Cheapest roof ladder for DIY Van Builds

The roof of your build will most likely house a number of items that you’re going to want to service or maintain during your journey. Getting to these items can be challenging unless you feel comfortable jumping out of a second-story window or tall tree onto your roof. We had reservations about these strategies, so we opted to purchase a collapsable ladder.

The WolfWise 8.5FT Aluminum Telescopic Ladder ended up being a great solution for accessing our roof. The ladder is made from 6061 aluminum alloy with an anodized finish and has a weight capacity of 330 lbs. The height is 8’-6” tall when extended and collapses to 30.5”. It has a nylon strap that keeps it secured in the closed position. The ladder weighs just under 15lbs, which makes it easy to tuck away and pull out for use around your build. And with a 330lbs weight capacity, you’ll be able to carry your keg up to the roof deck you never use for those sweet Instagram shots!

Why we love it: The WolfWise 8.5FT Aluminum Telescopic Ladder has a “Smart-Close system” which closes each rung slowly and smoothly when retracting, protecting your tender little digits from getting pinched or smashed. The ladder expands and retracts easily, which makes it painless to use. Our van is nearly 10 ft tall and the roof contains components of our energy, climate, and communications systems. Getting to the roof to repair leaks (they happen) or make adjustments to our LED lights, cleaning our solar panels, connecting our awning, or a host of other reasons we may want to access the roof would be a pain without it. We wanted a ladder that didn’t take up precious space in our build when it’s not being used and we’re able to stow ours neatly and securely in our wardrobe. We’re also happy that we don’t have a permanent ladder on the outside of our van, as we’d have to worry about people climbing on it.

Things to keep in mind: Since our van is nearly 10’ tall, we probably should have gotten a slightly taller model. WolfWise makes a 10’, and if we could do it all over again, we’d buy that one, as it would be just a touch easier to get onto the roof when needed. We wish the top of the ladder had a softer covering too, as we usually put a sweatshirt or hoody over the top of the ladder so that it doesn’t scratch the paint on our van. Lastly, it would be awesome if the feet of the ladder were slightly adjustable for leveling, as there is never level ground when working on your roof out in nature.

The take-away: So far we’re really happy with our WolfWise 8.5FT Aluminum Telescopic Ladder. It’s at the ready when we need it, but safely hides away in our wardrobe when we don’t. It’s lightweight, simple to extend, and closes really smoothly with little effort. Having access to your roof in a pinch is a must on the road, and this ladder has worked perfectly! Check the link below to see if this ladder will fulfill your needs.