Build Removable Ladder Rack for Truck
We've all seen a pick-up truck tooling down the road with a giant extension ladder piercing the sky. Or we've followed one with six feet of ladder poking past the tailgate, marked with an old red T-shirt for a flag. Sometimes you just have to transport a ladder by improvising. In addition to the dangers such practices present to other drivers, carrying a long ladder without the proper ladder rack is illegal on most roads in the US. There has to be a better answer.
You love your shiny pick-up truck, and don't want to have some unsightly ladder rack cluttering up those stylish lines. You also don't want to add a heavy, expensive cap over your truck's bed. You want a removable ladder rack. You could go to your nearby truck accessories retailer and buy one; but real men and smart women love to get creative and build their own. Here are some tips for building a removable ladder rack for your truck.
BUDGET:
If money was no object, you'd just go out and buy afancy ladder rackand pay someone else to install it. Hardy do-it-yourself-ers guard their dollars jealously, so we'll consider materials costs for each choice. Lower cost materials might be heavier, or less stylish.
INSTALLATION:
Your removable ladder rack can transfer weight to either the bed of the truck, or to the sidewalls. Generally, in-bed installation is much simpler, but wastes valuable space. Attaching your new rack to the top-rails of the truck's bed looks better and uses less material, but requires more specialized hardware and expertise.
MATERIALS:
With variations in design, your ladder rack can be made of wood, metal, or plastic. Your choice will be decided by both cost and your skill level, as well as aesthetics. It's important that the rack you build is strong enough to handle the dead-load and sway-load for whatever ladders or other materials you plan to carry. There won't be any certifying agency looking over your shoulder to ensure the integrity of your design, so you'll usually want to "over-build" to provide a margin of safety.
SKILL REQUIRED:
Are you a skilled welder? Or can you fit all of your tools into a duffel bag that fits behind your seat? We'll consider level of difficulty for several designs.
DESIGNS:
A. Basic wooden rack.
If you're comfortable with a hammer, saw, and screw-gun - and on a tight budget - use 2 x 4's from the lumberyard to create a wooden rack that sits inside your truck bed. It doubles as a materials storage rack for your garage, too. Assemble two or three upright pairs with a top crossbar, like a capital H with the center line very high. For higher strength, turn the center bar so that the narrow edge faces upward.
Join the three (or two, for lighter loads) H-frames with 2 x 4 runners bolted beneath the crossbars and another pair secured to the bottom of your framework. Placement of the lower runners may need to be modified to allow for wheel wells. Choose dimensions that will allow you to lift then lower the entire assembly into your truck's bed. Add plywood gussets at right-angle joints for even higher strength and load-bearing. Use sandbags, if needed, to help secure your new rack to the truck bed. Optionally, bolt the assembly to the truck with L-brackets.
>> Budget: Under $100 * Installation: Simple * Materials: Easy * Skill required: Minimal * Tools: Basic
B. Cool plastic pipe rack.
If you loved Lego and Tinker-toys as a kid, consider creating your ladder rack using stock sizes of PVC pipe and fittings. This rack will be impervious to bad weather, and will usually rest inside your truck bed. Its load-rating will be somewhat lower than the bulkier wooden rack, but the weight savings are substantial.
As before, assemble two or three upright pairs with a top crossbar, like a capital H with the center line very high. Use at least 2" nominal PVC schedule-40 pipe, and create joints using off-the-shelf fittings. Plan ahead and measure twice, since you'll be gluing everything together permanently.
Join the three (or two, for lighter loads) H-frames with long-way runners slipped into fittings beneath the crossbars and another pair glued to the bottom of your frame uprights. Adjust your design to accommodate wheel wells as needed. Choose dimensions that will allow you to lift then lower the entire assembly into your truck's bed. Add top-caps to your open uprights to keep rain and insects out. For even heavier loads, get creative by adding in diagonal "gussets" using PVC Tee-Wye's. For greater stability, bolt-down or weigh-down the entire rack inside the truck bed.
>> Budget: Appx. $100 * Installation: Easy * Materials: Stock * Skill required: Medium * Tools: Hacksaw and tape measure
C. Rugged iron pipe rack.
For a leaner and more workmanlike look, you can construct your rack by joining stock sizes of iron pipe and fittings. This heavy-duty framework can be installed inside your truck bed or mounted atop the side-rails. Use galvanized pipe or paint black iron pipe to match your truck's color for this sturdy design. The higher weight involved will make removal more tedious, but the payback is a higher load-rating and stability.
Like the other two designs, you'll create two or three upright pairs with a top crossbar, in the familiar capital H pattern. Use at least three-quarter inch nominal iron pipe, and create joints using standard threaded fittings. Plan carefully, because you'll want to use standard pipe sizes if possible. You can, however, have custom pipe lengths cut and threaded at most retail outlets.
Join the three (or two, for standard loads) H-frames with lengthwise runners threaded into fittings beneath the crossbars, as before. For top-rail mounting, modify the design to a much lower profile and purchase the correct hardware to secure your frames to the trucks supplied mounting-points. For in-bed installation and easy removal, follow the instructions above for the PVC framework. Close-off the tops of your open uprights with threaded caps.
This design is strong enough, especially if you use pipe-thread compound, to avoid the need for gusseting. Always carefully secure your ladder rack to the truck itself for safety and stability. If desired, paint the entire assembly for better curb appeal and durability.
>> Budget: Appx. $200 * Installation: Moderate * Materials: Mostly stock * Skill required: Medium+ * Tools: pipe wrenches and tape measure
D. Fancy welded pipe rack.
If you have the skills to weld steel or aluminum, you can craft your rack using steel or aluminum square-stock material. This high-strength, sleek-design framework should be mounted on the bed's side-rails. Use steel stock for strength or aluminum stock for weight-savings, and plan on painting the finished rack to match or accent your truck's color. This design calls for a higher budget and more skill than the others, but is the strongest and best-looking method.
The principles are the same: you'll join two or three upright pairs with a top crossbar, forming the familiar capital H by welding the joints together. Plan for gusseting with small metal triangles at all high-stress joints. Since you're cutting and welding tube stock, you can modify the upright angles to more closely follow the slant of your truck's rear window, or just for style.
Join the three (or two, for light loads) H-frames with long runners welded below the crossbars and inside the uprights. Use solid flat-stock to join the bottoms of your frames along the bed rail. Purchase the correct hardware to bolt the entire assembly to the trucks standard mounting-points. You may also want to pad the contact zone between truck and rack using standard truck-cap foam tape.
This design will last for years, and carry the heaviest loads, as long as your welds are of high quality. For iron stock, guard against rust and joint decay by applying the correct paint in several coats.
>> Budget: $200 to $500 * Installation: Moderate * Materials: Specialty stock * Skill required: Moderate, welding * Tools: metal-cutting and welding, tape measure
CONCLUSION:
Whichever design serves your needs best, be sure to work safely and carefully. Never overload your ladder rack, and be certain it's secured to the truck every time. Use caution when installing or removing your assembly, to avoid pinch injuries. Always check your ladder rack for loose joints before adding loads. Ladders and other materials should always be securely tethered to the rack to prevent shifting. And for those really long ladders, please do tie on a nice bright red flag for safety.
