaint with the SafeClamp is? A small number of early SafeClamp models had issues with the red cam release button being difficult to operate. We are aware of this, and have since corrected the source of the problem. Any products still causing issues can be uplifted (at Rhino's expense) and either repaired or replaced free of charge, on a next day delivery service. We take quality concerns very seriously indeed, and the satisfaction of our customers is paramount. We have sold thousands of these clamps and have had very positive feedback.

 

[Short Circuit]

Hi, yeah that was the problem with mine, when they are in place, its a nightmare trying to press the red button in to release them. I couldnt find the receipt for mine so couldnt take them back as i had wanted a refund.
They are gathering dust in the garage so any repair or replacement would be ideal

 

[RhinoTechTeam]

Hi, yeah that was the problem with mine, when they are in place, its a nightmare trying to press the red button in to release them. I couldnt find the receipt for mine so couldnt take them back as i had wanted a refund.
They are gathering dust in the garage so any repair or replacement would be ideal

Hi Short Circuit
Thanks for your reply. Please contact Rhino Products direct on 01244 833790 and mention this forum. We can then arrange to have them picked up, repaired and sent straight back to you. Happy to help.

 

[rocker]

Yea that was what happened to mine, I couldnt do the button and it was rubbish. But I um I had to put them in my........ attic and then a dog ran off with them? That was what happened. All that stuff about me using ratchet straps is merely conjecture and wouldn't stand up in a court of law.

So.... where can I get my free ones I MEAN REPLACEMENTS?

 

[High Tower]

Yea that was what happened to mine, I couldnt do the button and it was rubbish. But I um I had to put them in my........ attic and then a dog ran off with them? That was what happened. All that stuff about me using ratchet straps is merely conjecture and wouldn't stand up in a court of law.

So.... where can I get my free ones I MEAN REPLACEMENTS?

Now try and tell me that Welsh blokes arnt tight!!

 

[rocker]

Now try and tell me that Welsh blokes arnt tight!!

YOU just can't face the truth!

 

[eskimo39]

Well I have just ordered a pair online. I saw them months ago in PE magazine but then read a few bad reviews so put them off. If Rhino are willing to come on here and defend them I hope they will live up to my expectations (if so might even ask for another pair for my birthday next week!!)

 

[UNG]

The howling ladder problem I had was resolved by putting the base of the ladder to the front of the rack. The ladder has D shaped rungs so the flat face hitting the air at speed was causing the noise turning the ladder round so the round of the D hits the air virtually eliminated the howling noise

 

[DurhamSparky]

i took my ladders off... costing me a fortune in fuel...!

 

[eskimo39]

i took my ladders off... costing me a fortune in fuel...!

Do you think it ,akes a massive difference?? I have a triple 4m a double 3m and a double 4m cat ladder permanently strapped to my roof. Keep blaming my massive fuel bills on the rising cost but never though about how much they affect my MPG.

 

[rocker]

I regularly check my MPG - I always have steps on my roof, I definitely lose about 3 mpg when I have my 3m triples on the roof. Mind you, they are old 80s ones and they weigh a ton, and I am in a doody Fiesta.

 

[RhinoTechTeam]

Do you think it ,akes a massive difference?? I have a triple 4m a double 3m and a double 4m cat ladder permanently strapped to my roof. Keep blaming my massive fuel bills on the rising cost but never though about how much they affect my MPG.

If anyone is interested, some info about drag (and therefore MPG):

Aerodynamic drag is related to speed as an exponential - the difference in drag between 50 and 70mph is much greater than that between 30 and 50mph. Above 70mph (speed limits permitting), the increases in drag are even worse. It may be helpful to think of 50mph as a significant watershed - below 50mph aerodynamic drag has little effect on MPG, but above 50mph drag plays an increasingly significant role. Thus in town driving, MPG should be affected relatively little by what you carry on your roof, but on motorways the load on your roof will have a significant effect on MPG. Wind noise is also related to speed in a similar way.

Things you can do to help would be to take the ladders off whenever possible, keep motorway speeds down as much as is practicable, and to use a roof system that has been designed to reduce drag. Hope this helps.

 

[DurhamSparky]

basically rocker what Rhino man is saying is slow the **beeping hell** down... you will kill a kid one day and that pipe rack of yours will take a 6ft 2in chaps head clean off..!!

oh and remember to keep the handbrake on when parked on a hill...!!

 

[The Finch]

The howling ladder problem I had was resolved by putting the base of the ladder to the front of the rack. The ladder has D shaped rungs so the flat face hitting the air at speed was causing the noise turning the ladder round so the round of the D hits the air virtually eliminated the howling noise

unfortunately my ladders have square rungs and also being combi ladders have the wide stabiliser bar on the back end

 

[johnthesparky]

that's good advice, I have a rhino roof rack (the new modular one with the spoiler... not like the old square tubed howler on my doblo), and rhino pipe tubes on the van all the time, and I do take the ladders off when I can... or remember, or don't get in too late and then can't be bothered to go back out, move the van, take the ladders off, then pack them away and move the van back

unfortunately the other option didn't seem to make any sense, keep motorway speeds what?

I also have got the safe clamps too... bought mostly because I forgot my new van was higher than my old van and *ahem* stretched the threads on the old clamps on a carpark height limit), and so far rate them..... we'll see in a few months (when the threads in the old clamps would have seized, I'm hoping the stainless bar will still be fine)

 

[Capita]

Bumping this to dust off the cobwebs slightly

The easiest and best solution was mentioned on P1 - ratchet strap and a chain and padlock.

I used to strap the ladders on to the rack down the length of the rungs, rack in question was an SDV trade rack with 3 stage extension ladders.

Ladders on the left die of the rack up against the stops, this is probably going to be long winded to explain but straight forward to do - the strap essentially runs across the top section of ladder across the length of the rungs, imaging pulling the strap on from the back to the front of the van with the hook in your hand, then somewhere near mid side door level you want to thread the hook down between all 3 ladder sections and under the roof rack rail, then straight back up so the strap is back on top of the ladder sections, then carry on across the top of the ladder and drop back down and hook the strap onto the roof rail nearest the second set of ladder rungs. The ratchet then used to hook on to the roof rails at the back, and thread up and tighten.

Once you've done it a couple of times its second nature and takes seconds, ladders are secure and have no rattle. Then a small length of chain to ring around the stiles and the roof rack side rail - key on a magnet to stick on van bulkhead and the jobs done!

Sorry if some of that is like teaching your gran to suck eggs, but after seeing some of the bizarre and unsafe ways people tie (or insulation tape or cable tie) stuff to their roof racks i thought id try and give a bit of detail

 

[The Finch]

I'm using the full length straps at the moment nut can be a pain to thread under so might look at the ones with the hooks as for lock I bought z bike lock from halfords stop the light fingered little bleeders