Skamper Ramp Dog Pet Pool Boat Safety Ladder Step-Super
Home and Garden :: Pools and Spas
Skamper Ramp Dog Pet Pool Boat Safety Ladder Step-SuperFREE US SHIPPING-Warranty-Authorized Dealer-New!-NIB
Skamper Ramp Dog Pet Pool Boat Safety Ladder Step-Super FREE US SHIPPING-Warranty-Authorized Dealer-New!-NIB Video Demo of Skamper-Ramp Ideal for vinyl-lined and inground pools Bailey the St. Bernard climbs right out. Skamper-Ramp Questions and Answers Q. Why does it work? A. Skamper-Ramp® is an escape ramp: a means of preventing animals and pets from drowning. The science is that ALL living beings – domestic or wild; bugs, animals, or humans; whether they are color blind or not – see 550 nm wavelength, which is the color white. As long as the Skamper-Ramp is installed so that a few inches of the "nose" (curved) end are under water and the ramp breaks the surface, the animal will see it. The other end of the ramp is like a box lid, and it is that "open-box-lid" end that must be snug to a vertical wall (whether it's a pool, floating or fixed dock, walled pond, spa, stern/swim platform of a boat, or water troughs in pastures and remote ranchland) in order to provide the rigidity necessary for an animal to "skamper" out on the ramp. Q. Why should I buy it from a Skamper Authorized Reseller? A. Any small version Skamper-Ramp selling for less than $38.95 or Super Skamper-Ramp offered anywhere below $98.95 is not from an authorized dealer! Cheap Skamper-Ramps may be low quality or knock-offs, and the Skamper warranty will be null and void! Click this link to confirm that Stellar ValuMart d/b/a Shimmering Leaf Retail is a Skamper Authorized Reseller then click on the push-pin by the name "Minneapolis." Q. What size do I need? A. The newly designed Super Skamper-Ramp is meant for any size animal, can be used with or without the extender snapped in, and is designed to endure more wear-and-tear from frequent use, rather than just an occasional escape. It is strong enough to hold over 200 lbs (~100 kgs) on dry land, so even more with water displacing the weight. The original small Skamper-Ramp is for critter control, emergency escape, and infrequent use, especially for animals under 45 lbs (20 kgs). The width of the Skamper-Ramp was determined by the fact that the placement of the feet of virtually all dogs never exceeds 12". Most any animal's upper body can be held out of water by any size of Skamper-Ramp, allowing the ramp to do what it is supposed to do – prevent drowning. Because so many customers asked for it, the Skamper-Ramp manufacturers made the longer and much stronger Super Skamper-Ramp model, for dogs that weigh more and have longer shoulder to hip length. Even so, the original size is still the most commonly used for smaller pets and/or control of wildlife that fall or are chased into a water hazard. You can bend but you can't actually break the original smaller model of polypropylene ramp. It may not always look pretty but it will provide a means of holding a head out of water or escape. For very small pets, like toy and teacup breeds, you might feel more comfortable putting white toweling on the ramp and lacing it on the underside so there isn't a chance they will be frightened by the hole pattern or slip their leg into the holes as they learn to use the ramp. You might also find you can use the larger ramp as an indoor ramp for pets weighing less than 25 lbs (10kgs), to get on or off furniture and then tuck out of sight when not in use. If people don't cover their pools for winter but do drain them, then hanging the Super Skamper-Ramp down into the pool makes an easy escape ramp for any animal that may get caught during the off-season. For people on farms and ranches, you can anchor a small ramp in livestock/horse water troughs so that any animals that might fall in won't drown and pollute the water as they decay. One less chore for the busy farmer/rancher and peace of mind that there is good water for animals to drink. Q. Why do I need a Skamper-Ramp if I have a fenced pool or I have trained my dog to the steps? A. Fence gates do get opened and don't always get securely closed, and many animals manage to get over or under fencing. In training a pet to the steps (which are underwater and can't be seen by the pet), you have actually trained your pet to some marker, usually a visible plant, but do you know exactly what that marker is that your pet is using? What if that potted plant is moved for a party, or the tree/shrub/hedge gets cut down, or remodeling changes the landscape – how will your pet find the steps then? And while you may have trained your dog to the steps, that is when you go to the pool with them, not necessarily when you are not there. What if they are spooked, chased, or fall in, or if some other animal gets to your pool? Then the situation is not the same. There is great value to the peace of mind