Small Truck Lumber/Ladder Rack

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First post!!!!I recently finished a Lumber/Ladder Rack for my Dad's Ford Ranger. It is made from 1020 steel, 1" square 0.063" Wall tube along with strips 18" long strips of 1.5" wide 0.100" thick sheet for the base of each triangle. The rack sits 24" inches above the bed rails, leaving just over 2" of clearance above the cab. I'll post better pics of it installed and in use when I get a chance, these are merely a few shots I took while fabricating and fitting them to the truck. Cheers from Seattle, WA!!
Reply:Hmmm, I'm no expert, but that seems a bit light to me....  Any idea of how much .063 square can hold?  Cheers,Miller Diversion 165120 amp Buzz BoxVictor Oxy/Ace Oxy/LPGSmith "Little" Oxy/LPGHypertherm Powermax 30Lot's of Misc. tools n' crap....
Reply:A few thoughts for the future. Racks like that are usually built like a right triangle with the post vertical. This allows you to get the most space between the two racks for the most support with longer items. On an 8' bed your design probably has less than 6' between the rails, on a short bed the distance is even closer. I loved that area. I spent 5 years in the Keyport /Poulsboro area back in the early 80's when my family was stationed out there..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Don't you think you need some gussets? If you had all that lumber on top and took a curve, it may all go over the side. Just a thought.
Reply:Thanks for the feedback everyone.I understand your concerns, however the design has been tested and has handled everything that has been thrown at it. Initial design was intended to hold about 300 pounds distributed over the entire thing, after it was all said and done it held over 500lbs for 40 miles of bumpy road, twists and turns, hills, etc. To be honest, I think it could have handled a bit more. The rack was not intended to carry extremely large loads, just more of a way to keep the bed clear for other tools and materials for small jobs. Also, this design allows for the racks to be easily removed in under 10 minutes and allows them to be used as sawhorses or a lumber/materials rack at a job site for painting or simply storing wood off the ground. I also have planned to add gussets that can be bolted to the ends of each post for added height when needed. It does currently have 3" at the top of each post to keep lateral movement to a minimum, and when the load is all strapped down and secure, it doesn't really move around at all.  some pics with a full load:Last edited by Bluto; 08-27-2010 at 05:08 PM.
Reply:those would make decent sawhorses tooNothing Ever Got Done By Quitting, Never Give Up.
Reply:^^ exactly!
Reply:I suggest adding a diagonal brace from the horizontal cross member of each 'A' frame, up to the main horizontal beam in each assembly.  I'm not too concerned about vertical loads, or the racks tipping/buckling from forward/backward loads.  But side loads from going around corners or torsional forces are a problem.  There's little structure that prevents your racks from buckling to the left or right.  A diagonal brace would add a lot of strength and rigidity, without taking away too much space under the rack.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:Nice job.I just built "pop in" bracketsfor transporting steel,lumber,pipe,etc.on my ranger.Not meant for heavy loads.Rachet straps between load and truck clamp load and brackets firmly in place.Small square piece at bottom of bracket wedgesinto stake pocket,providing side to side support.Length of angle resting on top of bedside providesfront to back support.I can carry ten foot pieces of steel now(1/8 or 1/4 thk. angle,1/4x1 flat etc)which is good because steel supplier willonly make one free cut on a 20 foot piece.I don't think I'd try to carry heavier material-like 4x4,1/4 thk wall square tubing.Last picture shows end that goes into stake pocket.Also shows weld that I missed. Attached ImagesMiller a/c-d/c Thunderbolt XLMillermatic 180 Purox O/ASmith Littletorch O/AHobart Champion Elite
Reply:IF? I say IF you made them easily removable... like with clamps or wing nuts etc... then you could get there to the jobsite,  download the load,  and then offload your ~ SAWHORSES~  now that would be spiffy... Seattle, Mt. Ranier, Boeing and a li'l bit of rain for funamend: Aw heck Doug already saw thatLincoln Power MIG 215Lincoln WeldPak 3200HDLincon ProCut 25Lincoln WeldanPower 225 AC/DCIf all else fails... buy more tools
Reply:Coulda used Standard Grade Douglas Fir! Lumber RackCity of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Ended up added some gussets under the cross-beams for each piece. Then the entire racks got coated in truck bedliner. Finished product pics!Last edited by Bluto; 09-06-2010 at 03:38 AM.
Reply:That looks great, I like the idea of using them as saw horses too.Keep up the great posts, pics are nice and clear.  The entire post was concise like a good conversation!
Reply:Now that's much better with those 45* braces in place.  Looks good, and good idea with the dual-use design.  MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:I really like your rack.My truck doesn't have stake pockets, so your top bolted design might be just what I need.I love the saw horse idea, but as soon as I took them off and set them up, I'd need to go buy more lumber. I just know it. That's what would happen to me, and it would happen every time.Otherwise, one of those saw horse racks might double as a miter saw stand, or something else I need sometimes but not often enough to warrant it's own space.
Reply:Cool racks and great idea on doubling as saw horses (never seem to have enough saw horses)I like your license plate tooAaron
Reply:Originally Posted by AMC724Cool racks and great idea on doubling as saw horses (never seem to have enough saw horses)I like your license plate tooAaron