Gobi Ladder on Passenger Side? (1 Viewer)

[encrypttie]

I have a question for folks with a Gobi ladder.... I searched the forum and the internet but could not find an answer to this.

Do you know if it's possible to install the Gobi ladder on the passenger side? I examined all the photos that I could find and concluded that it should be possible to install it on the right side without problems, but photos could be deceiving!

I appreciate your help in advance.

 

[sdnative]

Seriously doubt it. No experience with this ladder on the 200 but I had one on my 100. The top where it mounts to the hatch is curved slightly to follow the contour of the hatch. If you were to mount the top to the passenger side of the hatch the bottom wouldn't line up and be parallel with the bottom of the hatch. Hope that makes sense.

 

[Cruisin911]

Just went and looked at mine. Not gonna work. However, GOBI sends these things across the world. You may be able to ask them if they make a right hand side version. Have you tried that?

 

[encrypttie]

Thanks for the quick response guys.

@Cruisin911 would it not work because of a curve in the brackets similar to what sdnative mentioned? Also is the vertical bar on the left shorter than the right one?

I ordered a Kaymar bumper with the tire carrier on the left side which has limited my already limited choice of ladders...

I contacted Gobi, they don't have one for the passenger side.

 

[mcgaskins]

If you have a tire carrier on the left and a ladder on the right, you won't have any visibility in the rear view mirror. I had a Gobi ladder in the past that I bought because I thought it looked cool, but I never used it once as a ladder. I used it for my trasharoo which worked better than expected, but if you have a rear tire carrier that's a better spot. If you're going with a RTT, I'd use the ladder that comes with that which will be safer and sturdier and won't block visibility.

 

[Cruisin911]

Thanks for the quick response guys.

@Cruisin911 would it not work because of a curve in the brackets similar to what sdnative mentioned? Also is the vertical bar on the left shorter than the right one?

I ordered a Kaymar bumper with the tire carrier on the left side which has limited my already limited choice of ladders...

I contacted Gobi, they don't have one for the passenger side.

I'll grab some pictures today that will help explain why it won't work.

 

[Tommy Dwyer]

I'll grab some pictures today that will help explain why it won't work.

Was going to as well later this morning. But if you can visualize it, the ladder is not actually square, but is angled to the left on the mounts to conform to the contours of the lift gate on the drivers side. So if switched to the passenger side the ladder wouldn’t line up with the mounts. Photos will definitely explain this better though.

 

[Tommy Dwyer]

Was leaving to wash the truck and remembered this thread. Kind of hard to get the right angle, but hopefully this will illustrate what I was trying to describe. Looking down, you can see that the left side of the ladder angles in (towards the lift gate) to follow the contour of the back. If you swapped to the opposite side it wouldn’t be flush at the bottom mount.

 

[encrypttie]

Thanks for the photos, @Tommy Dwyer Does the whole ladder follow the tailgate contour or is it just the base that's angled?

You make a good point about visibility @mcgaskins. I don't think it would fit behind the wheel though. I have to measure the distance between the wheel carrier and the tailgate when I install the bumper.

 

[Cruisin911]

^^These are the pictures I meant to take. if you look at the top rung, its angled to the left just like the bottom. So much so that it will hit the curved part of the spoiler as well as not match the bottom angle at the bottom.

 

[Tommy Dwyer]

The best way I can think of to describe it... the very top and very bottom pieces (mounting points) of the ladder assembly itself are not parallel planes. The ladder construction itself is built between them. So, if your thought process was to alter the mounting points I still don’t think it will work.

 

[encrypttie]

Thanks for the quick response. I guess I gotta shelf the idea of altering the Gobi ladder to fit to the passenger side then.

I appreciate your help.

 

[sdnative]

I guess I gotta shelf the idea of altering the Gobi ladder to fit to the passenger side then.

Nothing some fabrication work can't solve...

The top and bottom mounts will probably fit on the PS, but the ladder itself will need to be modified to fit the mounts which will be at a different angle.

 

[encrypttie]

Thanks for the photos and the help everyone. I'm gonna install the bumper in the next 3-4 weeks. I don't know if I'll end up putting a ladder or not.

 

[timjax]

Thanks for the photos and the help everyone. I'm gonna install the bumper in the next 3-4 weeks. I don't know if I'll end up putting a ladder or not.

Yep, have a Gobi ladder and it's definitely only intended for that specific spot.

However, here's a possible alternative:

Ladders — Gamiviti

www.gamiviti.com

The Gamiviti ladder mounts on the passenger side of the truck at the D pillar, and anchors between the roof rack and rear bumper. It is also designed with some flex in the joints as not to transfer load unnecessarily. Since it anchors to the side, it won't get in the way of swing outs. They are a smaller outfit and may also be able to custom build you this ladder for either side.

 

[encrypttie]

Thanks for the suggestion timjax. I'm very intrigued by this design. I have to wait and see what RRT I will get and if I will be able to get in to the tent from the side.

I installed the rear bumper last week (photos and thread to come later, right now I'm busy with replacing the radiator and doing some other mechanical work). I think the Gobi ladder would fit with the wheel on the tire carrier. There's plenty of room (I've not measured exactly how much) between the tire and the tailgate.

I will measure the distance and post it here. Here's a photo of the rear bumper:

 

[encrypttie]

Was leaving to wash the truck and remembered this thread. Kind of hard to get the right angle, but hopefully this will illustrate what I was trying to describe. Looking down, you can see that the left side of the ladder angles in (towards the lift gate) to follow the contour of the back. If you swapped to the opposite side it wouldn’t be flush at the bottom mount.
View attachment 2529113
View attachment 2529116

Reviving this old thread... I think I have enough clearance behind the tire carrier to put the ladder, but could you please let me know what's the depth of the first step (the flat one) so I can measure it and see if I need to do any adjustments?

Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[encrypttie]

Yep, have a Gobi ladder and it's definitely only intended for that specific spot.

However, here's a possible alternative:

Ladders — Gamiviti

www.gamiviti.com

View attachment 2599978View attachment 2599979
The Gamiviti ladder mounts on the passenger side of the truck at the D pillar, and anchors between the roof rack and rear bumper. It is also designed with some flex in the joints as not to transfer load unnecessarily. Since it anchors to the side, it won't get in the way of swing outs. They are a smaller outfit and may also be able to custom build you this ladder for either side.

I like the concept, but I'm not sure how easy it is to use this as the steps are so close to the body.

 

[sdnative]

Yep, have a Gobi ladder and it's definitely only intended for that specific spot.

However, here's a possible alternative:

Ladders — Gamiviti

www.gamiviti.com

View attachment 2599978View attachment 2599979
The Gamiviti ladder mounts on the passenger side of the truck at the D pillar, and anchors between the roof rack and rear bumper. It is also designed with some flex in the joints as not to transfer load unnecessarily. Since it anchors to the side, it won't get in the way of swing outs. They are a smaller outfit and may also be able to custom build you this ladder for either side.

I do like the concept of side ladder, move it out of the way of doors and not block access to the vehicle. I have some concerns though:

First, as pointed out above it is very close to the body which would make it hard to get a foothold.

Second, I imagine this would generate some wind noise?

Third, the bottom is mounted to the bumper (which is solidly mounted to the frame), and the top is mounted to the roof rack (which is solidly mounted to the body). The body and frame are connected with rubber mounts which are designed to flex. The ladder is a rigid connection between two points that are designed to move in relation to each other. How does that work exactly?