that comes from knowing there is one additional, inexpensive means of drowning prevention in addition to your fence and/or your training. Q. Are there alternative anchoring methods? A. For Skamper-Ramp owners who don't want to drill into their decks, it is possible to use alternative tie down points such as pool cover attachment points, skimmers, railings and water levelers. There are many creative ways to attach the ramp. You just want to ensure that the ropes are not spread too far away from being parallel, that the back and wings have a surface to rest snuggly against, and that the force is downward (diagonal vectors) so it does not pull purely horizontally (or it will pull out). There is no one right way to install a Skamper-Ramp, but two criteria are critical: 1) a few inches of the round "nose" end need to be submerged so that the white breaks the water surface so the animal will see the white while swimming, even in stress; and 2) it needs to be snug to a rigid, flat, vertical wall so that a critter or pet on the end of the Skamper-Ramp has something to brace against. It is the open-box-end and stabilizing wing-strips that provide rigidity and robustness, especially when braced against a vertical element, that makes it work. The most important point about the installation is to have the Skamper-Ramp as snug to the pool edge as possible, while still having a few inches of the "nose" end of the ramp underwater. To accomplish that, there are two sets of holes for threading the connection rope through, one above the Skamper-Ramp name and one below, in order to accommodate deep copings or flush edges. Q. What about vinyl-liner pools and above ground pools? A. While either model ramp works well for permanent vinyl liner pools – in-ground or above-ground (steel walled) – making sure that an animal's claws don't puncture the pool liner, the Super Skamper-Ramp (with or without its extender) will certainly be the safest and best model to use. If you have a deck surface that overhangs the pool wall by 1" or more, make sure you re-lace the ramp's rope to the set of holes below the Skamper-Ramp logo so that the ramp can be snugged under the overhang, directly against the side wall. In normal infrequent, escape-only usage, the smaller Skamper-Ramp version will not cut through or tear the vinyl. For peace-of-mind, a double layer of vinyl can be put on the side wall of the pool where the ramp will hang (available from your vinyl pool contractor) or the edges of the ramp can be taped with vinyl repair tape, but neither should be necessary. For soft-sided, non-permanent, above-ground pools, it is recommended unless it is possible to adapt your pool to accommodate the Super Skamper-Ramp. You could try to adapt your deck (primarily by affixing a 1x10 x 18" board under the deck with a brace behind it holding it perpendicular to the deck and parallel to the pool wall) so that the Skamper-Ramp will have a rigid flat surface to brace against so that animals can escape using it. Note that the Super Skamper-Ramp is designed for regular, even frequent, usage in vinyl pools as well. Its totally smooth edges will not cut or wear on your liner, even if it is used for regular ingress and egress by your pet. Q. How does it install to a boat or a dock? A. Because Skamper-Ramp was originally designed for use in pools, dock installation is easy if there is a vertical face to the dock. Simply tie both rope ends to one cleat and make sure the ramp is snug to the dock face. Boat installation often requires some ingenuity, and awareness that chop may "kick it up." Outboard motors are the easiest – simply brace the ramp on the stern alongside a motor and tie both ropes to one stern cleat. With a swim ladder, some people re-lace the rope to the set of holes below the Skamper-Ramp logo and then tie it around the ladder rails, and brace it between the top rung and the bottom of the platform, so that the underside of the platform keeps the ramp from going vertical. With a large platform that is high off the water, some people put eye hooks on the underside of the platform about 6" back from the end. Then re-lace the rope so that you can tie the ramp through the eye hooks and back down through the ramp, allowing the ramp to stay dragging behind and under the boat. The advantage to this is that in chop it won't kick up and the underside of the platform allows a brace so the ramp doesn't go vertical. The back ("open box") end of the ramp requires approximately 5" of a vertical surface to brace against, or must have the underside of a rigid horizontal surface to brace against. As with pool installation, the ramp also must have at least 3" submerged beneath the water. If your boat gunwale is especially high out of the water (like many sailboats) or has a sloped transom/stern or no place to "create" a brace, it may not be appropriate for your boat. Q. How is