Hey FTE,

I have a ladder that was mounted to the backdoor of an older ford van. i pulled it from the junkyard. Has anyone mounted these before? What are some things to consider or to avoid?

I considered putting it on the rear like it was on the van i pulled it from. I have also seen a side-mounted version. I have a cargo box on top now is there anyway to have it movable but secure as well?

1989 e150 cargo van

Matt

 

Make sure the tubes aren't rusted out at the bottoms. One side on my 96 conversion van is. Trying to decide whether or not to just remove it and leave it off permanently

 

I'll try to post some pictures tonight, but the ladder is in good shape. i think its Al. I have it painted now and have cork padding on the installation mounts. now i just need to decide where it should go and how to do it

 

My tubes looked like aluminum, but they're plated steel. It's mounted to the right rear door.

 

I'll take a magnet to it to find out, but youre probably right. I'm a little hesitant to just bolt it onto the rear door.

 

I just checked and my ladder is aluminum. MarkIII installed mine when they did the original conversion and they just used sheet metal screws and some have come loose!
My mothers 1978 E100 has a ford factory ladder on it. (I am guessing it was factory). They used large pop rivets to fasten it to the back door and the ladder is still tight today.

Both ladders have a thin piece of rubber or plastic between the sheet metal and the ladder mounts perhaps to help seal the screw holes and keep the aluminum from direct contact with the painted steel.
Be careful what material the fasteners are made of if your ladder is aluminum. My aluminum running boards were mounted using steel flat washers under the bolt heads and over time there was some minor corrosion on the aluminum but mostly staining. I plan to replace them all with a flat nylon washer between the aluminum and the new stainless steel washers.

Both ladders are also fastened to the very top of the door flange that the weatherstrip is glued to. I do not know why they didn't drop it down to the holow space just below the weatherstrip..



Just on the inside you can see the hollow space I mentioned below the weatherstrip.





If you mount to the door, make sure you have a part (sorry not sure what it is called) that supports the bottom of the door on the lower door frame. With out it the weight of someone going up the ladder cold cause the door to eventually sag downwards. There is one mounted on top of the doors as you can see above. (the black part)).
here is a pic of the one on the bottom of my very dirty door bottom. The door in the pic below has the spare tire mounted to it and the paint on the bottom of the door frame is worn off from that black piece rubbing the frame when it is opened and closed.






I would think that if you have it mounted on the side of the van, that you would have to relearn your driving habits and remember you have something hanging 6 or 7" out on the side that is normally not there. It would be very easy to ****** it off if not paying attention. It wouldn't stick out any farther then your side mirrors but occasionally those get bumped too..

 

They're screwed in at the top where they are because the steel is twice as thick there.