Ladder Mover™ ladder dolly / ladder carrier

Step ladder carry methods

When carrying a step ladder on the Ladder Mover, you have three main options:

1. Step Ladder "Side Carry" method, enables a wide step ladder to fit through a narrow doorway.

2. Step ladder "Flat Carry" method, enables you to carry tools and supplies on your step ladder.

3. Step ladder "Cart Carry" method, great when making lots of stops with little or no strapping required.

1 - Step Ladder "Side Carry"

This video demonstrates how to attach a step ladder using the "Side Carry" method, which enables a wide step ladder to fit through a narrow doorway.
For instructional clarity, we're using a small 8-foot step ladder, but treating it as if it's much larger.

Back to "Carry Methods"

2 - Step Ladder "Flat Carry"

This video demonstrates how to attach a step ladder using the "Flat Carry" method, which enables you to carry tools and supplies on your step ladder.
For instructional clarity, we're using a small 8-foot step ladder, but treating it as if it's much larger.

Back to "Carry Methods"

3 - Step Ladder "Cart Carry"

This video demonstrates how to attach a step ladder using the "Cart Carry" method, which works great when making lots of stops because it requires little or no strapping once your cart is built.
You build a cart by attaching one section of an extension ladder to the Ladder Mover using bungee straps following the procedure used for rough terrain. Then you just rest your step ladder on the cart / extension ladder. If you are traversing over rough terrain, you will need to strap your step ladder to the extension ladder. The strapping method here is not critical because the extension ladder is doing most of the work and it's well attached to the Ladder Mover and hand truck. For instructional clarity, we're using a small 8-foot step ladder, but treating it as if it's much larger.

Back to "Carry Methods"

How to load additional ladders and supplies on your ladder

1. Always position your heaviest supplies, concentrated loads such as a toolbox, directly on top of the ladder rung that is supported by your Ladder Mover. The weight is safely transferred through the ladder rung, Ladder Mover and finally to the hand truck toeplate.

2. Never position your heaviest supplies, concentrated loads such as a toolbox on top of the ladder side rails. Doing so creates a concentrated force that could structurally damage your ladder side rails as they are not designed to support much weight in this direction. It's best to spread out the load along the length of your ladder, or put your concentrated load over the rung supported by Ladder Mover cradle.

3. When carrying multiple ladders, stack your ladders with the heaviest on the bottom and the lightest on top. This keeps the center of gravity at the lowest point, which improves maneuverability, and quick cornering with less chance of tipping. Be sure you remain within the weight limit of the hand truck and Ladder Mover.

How to install the bungee straps

It only takes a few seconds to install bungee straps, that's a small price to pay for insurance that your expensive ladder will stay put during a rough ride or crash.
This video only shows strapping an extension ladder, I included it here because it shows a simple technique that can be somewhat applied to the step ladder. It has two excellent view points showing how to pass the strap through the bungee strap access window, even out the strap, swap hands, and then hook to the hand truck. You should also watch the videos on this page for step ladder "Side Carry", and step ladder "Flat Carry", they have info that only applies to strapping a step ladder.

1. Wear proper eye protection when working with bungee straps, the strap could break or come loose and strike your eye with blinding force.

2. For best results, use flat profile, rubber bungee straps that have fully exposed rubber, with no protective sheathing. The rubber will grip and help prevent the Ladder Mover and ladder from sliding when properly applied.

3. The bungee strap at the toe plate is the most critical. I get good results using a 31" strap here when carrying an extension ladder lying flat or a step ladder tipped on one side. Ladder Mover has a bungee strap access window located below the center of the ladder rung cradle as shown in the image below. Start by slipping one end of the bungee through the window.

    

4. Lift both ends of bungee straight up, then cross over the top of the ladder rung with both ends, encircling both the cradle and ladder rung.

5. Stretch one end of the bungee down to hook under left rear of toeplate.

6. Stretch the other end of the bungee down to hook under the right front of the toe plate. This method does the best job of keeping the Ladder Mover centered on the toeplate. If your bungee is tighter on one side than the other, then it will pull the Ladder Mover off center, toward that side.

7. A correctly installed bungee strap will completely encircle the Ladder Mover cradle and the ladder rung, holding them tightly together. I like to encircle two rungs as shown in the video, to prevent the top section from sliding out of the bottom section. However, this method does not provide the greatest amount of holding force. For a more secure hold when climbing stairs or navigating extreme terrain, it is best to encircle only the rung that is in the cradle. To simplify encircling only the cradled rung, extend the fly section about 6 inches. This fully exposes the cradled rung and provides the most clearance for wrapping the bungee strap only around the single cradled rung.

8. Install a second bungee strap where your hand truck handle makes contact with the ladder. I get good results using a 21” strap here. This bungee strap is more forgiving and can be attached in a number of different ways, just make sure the hand truck handle is tight against the ladder rung. To avoid damaging the paint on your hand truck, wrap 5 turns of electrical tape around the hand truck handle where it makes contact with your ladder rung.

Step ladder attached using the "Flat Carry" method.

 

Step ladder attached using the "Side Carry" method.

 

A step ladder should be bungee strapped similar to an extension ladder, with the main strap completely encircling the side rails and the Ladder Mover. The strap will pass diagonally across the side rails and through the Ladder Mover bungee strap window, two sections of the bungee are visible on top and one section through the window. Be sure to watch the videos on this page that were made specifically for attaching a step ladder to the Ladder Mover using the "Side Carry", and "Flat Carry" methods. Some of my videos located on different pages show a step ladder with the strap installed differently, with only one section on top, but this is not the strongest way to attach your ladder and may not work for rough terrain or a larger ladder. The images above show the best way to attach your step ladder with a bungee strap.