Stromberg Carlson has begun shipping a newly designed and domestically made RV bunk ladder line.
The company manufactured an RV bunk ladder line in China for the past 10 years. The company’s Chinese manufacturer fell behind in manufacturing and logistical difficulties made shipping the ladders difficult, said company President Robert C. Brammer, Jr.
“Logistically things over in China are the same as here right now,” Brammer said. “They could not get containers for a year. Now that they can get containers … the amount of time that it takes to get the products has expanded by months – not just days, but by months.”
Stromberg Carlson started planning for the change in spring 2021. The company invested $500,000 buying two new injection mold machines to increase company capabilities, new molds to create the ladder parts and numerous leveling and stabilizing products to produce the ladders at the company’s plant in Traverse City, Michigan, Brammer said.
“Our aluminum is from the U.P. (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan and all the plastic parts are made in-house,” Brammer said.
The company ships the U.S.-made ladders unassembled to ship a smaller product and save space when the packaged ladders are stored.
“By selling it unassembled, we have taken so many square inches of packaging and literally reduced it 80% and made it much smaller,” Brammer said. “Not just smaller, but tighter, so there’s no more damage to the packaging or parts because everything fits tight in the box.”
The new line is being produced primarily for the aftermarket, but the company has some OEM sales. Each 7-pound ladder is shipped in 60-inch and 66-inch sizes. The ladders are available in silver and black and rated for 250 pounds.
The ladders’ product numbers are:
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- LA-2021460 – 60-inch silver ladder
- LA-2021466 – 66-inch silver ladder
- LA-2021460B – 60-inch black ladder
LA-2021466B – 66-inch black ladder
The ladders are available through distributors including Keller Marine & RV, NTP-Stag, Arrow Distributing, Land-n-Sea and Meyer. The MSRP for each ladder will be under $100, Brammer said.
The ladder packaging contains a QR code that links to an assembly video featuring Brammer’s son, Gunnar. The video is available on the Stromberg Carlson website as well as YouTube.
“With only 10 nuts and bolts, it does not take 10 minutes to assemble and use our newly designed bunk ladder,” Brammer said.
