Truck Ladder Racks
Truck Ladder Rack
Although most people refer to them as truck ladder racks but they help carry a lot more than just ladders. They are a convenient and safe way to transport things like lumber, pipes and other long items. The really nice thing about ladder racks is that the space in the truck bed is left open to carry other things.
Depending of the specific items you need to transport the ladder rack you choose will vary. Not all manufacturers design their racks the same way. So one model of rack may work perfect and another might not work for you at all.
Along with the variety in design there a are also different methods of attaching the rack to the truck and the materials the rack is made of can vary too. Some are iron, others are steel, others are aluminum and the top of the line units are made of stainless steel. One thing to consider is the amount of damage that will be done to the truck when mounting the rack. Holes tend to decrease the trade-in value quite a bit.
What most people refer to as a truck ladder rack can also be adapted to use on a van too. So they are not limited in their use to pickups only. Most racks come in either light duty, medium duty or heavy duty. The main difference in the models the the material and the gauge of the material used to make them.
There are single side racks, full racks, cab guards and lots of other too. Some people don’t really want a ladder rack but instead just want the safety of a cab guard. These cover the back windsheild of a pickup truck to keep items from coming through the window in case of an accident. At the very least, if you carry many looses items in the bed of your truck you should have a cab guard installed.
Most ladder racks purchased are the type that only go from the front to the back of the bed, but if you really want to add to the capacity of the rack, then opt for the full extension type that extends over the cab of the pickup truck too. Racks that extend past the front of the cab can take some getting used to because it’s a little odd in the beginning when driving and seeing items extending past the windshield. It doesn’t take long, but it takes some getting used to.