Finally installed a gas strut. It's a blown factory one left over from recently swapping out the hatch's. The action of it is kind of funny since it's mounted to it. Just as the hatch would feel when it opens, so does this ladder now. The support begins to take over lifting the ladder approximately half way through the swing - just before it's feather lite. As you then go to open the hatch (ladder all the way up), the ladder rises slightly and then begins to fall at about the same time the hatch reaches the top. This makes for a little drop of the ladder onto the hatch, I guess I need to make a little pad or something, because essentially the ladder is "closed" at this point (ya know, both open). Follow me? If you try to shut the hatch, the ladder will ride down with it and they'll both latch home simultaneously. You can stop the ladder from following the hatch closed and it'll return open unassisted. I guess that's what I meant for it to do; lol. I think it looks cool.

 

Frikin sweet!

 

Nice man! I wasn't quite following your vision, but it makes perfect sense now. You gonna just roll with the one strut or do another one on the other side?

 

Right?! Makes me wonder what the rest of the world is thinking when they're behind me in traffic.

Thanks! Probably just the one for now. The strut shown in the pictures is actually a tired one I pulled from my hatch after replacing those. I actually threw a brand new one on there yesterday and one is DEFINITELY enough. That thing picks up now! I had considered making a bracket that would "grab" the rungs of the ladder and provide me a place to mount a spare tire, so I would probably need two for that. I'm not sure how it would behave when both the hatch and ladder are in the open position though...

 

I recall from previous pages you mentioning hanging a tire from the rungs of the ladder with the option to hang it high for trail use and low for street use. But how will you then use the ladder as a ladder with a tire in the middle of it? I think the rear hatch will struggle to hold up the hatch, ladder, and spare tire together. It looks to me the lifter on the ladder isn't doing much when both hatch and ladder are in the open position. I'm no engineer though.

If I haven't said it yet, excellent execution of a well thought out plan. That platform and ladder setup looks good.

 

Right. I guess the idea would be that the tire carrier bracket would need to be relatively quick disconnect for both using the ladder and as well the multiple mounting positions. I agree with you though, it's looking less and less like that's a convenient option and no, I don't believe the hatch struts can handle all of that either. Granted, I know that I can remove it and set the spare to the side, but who wants to do that. Especially for daily rear access. For now focus turns to finding a platform solution for up top. Starting to think I may make it remove able....

Thanks for the compliment though, I'm super happy with it.

 

Oh, I thought the whole purpose of it was a spare tire carrier anyway with the ladder as a side-benefit. Yeah if you're doin' the ladder only without the tire on it, I could DEFINITELY see 1 strut being enough.

 

Platform solution figured out! Here's what you're gonna wanna do. Get some aluminum diamond deck and weld tabs to DOM frame work to inset decking to be flush with top of pipe. Fit up right, I think it would look and function well.

 

It kind of was. I still need to find a way to carry a spare. Maybe throw another strut on and devise a latch at the top so that the ladder always stays up (relative to it's anchors on the roof rack). I wonder if I could make something strong enough as so I don't tear the tabs out of the tube. As for two struts, I'm worried that with no spare though it's going to be too strong. Maybe drop down to 1 when it's off and then back to two when the spare is on?

That's been my backup plan, but ya know, you got me thinking... Maybe I do something like dzus fasteners so that it's easily removable? It would be cool to see the tubes between segmented panels with it all flush. Not to mention, I may not always want to have all three on there (two cross tubes currently).

 

Lol, probably that you're trying to find an easier way to do this...

 

Well then mission accomplished! maybe I am.....

 

 

this is awesome!! way to go.
i had some basic ideas but might borrow some of these..
it is still a long ways off for me to start on mine though

 

That looks really good! Very nice work, kudos to you.

 

This is awesome! Now you mentally spent my monies on a tube bender instead of upgrades...Thanks IMO this is much better/safer than a hatch mounted even reinforced like the other company does. Ever flexed a cherokee now you have trouble opening and closing the hatch? Yeah I have frame stiffeners to install...lol