Ladder Rack

[aarolar]

So I was out last night and I saw a 2004-05ish Cummins CCSB slightly lifted with a very slick looking ladder rack on it and I fell in love. Now I am considering doing the same with my truck instead of a headache rack. I wish I could have gotten a picture but it was too dark, he had lights across the front and it was a nice tube bent rack. I have plenty of uses for a ladder rack but mostly I am thinking about getting a canoe to fish the local small creeks but I also dabble in competition BBQ and it would be great to put my tables and other stuff on when going to the comps because I run out of bed room quick. I can't find anything even comparable online except for some trucks with roof baskets. Anybody got any thoughts? I may be biased because I have been in metal fabrication my whole life and all our trucks always have had ladder racks, I will have to get a picture of the 2000 C2500 ECLB we have with the tool body and homemade rack.

 

[great white]

always kinda liked this guys setup:

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Looks to be this one:

http://www.contractors-solutions.ne...-Heavy-Duty-Truck-Rack-PKG-04000100-P411.aspx

 

[aarolar]

That actually may be the same rack he had it was bent/formed similar to that but he had 6 lights sticking up instead of down similar to a light bar. The only thing that makes me leary is I am not sure I have enough lift and tire size to make it look cool vs looking like a work truck and I have no real interest in lifting my truck at all but sometimes function over rules form IMO.

 

[great white]

Not sure how open you are to suggestions, but this might be an option based on your description:

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So let me explain my reasoning:

You tow a boat and like to fish.

A truck cap gives you dry and secure storage for anything you take with you or leave behind when you take off with the boat. Heading out to the lake you just toss it in and close the door. No worry about tie-ing things down or loosing them on the way there. You can run into the gas station to pay, buy snacks or even just to pee without worrying if your new chainsaw or cooler is still going to be there when you come out.

It also gives you a nice place to spend the night on longer fishing trips that's safe, off the ground and out of the rain. Depending on how much work you want to do, it can be downright "homey":

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here's a few more of that one just because I think he has an awesome setup:

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Not so much the dodge, but I never thought a plain old aluminum shell could be sooo useful or cool! If I was younger and still adventurous enough to venture into the wild with less than a 35 foot trailer, that would be what I would build.

You can get them fitting the style of the truck cab if you want:

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Canoes? No problem:

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Lights are no problem. Many expedition rigs do the same thing:

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Awesome idea if you like to competition barbecue:

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Insert your boat and a lake in this pic and would be a fishing trip to remember:

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Doors, gates, flip tops, side storage, windows, etc. The choices are endless.

If you are a metal worker it's even easier to get some serious weight capability up there, even on a fiberglass shell. Just make four struts for the inside of the shell (tie the tops together with a hoop or bars for lateral strength), build a top rack the size you want with "feet" that match up to the internal struts and then bolt 'em together with the fiberglass sandwiched in between. . Heck, you could have multiple top racks you could swap around depending on what you wanted: a full ladder sized rack for long loads and swap on a smaller "expedition" style rack for other times. A couple flat plates would work to cover the holes when you didn't want a rack up there at all. Your imagination is the only limit if you can bend and burn.

Then, you could install a few items back there that would make dual batteries and alternators worthwhile.

Just a few thoughts you might want to consider....

 

[95C1500]

Looks to be a smittybilt/ paramount restyling/ or kargo master...

http://www.truckaddons.com/Catalog/ladder_racks.htm

 

[kamokevin]

You could take ideas from Baja chase truck racks, if you feel like fabricating something custom (or having someone else fabricate it).

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[aarolar]

Not sure how open you are to suggestions, but this might be an option based on your description:

You must be registered for see images attach

So let me explain my reasoning:

You tow a boat and like to fish.

A truck cap gives you dry and secure storage for anything you take with you or leave behind when you take off with the boat. Heading out to the lake you just toss it in and close the door. No worry about tie-ing things down or loosing them on the way there. You can run into the gas station to pay, buy snacks or even just to pee without worrying if your new chainsaw or cooler is still going to be there when you come out.

It also gives you a nice place to spend the night on longer fishing trips that's safe, off the ground and out of the rain. Depending on how much work you want to do, it can be downright "homey":

You must be registered for see images attach

here's a few more of that one just because I think he has an awesome setup:

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

Not so much the dodge, but I never thought a plain old aluminum shell could be sooo useful or cool! If I was younger and still adventurous enough to venture into the wild with less than a 35 foot trailer, that would be what I would build.

You can get them fitting the style of the truck cab if you want:

You must be registered for see images attach

Canoes? No problem:

You must be registered for see images attach

Lights are no problem. Many expedition rigs do the same thing:

You must be registered for see images attach

Awesome idea if you like to competition barbecue:

You must be registered for see images attach

Insert your boat and a lake in this pic and would be a fishing trip to remember:

You must be registered for see images attach

Doors, gates, flip tops, side storage, windows, etc. The choices are endless.

If you are a metal worker it's even easier to get some serious weight capability up there, even on a fiberglass shell. Just make four struts for the inside of the shell (tie the tops together with a hoop or bars for lateral strength), build a top rack the size you want with "feet" that match up to the internal struts and then bolt 'em together with the fiberglass sandwiched in between. . Heck, you could have multiple top racks you could swap around depending on what you wanted: a full ladder sized rack for long loads and swap on a smaller "expedition" style rack for other times. A couple flat plates would work to cover the holes when you didn't want a rack up there at all. Your imagination is the only limit if you can bend and burn.

Then, you could install a few items back there that would make dual batteries and alternators worthwhile.

Just a few thoughts you might want to consider....

I love this idea but have a few issues with it that I would need to overcome. I don't see the wife camping in the back of the truck without a bathroom, I realize that state parks usually have some form of facilities but usually they are very substandard. Secondly it would be hard for me to give up the back of the truck to hauling loads such as firewood, mulch or gravel. We have talked over the idea of getting an in bed camper in the future but I will definately cataloug this idea in them back of my mind and think it over. I would be more likely to buy an old in bed camper and do a complete overhaul on it much like 88GMCtruck did on his pull behind.

 

[great white]

Wife?

Fishing trip?

Gawd no!



We usually go fishing pulling my little 12 footer aluminum bass style conversion. The wife is not up for that anyways so I go with the buds.

They show up with canoes and 12 foot aluminum in the bed of their trucks/cars and tents.

I sleep in my truck shell with carpeted insert and foam flooring. Cozy. The boys are always jealous.

If I showed up with a slide in they would shoot me.....

 

[aarolar]

Wife?

Fishing trip?

Gawd no!



We usually go fishing pulling my little 12 footer aluminum bass style conversion. The wife is not up for that anyways so I go with the buds.

They show up with canoes and 12 foot aluminum in the bed of their trucks/cars and tents.

I sleep in my truck shell with carpeted insert and foam flooring. Cozy. The boys are always jealous.

If I showed up with a slide in they would shoot me.....

Yep the wife, we have quite a strange relationship as we actually enjoy doing most stuff together. She is far from what most tolerate as a significant other if I had to put up with the whiny bitchy women some of my friends do I would stick a gun in my mouth...

 

[great white]

Here's a mostly stock-ish GM with a ladder rack:

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Doesn't look like a work truck to me. Might be the front bumper that ties it together though...