Truck Scaffold?

petrel-TC

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2012
Messages
376
Location
Spotsylvania
The front of my truck's box is stainless steel, as is the visor. They are in desperate need of polishing after my "entomological survey of north america" aka my summer vacation! I have an extension handle for washing, but access for polishing is eluding me.

Showing my lack of creativity here. How do you guys get to the front of your cab over box, truck visor, etc. to clean/polish them? I can't reach it all from the roof, or from a ladder.
 
Be careful if doing this for washing as it can get very slippery when wet!


For windshield, sunvisor and nose cap cleaning/scrubbing I usually do the following...

Open the hood, step up on the passenger side step then onto the tire, over to the frame and then up the side of the engine to stand on the valve covers(don't worry they are fairly thick aluminum, I am 285lbs and do this all the time) and radiator mounting braces, just don't stand on the fiberglass cowl below the windshield.

If I were power polishing the stainless steel nose of the box (which I have been meaning to do for a couple of years now) I would be tempted to build or rent/borrow some type of scaffolding for the extra stability.
 
For scrubbing the bugs & washing I stand on engine.
For cleaning the windshield at refueling (etc) stops - i open the hood and stand on the tires.
 
I just had the passenger side windshield replaced and watched that "kid" from the glass shop climb from the step, to the tire, to the valve cover, several dozen times. I ain't doing it. My hat is off to you gentlemen for the show of agility!

I think I'll check out the rental scaffolding.
 
I don't like the idea of trying to stand on the valve cover. And, I don't have a long enough wingspan to reach the entire front of the cab overhang from that point anyhow. This is how I clean mine. The plank is from Little Giant. It's pretty solid and works real well. One additional thing not showing in this picture. I learned the hard way (almost actually, I didn't fall off or anything, just figured out I better do this). After I put the plank on I use a couple of ratchet straps to secure the ends of the plank to the ladders.

x6Ma5jmPmNwkQlP7-a2MtREXN5lGQy1OmWxw9-bNmkEtoi_JYzXsa6bOHoQkAZXRQceU_LqQf6WwiHyRUy0ODWqE0RzYpGRkfvwb6Xo2qr7LfCyI3ymdfcMGOCTZn4l2Weo7y-jIRTG_J4ffYvyZ9LbgRCBplrF9YBY_FBqTlxoMxOaBPIIuhuQFrdjhqHPeKlkceqTkVmjWrZ2AA6Hs2RsD9E5bSWkPrE5oQax4haq6IhYg85FkzeRcFfQJpCZWMoUA8Zct7xCI6gKHGNEhWM0mU0npxaK35fgiXvjdXmVUEHZBCzI_HibtdY1IKoPu_xtEsF_A4j3AaE6YB8bJYaG4aHGx4hdCV3GdAvnE69tA47y7OstlsPN2GYU8ImuNUdXbpKAbK8J51L3ui3RG0H6tUpGEddEKD7Mj99gQPTfEpT2xNez18eIBf7s9QVjgpexgO7T2-MuenDidO8ARc8xNPeOhiMvdS9hmvMxb5G5uhffFLbnSQLoTQspgEnraHn7bYkV6DGwbCSGqO8beGI9pyftMPJRFJB9luiy_fvBy23NjBZ2tSRIqFckNdSlEapEwxdIWGShB2bAc0KUcBEUDWD25e92bJ1sy2VD1M0dd0AkgDyVaJA=w853-h639-no
 
Just in case the picture doesn't show up the way I tried to post it.
 

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Thanks for posting. That is a very nice setup. Not that the little giant gear isn't top notch stuff, it just isn't in my budget for this project. I actually have a similar setup in mind, just made out of dimensional lumber instead.
 
Yes, not cheap. I actually bought that 14' step ladder first just so I could get up on top of my coach to look around. I don't like to walk on the roof so I don't use the ladder on the back of it. Then I decided I needed a way to get to that overhang so bought the Little Giant ladder and plank.
 
I don't like the idea of trying to stand on the valve cover. And, I don't have a long enough wingspan to reach the entire front of the cab overhang from that point anyhow. This is how I clean mine. The plank is from Little Giant. It's pretty solid and works real well. One additional thing not showing in this picture. I learned the hard way (almost actually, I didn't fall off or anything, just figured out I better do this). After I put the plank on I use a couple of ratchet straps to secure the ends of the plank to the ladders.

x6Ma5jmPmNwkQlP7-a2MtREXN5lGQy1OmWxw9-bNmkEtoi_JYzXsa6bOHoQkAZXRQceU_LqQf6WwiHyRUy0ODWqE0RzYpGRkfvwb6Xo2qr7LfCyI3ymdfcMGOCTZn4l2Weo7y-jIRTG_J4ffYvyZ9LbgRCBplrF9YBY_FBqTlxoMxOaBPIIuhuQFrdjhqHPeKlkceqTkVmjWrZ2AA6Hs2RsD9E5bSWkPrE5oQax4haq6IhYg85FkzeRcFfQJpCZWMoUA8Zct7xCI6gKHGNEhWM0mU0npxaK35fgiXvjdXmVUEHZBCzI_HibtdY1IKoPu_xtEsF_A4j3AaE6YB8bJYaG4aHGx4hdCV3GdAvnE69tA47y7OstlsPN2GYU8ImuNUdXbpKAbK8J51L3ui3RG0H6tUpGEddEKD7Mj99gQPTfEpT2xNez18eIBf7s9QVjgpexgO7T2-MuenDidO8ARc8xNPeOhiMvdS9hmvMxb5G5uhffFLbnSQLoTQspgEnraHn7bYkV6DGwbCSGqO8beGI9pyftMPJRFJB9luiy_fvBy23NjBZ2tSRIqFckNdSlEapEwxdIWGShB2bAc0KUcBEUDWD25e92bJ1sy2VD1M0dd0AkgDyVaJA=w853-h639-no
The walk plank shown in the picture is also known as a "pick board" and may be available at you local equipment rental store.
 

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