Teeter Inversion Table

[pecostyle]

Ok...so I doubt this has been discussed anywhere on this or any other RV forum, but I'd like some ideas and opinions. I have a Teeter Inversion table at home that I use regularly. It helps loosen my back and hips.

I'm not asking if you think it's good for you or not but how can I use something like this while traveling? The Inversion table is too big to bring along; we travel in a Class A, but can I build something that would support me hanging upside down

I was thinking of adding some sort of support to the ladder I have in the back of the RV, kind of like a triangle that extends out and has a bar to hook my inversion boots.

Does the ladder have enough support to hold me or am I risking pulling the screws out? Are the ladder screws thru bolted? Any of you engineer guys that have any other great ideas sure would be appreciated.

[Lt Dan]

I don't know if it was a folding model or what, but a couple parked across from us in a New Mexico RV park had one they were using outside. It must have been foldable since they were in a medium sized Class C.

[DerekF]

Why not hang a folded up inversion table on ladder? I’d guess lighter then you are. Would a hitch type rack be able to hold the table. Need a fabrication and welding shop.
Friend and I just built rack for a bike and recumbent trike. Picking up on Sunday. Had to want for powder coating

[MrMark52]

Originally Posted by pecostyle

Ok...so I doubt this has been discussed anywhere on this or any other RV forum, but I'd like some ideas and opinions. I have a Teeter Inversion table at home that I use regularly. It helps loosen my back and hips.

I'm not asking if you think it's good for you or not but how can I use something like this while traveling? The Inversion table is too big to bring along; we travel in a Class A, but can I build something that would support me hanging upside down

I was thinking of adding some sort of support to the ladder I have in the back of the RV, kind of like a triangle that extends out and has a bar to hook my inversion boots.

Does the ladder have enough support to hold me or am I risking pulling the screws out? Are the ladder screws thru bolted? Any of you engineer guys that have any other great ideas sure would be appreciated.

I recently had to rebuild outer ladder after backing into a tree. That meant removing and totally disassembling the ladder.
Screws were your typical #8 TEK (self-drilling) x 1.00” and I’m not real sure what was backing up the fiberglass. I suspect wood was used as it was embedded in the end cap areas of the coach for attaching things.
And our 20 year old coach has a lot of rotten embedded wood.

And, if the screws or bolts required nuts in the backside, it would be impossible to reach where the screws or bolts penetrated through to put washers and nuts on.

Besides, coach ladders are made more for a vertical load than horizontal. When you make a frame such as you describe to support your weight on a horizontal extension for the ladder, your now introducing horizontal load forces on the ladder for which it wasn’t intended - neither the initial design or installation.

And then there is the concern I have for how you would use the system. The teeter bed allows for you to virtually instantaneously rotate back to a heads up position. Or, should you pass out, it is very easy for someone else to get you rotated back to heads up.
With inversion boots, it sounds like your hanging by your feet - so would be an interesting feat to get into the hanging position, and even harder to get out, or get you (now dead weight should you be unconscious) out.

Trust me, I feel your pain as I have similar issues. I’ve used a Teeter before - loved it, but the Ms. won’t let me have one as she has other concerns for my health (concerned about further complications as a result of a nasty car wreck in 2011).

Bottom line to your question - if you want to use your ladder, whatever you come up with should allow your bodies center of gravity to be as close to the centerline of the vertical rails of the ladder as possible. And off the top of my head, I don’t know how you would do that while making for an easy means of attaching and removing yourself (or for quickly being extricated if you are incapacitated in some way).

[Dutch Star Don]

You could buy a cheap Harbor Freight 110 volt wench and make a quick bumper mount. Run the cable up to a clip on or strap on pulley on the ladder and attach to your gravity boots. Throw down a blanket and power yourself up in the air.

I liked my old Teeter inversion table as it stretched my back well, but was too hard on my knees.

No matter what you decide, please have someone video your first generation of the unit. It might be entertaining to the rest of us.