Rear door ladders?

[10G]

Wondering if anyone has any experience with rear door ladders for a GU?

What brand? Would you buy it again? Has it rattled loose?

I saw one online and it clamped onto the rear door, I'm not sure how it would clamp nor how it would cope with corrugations?

[4bye4]

Wondering if anyone has any experience with rear door ladders for a GU?

What brand? Would you buy it again? Has it rattled loose?

I saw one online and it clamped onto the rear door, I'm not sure how it would clamp nor how it would cope with corrugations?

Hi Mate, yea I have one from on line some guy in Queensland. i havn't seen it since. I will try and get some pix later for you. Anyway, I have had it on for over three years and it has been over corrigations and all sorts of territory without mishap, the only exception being when I first fit it on because I didn't do it tight enough. When i climb up on it you can see an air gap at the top of the barn door as it pulls on it, I am about 100kg. It has always seated properly when I get off and never done any damage, just a bit frightning when you first notice it. I would suggest you only use it to get on and off the roof rack and not spend long periods on the ladder. I also use the spare to spread the weight when I am standing on the ladder. The first step from the ground can be a big one if you are carrying somthing. I have a 1/4 plate on my tow bar to help. The ladder hooks over the small barn door then has a bolt and nut locking system to the bottom of the door. rember to lock the bolt up, thats what I didnt do the first time and it came loose. Having said that, if it loosens up and you don't notice the noise and gap on the door you probably shouldnt be driving as you are both deaf and blind. I also put some teflon inserts on mine to stop damage to the paint. Seems to have worked. Will get some pics later.
Cheers Tony

[10G]

Great thanks Tony, I'd appreciate the pics. I'm actually thinking of using it to carry a few canvas bags so I can keep my recovery stuff outside the vehicle, + use it to get to the rack.

[4bye4]

Pictures as promised (I think)
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[10G]

Hey thanks for the pics Tony, much appreciated.

That looks like the same one I found online that hooks to the barn door, you don't have to drill any holes which is nice. Good to hear you've had no problems with it rattling loose. It also looks good on the vehicle. The powder coating seems to have lasted well as well.

Nice. Thanks again mate.

[Hodge]

There is a GU I see once in a while near my work with a ladder like that or similar. I like how it looks and I can see how it makes life easier to get up there.
But I personally don't like how its attached to the door, especially considering that small door is not that strong. Hung on the top, weight on the ladder wants to peel the top of the door away from the body.

[10G]

There is a GU I see once in a while near my work with a ladder like that or similar. I like how it looks and I can see how it makes life easier to get up there.
But I personally don't like how its attached to the door, especially considering that small door is not that strong. Hung on the top, weight on the ladder wants to peel the top of the door away from the body.

Yep, I understand what you're saying. Most of the ladders I've seen bolt to the door, so you'd still have that problem A smart person would design some retractable legs that can pop out and sit on the rear step when you climb up on the ladder.

I'm thinking of mostly carrying canvas bags and stuff on the ladder for recovery gear, wet stuff, rubbish etc, to free up some space inside, so you may be looking at 10 - 20Kgs tops.

Starting to think about building my own ladder. How hard could it be!

[Hodge]

Yep, I understand what you're saying. Most of the ladders I've seen bolt to the door, so you'd still have that problem A smart person would design some retractable legs that can pop out and sit on the rear step when you climb up on the ladder.

I'm thinking of mostly carrying canvas bags and stuff on the ladder for recovery gear, wet stuff, rubbish etc, to free up some space inside, so you may be looking at 10 - 20Kgs tops.

Starting to think about building my own ladder. How hard could it be!


As for making one! Well , i'm not a metal worker. lol But looking at it, if you knew your way around metal and had access to tools like a bender and welder well..... possibilities are endless. lol

Like you said, even the bolted on versions still attract the same issue. The door still cops all the weight, and some of it being the peel-away effect. Door may bend the top portion possibly jeopardising the seal. I've take both my doors off due to an incident and there is NOTHING in them. Some of the earlier GU's had the large door develop cracks. mudski and a few others have had this issue.

