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Last Post 03/05/2010 1:08 AM by  yumadj
Vehicle and Ladder
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Boone
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04/17/2008 6:21 PM

    What type of vehicle do you drive and What ladder do you use?

    I am currently driving an F-250 Diesel and using a 24" extension ladder.  I handle mostly daily claims and average 3200 miles a month. I love having a big truck, but fuel prices are forcing me to look for a smaller vehicle. I am having a hard time finding a way to transport the ladder. Roof racks will be my only option, but on the small cars the ladder hangs off the racks a long way. Would like to hear from others on the issue.

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    BobH
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    04/17/2008 7:36 PM
    My Astro Van with 6 banger doesn't get as good mileage as you would think (17 mpg) but that's what I use to carry a 24' and 16' ladder on top, Little Giant inside, with boxes of gear and the potential to sleep in the "Château Chevrolet" if needed.

    I think fuel costs are only going to get worse, and the cost of everything is going to correspond. If I was at your cross-roads, I might consider an econo-box and putting canoe type rack with front and rear bumper connections to the end of your ladder. I live near a lake and see people driving a little VW Jetta with huge long windsurfers and canoes all the time. If you rope and stabilize them right, you are good to go. If you don't, you may be on the other end of an insurance claim...
    Bob H
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    OdieWyatt
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    04/17/2008 7:40 PM
    A Ford Fusion with the back seat folded down and the passenger seat moved up will hold a Little Giant 17 and 26 at the same time. 27MPG in town and 33MPG on the highway...
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    Ray Hall
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    04/17/2008 7:47 PM

    I am not a good one to ask. I have a wood stapleton with the extension and it will get me on 90% of all one story houses and about 50% of all double pull on 2 story, I have never turned back a roof claim because I could not inspect the roof, commercial or otherwise. I will not buy a ladder that I can not get in the trunk of my car. Do you think gasoline will ever go down or ever go up. A roof inspection in New England is done buy a roof inspector with photos and the last time I worked up in Boston was 1997 and it cost $145.00. The SW & SE US has always got a bonus on roof inspections into the fee, but competition will always keep the inspections in in the lower 48 and it seems it has spread to the Pacific Coast.

    Bob Harvey I bet it was all the Texas adjusters who came out to work the santa Ana winds 20 years ago with their ladder racks screwed up a big union state like CA. But I will say CA. has some excellant claim people, some of the best.

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    Boone
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    04/17/2008 7:57 PM

    "Château Chevrolet" HA HA HA HA good one.

    Thanks to all.

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    dcmarlin
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    04/18/2008 12:03 AM
    Currently, I also have a van. It is comfortable and holds a lot of stuff when needed but, like Bob said, the gas mileage is not very good. And, since all I've handled lately is commercial losses, I rarely use my ladder anymore. Plus, as Peyton Manning pointed out in a TV commercial, nobody really wants to drive a mini-van anyway. Maybe I should paint a skull and cross-bones on the doors?

    For years, I used to drvie a Toyota Corolla. On the ski rack, I added load stops from Thule. My LG type ladder fit in really well and I used bungee cords to secure it. There were very few roofs I was unable to access.

    If you are concerned with gas prices, unless you need a big extension ladder, I would suggest a smaller vehicle that gets good gas mileage. Get a ladder that fits in the trunk/back seat or an LG type that fits on a roof rack. Keep in mind since you spend a lot of time in this vehicle, it still must be comfortable. I almost bought one of the ugly boxy Scions a few years ago. It would have fit my needs well for local driving but the engine was too small for a long trip.
    Gimme a bottle of anything and a glazed donut ... to go! (DLR)
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    sbeau4014
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    04/18/2008 1:24 PM
    I get great fuel economy at 38-40 MPG with all the power in the world on my Harley Electra glide Ultra Classic, but still having a little trouble getting the ladder (of any size) to stay on it. When I get back into the real world of climbing roofs on cat work, I'll be driving my Jeep Commander, that also has all the power in the world and has a nice roof rack on it. The vehicle is about 16-17' long, so I can keep my fold up ladder unfolded and on the top, and if I choose to bring an extension ladder, pretty much any size I would care to bring would fit easily enough. Fuel economy isn't the greatest, but I get average 17-19 in it and it is a very comfortable ride.
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    Tom Toll
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    04/18/2008 3:51 PM

    Our 05 Dodge Hemi gets from 18 to 21 on the road. If I keep it below 70mph, it will get 20 to 21 mpg. In town if averages 16. It is comfortable and has all the room we need. We use Amsoil products in the engine, tranny, differential, brake fluid, and power steering fluid. We change oil every 25,000 miles. You folks might want to try the Amsoil full systhetic oil, it does increase you mpg.

    Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
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    HuskerCat
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    04/19/2008 12:51 AM

    Ray, you might want to apply some preservatives to that Stapleton depending on how long you've had it!   All kidding aside, I had one of those for a few years but it was the dickens to make it fit into a trunk.  I had company cars at the time...a Ford Tempo (does that tell you something? last made in '93), a Taurus, and then a Pontiac Grand Prix.  That ladder "wood" not fit into the trunk of any of them.  With a lot of encouragement, it would lie in the back seat & the back door would slam shut most times.  But the arm rests took a beating.  And the slivers on the seats weren't a good thing either.

    I currently have a Dodge Dakota Quad Cab short box, 2001 vintage, which I purchased from a local retired farmer... low mileage & a real good deal because his wife backed it into a pole, knocked off the bumper trim & left a little dimple in the tailgate .  No biggy to me though,  It has the V-8 Magnum, gets 25-27 mpg hwy &  20 mpg about town.  The Little Giant fits like a glove into the bed, the interior is very roomy with the flip down back seats if I need a siesta and no motel in sight.  Drives like a car, but feels like a truck.  Would probably opt for anything gas friendly next time around if  I don't  need to carry a ladder bigger than a breadbox.  Probably not though, still got farmer's blood in my veins & like the pickem'up. 

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    Tom Toll
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    04/19/2008 2:27 PM

    If your getting that kind of gas mileage, I would not consider trading it in for some rinky dink little car that makes a few more Mpg's. I like out truck and will continue to drive it for at least 200,000 miles or more. We drove the 99 Ram to 206,000 and kept it, as it still runs very good and still looks good. It is obvious to me that gas prices will come down, or our economy is going to hell in a handbasket. Surely the politicians are not that stupid, I hope.

    Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
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    HuskerCat
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    04/19/2008 8:50 PM

    Absolutely, Tom.  I don't have any intentions of parting with it anytime soon.  It's got about 100K on it now is all, but I've only had it 3 years & it was barely broken in the folks who had it before me.  Just like your truck though, it does really good until you push that 70-75 mph range, then there is a pretty good drop off.  Around here though, you're always stuck behind the blue haired widows or Farmer Brown, and lucky to get over 60 mph. 

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    ekraft
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    04/21/2008 8:01 PM

    I drive an '05 Chevy Silverado 4WD crewcab with Duramax engine.  Overall, gets 17.9 mpg if I stay below 80mph on freeway.  Comes in handy when driving in winter conditions in mountains.  Average 3K miles/month.

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    mbradbury
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    04/30/2008 9:50 AM

    I drive a big black Lexus and have a bicycle rack on the back that I tie my extension ladder to.  Works well, but sometimes I get stuck when pulling into things like parking garages.

    Just kidding.

    It's an 05 Kia Sorento SUV.  Extremely comfortable and reliable.  I fold down the back seats so they're flat, and that gives an enormous amount of room for the ladder and other gear.  The only real poor part about it is that it's a gas guzzler.  Most people hear Kia and think about a little crap toy car, but honestly Kia has come a very long way.  My truck, as I call it, runs like a deer and I have no big complaints.

    I do it because I want to provide a better life for my family than my parents could provide for me.
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    Boone
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    05/25/2008 5:51 PM

    Well, I went ahead and purchased a 2005 Toyota Camry for my work vehicle. It takes a little getting used to. I have never had a car, always a pick up truck. The 600 mile days get a little uncomfortable, but I just look at the gas needle and feel better. I drove 620 miles last Wednesday on roughly $60. My F-250 it would have been $180. I put some yakima roof racks on and strap the 24' ladder down with nylon straps. I get 30 mpg.

     

     

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    HuskerCat
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    05/26/2008 10:17 PM

    I like the color coordination!!  But am a little curious as to whether it is legal to have the ladder hanging out that far in front of your windshield for safety/visuals of traffic controls/lights, etc.  Maybe you already checked that out, but I can't really recall seeing even commercial vehicles with items in that line of sight.     

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    HCofPA
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    05/27/2008 6:54 AM
    Many siding contractors have full truck racks that extend forward to the front bumper. Moving trucks can also extend forward. I think even auto haulers extend pretty far forward. I dont know if any are legal, but they are out there.
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    JimGary
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    05/27/2008 12:15 PM
    I like it. I've been looking at roof racks for my Corolla. No stock rack available, thinking about adapting a rack from a small Toyo SUV, but want it to look stock. Has anyone tried those suction cup racks? They look like a good way to loose a ladder or worse, cause a wreck.

    JWG
    I know the voices aren't real, but sometimes they're right!
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    HCofPA
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    05/27/2008 7:25 PM
    Consider adapting a luggage or ski rack into a ladder rack. Ski racks are available for almost all vehicles.
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    Boone
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    05/28/2008 9:29 AM

    JWG,

    Yakima made the racks for my Camry. They also make racks for the Corolla. http://www.yakima.com/Consumer/Step...x Not sure what year you have.

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    BradM
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    10/12/2009 6:00 PM

    I reccomend buying a small car and putting a trailer reciever on it.  Then buy a Ladder CATy  (available at www.claimsadjusters411store.com) and you can haul your ladder and your tools outside your vehicle.  You will also save a lot of money on gas.

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