it kept in optimal working condition? A. For both Skamper-Ramp models it is important, from time to time, to check and make sure the rope is as taut as can be so the ramp is very snug against the vertical wall. On the small version, it is important to check the nuts and bolts for tightness as well. Also, the side wing nuts should be screwed tight and the tabs pushed through so that the wings can "splay" out a bit when you push down on the upper portion. Q. What is it made of? The new Super Skamper-Ramp has been blowmolded using white polyethylene, and is equally as chemical- and UV/solar-resistant as the original small version which is made from recyclable 8-mm box-extruded corrugated polypropylene that is likewise UV- and chemical-resistant. None of the Skamper-Ramp models will become yellow, mildewed, or "scummy" over time – and they won't grow barnacles. Both fabrication methods ensure that all models are lightweight as well as durable, providing tremendous strength-to-weight ratio and affordability! Each ramp comes complete with the necessary hardware for assembly and installation – rope, stainless steel d-ring clips, and washers for the Super Skamper-Ramp which snaps together; and the nylon rope, nuts, bolts, washers, wing strips, and stainless steel d-ring clips for screwing into the decking for the small ramp. The only additional parts you will need to purchase separately, for any of our ramps, are the 1/4" stainless steel pan-head screws about 1.5" long (and concrete anchors) required by your pool deck surface. Q. How long will it last? A. We know it will hold up for five or more years. We have ones installed that have lasted that long and are still going strong. Skamper-Ramp has not been around long enough to determine an end-life beyond that. Q. Are there other uses besides pools? A. Skamper-Ramp owners are creative in their applications. Many people are buying Skamper-Ramps for their floating docks, fixed docks, and boats (from the stern transom or with the swim platforms); to use for thin ice rescue; for indoor ramps for very small or light weight animals; and in water troughs in pastures and remote ranchland (gives critters that get in for a drink a way out, rather than drowning and polluting the water so animals won't drink it). Hotels, motels, and municipal water system reservoirs can all take advantage of Skamper-Ramp's drowning prevention. Q. What happens if I am missing a part? Is my ramp defective? A. No, very rarely there are mistakes made when the kits are developed and parts are miscounted or missing. Having a ramp with a missing part does not mean it is defective. Just let us know as soon as you discover a part is missing and we will send the replacement part out by USPS First Class mail so that you can assemble your ramp and put it to use. Q. What are the manufacturer's warranty terms? A. Skamper-Ramp accepts returns for product failure due to manufacturing defect only for which the warranty term is one year. Skamper Industries asks that you complete the warranty card that comes with your ramp or to register your warranty at www.skamper-ramp.com. If your ramp fails or breaks, please click here to contact Stellar ValuMart to receive return instructions and an RMA number. After receiving authorization, you will be responsible for shipping charges back to Skamper Industries for inspection. The product must be returned in its original packaging with all component parts. Skamper Industries will inspect the product, and Stellar ValuMart will notify you if the return qualifies as a warranty/product defect return. If the ramp is defective, a replacement will be sent to you at no charge. Shoppers can rely on Stellar ValuMart for extraordinary value in satisfying their pet and pool safety needs! Stellar ValuMart is your source for top-quality pet safety gear. Our rigorous product research will bring the best safety products right to you. And you'll get them with the ease and convenience you expect. You and your pets are Priority 1. We stand by our customers with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee! If you are not satisfied for any reason, return your merchandise for a refund.** You can count on Stellar ValuMart for Stellar Valu deals Courteous, professional, and thorough communication with you before, during, and after your purchases — check out our Feedback! Delivery by internationally known shippers to destinations throughout the U.S. and Canada Check out our other spectacular deals! Shop in the Stellar ValuMart store. Find our listings each time you are on eBay by adding us to your Favorite Sellers list. You know you can buy safely from Stellar ValuMart because you pay with PayPal. We are PayPal Verified! **Subject to conditions specified in the Purchasing Terms Returns and Refund Policy section Purchasing Terms | ||||||||||||
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