When you say 10-20kg of weight, i'm assuming being strapped to the ladder while i transit??? When climbing it , average person is 70kg+. I know it's only momentary weight, but still.

Chances of damage are probably low, but still can happen. Lucky the doors are relatively cheap. When my big barn door got damaged, i went to wreckers and they let me choose from aroud 50+ white barn doors in their yard. So if it happens, simple bolt off, bolt on ! lol

[PeeBee]

I have a ladder configured that is mounted on the Pass side, right near the rear corner. Its bolted to the roofrack as the top fixture, then secured at the base into the rear bar. This is very stiff and bomb proof - it is a close profile to the body of the GQ and allows me to use the rear bar as a step to get on and off. Its made from 20mm SHS mild steel. I dont have a photo handy but the ladder started life on a Toyota HJ75 troopy many years ago, and I picked it up at a 4wd auction day very cheaply. If you go this way, watch out for clearance of your toe against the body as it will be easy to scratch the paintwork getting up and down - I ended up configuring a 25mm angle on the inboard side of the step so the toe of the shoe can't go any further.

[jff45]

I made 2 ladders for my GU from aluminium. The rear door ladder is hooked onto the top and bolted through at the bottom.
I made a larger 1st step that holds a 10 lt jerry with gennie fuel and I hook the recovery tracks onto it as well. The tracks are easily removed if I need to climb up there.

Yes, it pulls the door out at the top when you climb on it but it always goes back into place correctly so I don't worry about it.

I made a 2nd ally ladder that hooks onto the roof rack on the driver's side. At 74, I wanted some way to get the spare off the roof a little more easily so I have a piece that clips in that I can get the wheel onto then push it up onto the rack. It folds up and clips to the cargo barrier inside.

I can also place the side ladder against the rear wheel to get easy access to the 2 x 20 lts jerries in that corner.

I can hold either ladder on my index finger so not much extra weight.
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[PeeBee]

Sure has been a bit of effort John in the design of those ladders, look great and very functional.

[CSN61]

Chaps, I've welded up a small barn door for my Y61 GU Patrol, but now trying to figure out the connections to the door. The frontrunner one has three riv nuts down the bottom and two up top - my reckoning is that the top two go through two layers of door steel (where it's folded double) and three go through what I think is a single layer of panel steel.

Does anyone have any experience with these fitments being enough for normal use? 100kg person on the ladder carrying stuff?

I'm not good enough with the welder to do a folded over hook type thing on the top (which I'd prefer of course) - unless anyone has some particularly easy ideas to execute.

[MB]

G’day CSN61 Mate!
If understanding correctly you’ve made a door ladder for your small barn door?
Rivnuts/Nutserts are strongest in shear lateral weight forces for your application but not so great with outward pull forces in such light panel metal.
Some beautifully engineered designs above but first things first check your barn doors for cracks looking at their opened edges at approximately the glass line bottom.
Strengthen that OEM fault first is my nuffy opinion as you’ll probably find the spare wheel bigger door already has a crack from only days out of the factory :-(


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[MB]

Once watched a Stubborn Legend with a seriously buggered hip load all of his family’s touring lightweight gear up top off a simple 8kg thingo similar to this:
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2020/12/83.jpg
Think it was smartly/quickly mounted to his steel aftermarket tyre/jerry can rear bar swing arms but also doubled as a a table family cooker station table under their awning, one less table to carry[emoji106][emoji106]
These GU’s hit legal GVM very quickly touring unless you have awesome aluminium welding skills like JFF45 Mate [emoji106][emoji106]



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[jff45]

I think "awesome" is stretching it a bit :)

[MB]

You’re too humble JFF45 Mate!
Ingenious design pictures above may not reflect to your good self them beaut skills but I’ve thankfully seen over the years even betterer sneaky ‘truly awesome’ pictures you’ve kindly added whilst assisting blokes [emoji106][emoji106]


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