Oh well if I would have found one for $20.00 then that would have left me the other money I would have spent on something I really didn't need. Got a bad habit of doing that at Home Depot. PLUS I enjoy their FREE coffee. I even stop by there for a cup on the way home or heading into town.
IF I ever see it on sale - ah heck, even if it's not on sale, I'm going to buy another one. When I detail I like to have everything fairly close to me so I'm not waisting time walking all over the place. I have a great detailing cart (three shelves) on wheels, electrical power strip and all other applicable things one needs.
So now having this super neat little ladder, I will be able to have one on each side of the vehicle and won't have to be dragging it around.
This ladder could be a little taller though. When I bought it at HD, I noticed another ladder that folds up like this one and it's roughly a foot higher. However it does not have the working platform on it. It's like any other ladder where you have "steps" to climp on but it does fold into the same position. One surely can't be balancing himself on something like this so I am thinking about buying one for a test project. Going to buy enough 2x6 or 2x8 boards. Cut them to length so each end will wind up meeting a step on the ladder, take a couple of "U" bolts, drill through the boards and then insert the U bolts through those holes, around the steps, attach washers and a nut and snug them up tightly - there, I have a "walk on" platform.
This ladder is about 3' longer than the smaller one which will give me more "walking" room. The downside to this would be more "weight" to be moving. But if this test project works I will build another one for the other side of the vehicles. I have more than enough room in my shop to also have the detailing cart right where I want it, regardless of which ladder I use.
I hate having any kind of an electrical cord hanging over my shoulder even though I have the Micro/Fiber detailing apron, the cord is attached in two places. However, it's still behind me or at the minimum, off to my right side. I've tripped over to many cords in my life and with these ladders, it's going to require a couple of extra feet of cord. So yesterday I installed two electrical outlets directly above my detailing area. Bought two trouble shooting lights that are on a retractable coil. Cut both of the lights off the ends and attached plug-ins on each one. Now when I'm detailing a roof or a big hood, I just plug in either my Flex or PC and have total control as to the length of the cord.
I have eight, 8' heavy duty (dual bulb) fluorescent lights hanging from the rafters in my shop. However on the drivers side of any vehicle is what I call the darker side. So yesterday, while installing the trouble shooting lights, I installed one more of the fluorescent lights. So now I have a perfect 360 degree lighted area.
Speaking of those ladders. All my detailing is done in my shop with the exceptions of washing. So I just ordered one of those pre-fabed metal sheds, fully enclosed with doors on both ends and insulated. Going to have one end built right up to the existing shop overhead door. This way I can drive a vehicle through the one end door, keeping the one door going into the shop closed. I can then just wash the vehicle or clay and wash, use my air drying machine, completely dry it and then take it right into the shop. With either of these ladders, depending on how tall the vehicle is, I can use my two bucket wash buckets by sitting them on the ladder/s and use my wash mit to clean the roofs.
Just think, all of this started over me getting the info, on the ladder, off of the forum. Sure hope somebody posts more great information like the ladder. One can never stop improving his "man cave." I would absolutely love to have a vehicle lift built right in the pre-fabed shed so I could start thoroughly cleaning the undersides.
After I detailed my first Mercedes and Chevy truck and then the same with the 2012 Mercedes and the new Ram truck,
ALL my neighbors are throwing some serious "hints" about me detailing their vehicles. However,
NO money was ever mentioned. Funny how that works.
