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Finally put a ladder/cargo rack on


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So, I finally got around to putting on a universal ladder rack. I have several home repair projects coming up real soon (like reroofing that damn camper behind the van...) that will require borrowed ladders plus sheet goods including plywood, so I needed a quick & cheap way to carry the stuff around. I came across this rack for $113 currently (Amazon link) and the package arrived yesterday, so I didn't waste any time on install since my area is supposed to have rain every day for at least the next week - also great for double-checking that it's not leaking! Lol

 

I decided to use the front-most & rear-most factory holes, rather than drilling my own. The front pair of holes did need to be opened up slightly to 5/16" to easily fit the 8mm bolts. Those pairs of holes ended up putting the bars at 81", or 6'9", from the leading edge of the front one to the trailing edge of the rear one (ie. 81" includes their own depth). For 8ft goods, that will only leave roughly 7.5" overhang on each end, but it will provide better support when I'm carrying 10ft & 12ft long stuff like the pallet rack I'll be bringing home soon. Definitely need to organize the junk in my garage so I can actually get to work on my projects! And anything longer than 12ft will need to go on that boat trailer in the second pic, after I convert it into a hauler.

 

These are advertised as being 62" inside the uprights, so I'd say 64-65" wide overall, but I didn't measure the total width. It shouldn't actually be a problem, anyway - like a head knocker - since they're over 6ft off the ground and I'm 6ft tall. As shown in the Amazon ad, they did come with brackets to put in the middle for holding ladders to prevent sideways movement, but I left them off for my use with sheet goods & random long stuff. 

 

The spoiler or "wind deflector" on the front one works pretty well, too; I really didn't notice any new wind noise driving into work this morning. Noise is a common complaint that I see with a lot of low-budget racks. Obviously I haven't used it yet, but it seems well built and I don't anticipate having any trouble, so I'd recommend these for anyone that wants to stick to a low budget just for personal use and needs to haul bulky stuff with their little van. A lot of "professional-brand" used racks around me cost more than this brand new delivered one.

 

Ladder_Rack01.thumb.jpg.a8af75e791840e3c63213bb33cb5ae5c.jpg

 

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With that wide a gap between the rails, I'd think about adding a couple pieces of angle iron front to back to keep lumber from sagging in the middle. That 7.5" will dissaspear fast if that happens. An old bed frame is handy for that sort of thing.

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1 hour ago, sKiZo said:

I'd think about adding a couple pieces of angle iron front to back to keep lumber from sagging in the middle.

 

It looks like you can order another set, install them in the middle holes, and then you can do a little more.  It may support and distribute more weight.  I don't know.  It's a ladder rack.  Not a lumber rack.  Fiberglass and aluminum ladders are more rigid than sheets of wood and wallboard.  I have never wanted to carry 4X8 sheets on the roof that way.  Strapping it safely is a consideration. So is weight that high up.  You should be okay if you don't overload it.  But you probably have some experience and know what you are doing.

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12 hours ago, Double Nickels said:

Price went down. 

 

 

Screenshot_2020-03-17-17-56-41.png

 

No it didn't, $112.99 rounds up to $113 because it's one penny short. I'll never understand how or why people round DOWN from 99 cents, $112 won't pay for it even before taxes. 

 

@sKiZo, I have plenty of different stuff laying around I could use up on top to add more support, but I'm figuring that just a couple 2x4's underneath the plywood will be all the support that I need and I have several of them laying around. But a couple of permanent supports may be a future upgrade, especially if I ever "camperize" the van and add solar between the racks - drop the panels down a bit so I can still carry stuff and the frame for them could also be made to support sheet material. Obviously they wouldn't charge during the occasions when I need to carry plywood or foam insulation panels, but that will be sporadic anyway. I may just go ahead and build some bolt-on angle iron supports now so they can still be repositioned if/when I add solar someday - I do have plenty of extra bolts, washers & nuts from the universal rack.

 

For the camper roof project, I'll only need 8 plywood sheets, and I may end up splitting them in two purchases so I'm minimizing the amount of weight up top. It looks like 1/4" is around 20 lbs/sheet, and Ford says the roof can hold 220lbs, so 9-10 sheets including some supports underneath & the rack itself - I could get them all in one shot, afterall. And at least it's only about 15 miles from Ace/Buchanan Building Supply to my property, too. The closest two Home Depots are each an hour away from me, so I probably won't be getting my supplies there.

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Most RV's have 1/8"-1/4" Luan under the rubber roof from the factory. When I was saying plywood before, it certainly could be Luan/Lauan instead of "regular" plywood, depends what my local store actually carries and I haven't talked to them, yet. Right now, there's way too much rain happening for me to be tearing off the roof for replacement, even with my plan to do it one sheet at a time - pull a section off, cut & fit the replacement, move on to the next one. And it'll be directly coated with an elastomeric coating instead of buying EPDM rubber garbage. 

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Don't forget, you'll still need to do butyl rubber tape or some such on all the seams to allow for expansion/contraction. Smaller sections with more seams should actually work better in most cases, and be a whole lot easier to manage in the long run.

 

 

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15 hours ago, Double Nickels said:

Do they deliver?  

 

I hadn't even considered delivery, TBH. I may look into that from a materials total cost perspective (local picked-up $ vs HD delivered $), but I already have the rack now, so it's a moot point overall. 

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Some distributors deliver free.  Call around.  Lumber yards, electrical suppliers, plumbing..... Sometimes you need to have a commercial account. My experience has been that if they want your business, then they have to provide service.

Edited by Fifty150
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