Just wanted to get a few opinions on the following:

A lot of the service vans I have seen in my neck of the woods have both a 12' A-Frame ladder and an extension ladder, approx 22'.

Following are the advantages/disadvantages as I see them.

A-Frame:
Advantages:
-Well balanced- Doesnt normally require another person to hold it steady unless windy or on uneven ground

Disadvantages:
-Don't typically go as high as extension ladders due to size constraints
-Can be more difficult to get right against the wall due to the V-shape of the ladder or if you turn the ladder so it is parallell to the wall and you are able to get close to the wall, it is more difficult to apply pressure (as when drilling) because the ladders legs are no longer behind the force of the drill, but out to the sides now.

Due to space limitations I find myself carrying around a set of general purpose ladders for service calls (if I don’t have enough info about the situation to know exactly what is needed)

What do you guys take with you?

CCTVMAN

Too different ladders for two different situations, that's why most carry both.

I have a 4ft. a-frame and a telescoping 12ft. ladder. telescoping is great because it fits inside my truck nicely up. Used it a hundred times now and it is pretty tough. I have a little giant I've never used........

is that the metal-tech ladder offered by home depot? I use one of those, takes up such little space and so easy to carry around. Do you find when using a non a-frame ladder that you need somone to hold it when you are say above 8 feet high or higher? What do you do for situations that require ladders above 12 feet? you would use the little giant?

CCTVMAN

Mine is a telestep.............

yes........I'd use the Giant, or a laddeer that the client has onhand :)

I like my JLG sizzorlift for installations :D

I like my low overhead................no punn intended. Most installs they have a lift of some sorts so I don't have to pay for one or maintain one. I considered buying one but why? Just so I have it......renting one is better. They drop it off and pick it up.

yes, more costly than a ladder, but worth its weight in gold when doing warehouses and garages. Plus I do alot of HVAC work in the winter and we use it for that too.

http://www.consumerssecurity.com/images/trailer.jpg

We are usually limited to a fiberglass ladder or a lift. Many of our commerical places do not allow aluminum ladders.

Have you looked at the WAKU telescopic ladder, fits inside the van and can telescope as an A frame ladder or can be used as a straight ladder. Still it is not great above 20ft although we generally use a lift above 20ft more for health and safety than anything else. Never had to replace one yet and they are in use pretty much every day.

I use a 13' little giant knockoff for 90% of my stuff (Werner, Lowes ~$100), There is no way I would carry a conventional ladder around anymore.

Also these ladders make stairwell smokes much easier, if you do alot of them I would go for a taller version then the 13'.

I have gotten most of my quoting and service stuff to fit in a Toyota Corolla rather then my install truck. Makes a big difference in gas and the folder ladder fits in the trunk no problem.

I do need a tall A frame for installing PTZs and vandal domes in drop ceilings quite often but that's basically it. Once I have the supports up in the rafters the little one can handle most everything else.

I wish mine was fiberglass though. :(