pickup rack , no stake pockets

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me new colorado doesnt have any stakepockets in the toprails. im thinking about a rack to carry some light  pieces of metal, about  ten feet long plus some overhang. i have a 6' bed. i've found some clamps online designed to hook onto the side rail ,  but couldnt help thinking about an alternative..i have a 2" receiver in the rear bumper..i was thinking of coming out and up approx 4'- 4" , a few inches above the cab,as shown in sketch..a piece of 4x6x3/4 angle as shown to carry the front legs,(which are approx. 3'-3" long) stabilized with  turnbuckles into the factory  tiedown hooks in the  front corners , and some 1/2"  solid square bar  that will fit into the bedliner contour..was thinking the 3 legs would be 2" x 1/4" square tube,  somewhat less for the rack..i'm thinking 2' wide .before i go any further am i nuts? Attached Images
Reply:A couple things you can do. Flip the angle over so it sits on top and goes inside the bed. I've done one for my old truck where I did this on the sides as well as the front. Doesn't move if you do it that way and tie the load down to the bed. You can always toss a few C clamps or big visegrips on there to lock it down as well.I'd be uncomfortable with the back design myself. I put to much weight up top for that to work. I'd want a leg going down to the bed side in the rear, you can use the angle idea above. At a minimum I'd want some diagonally braces to the vertical at the rear, but I'd still be afraid the post might buckle from side pressure on a sharp turn. Attached ImagesLast edited by DSW; 11-20-2011 at 09:00 AM..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:your angle frame is sitting on the toprails..i hate to admit it but  this truck is new enough i was trying to avoid fing up the toprails..i also considerd a 2 rear leg design off the 2" hitch, a low cross bar and legs at the corners..and no gussets are shown in my very preliminary concept sketch..thanks..
Reply:I see, I thought you had that front part up on the bed side. Pad the underside of the angle with self stick foam to protect the bed if it's only temporary. My truck has the plastic top rails so that's never been an issue with me..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:2"x1/4" tubing is way over kill for this little truck, if your carrying light steel pieces. I used 1 1/4"x 1/8"(11 gauge) tubing for the rack on my 3/4 ton truck and it will support more wieght than I could safely drive down the road with, I think even if it were put on a 1 ton dually it would still carry more than that truck could safely handle without getting tippy. 1"x1/8 square tubing would be more than plenty big enough for this rack. That single leg on the back is going to get in the way of the tailgate, even if you clearance it to clear the T/G in the lowered position. It's also going to allow the back end to wobble around some. I would say go with a 4 legged design. Run a piece of angle iron down each bedrail with another across the front of the bed. You could drill thru the bedrails to secure it in place with some bolts, 3 on each side, or at least 2. Put a strip of neoprene rubber between the angle and the bedrail to prevent scratching. Make sure the front rail extends forward of the windshield to prevent wind noise at highway speeds, that is, just past the roof sheet metal or farther if you prefer. A little longer rack will let you carry full 20' sticks of material so it won't have to be cut in half at the steel yard. That way your not trying to weld short pieces together at the end of a project to get longer pieces to finish. With some overhang front and rear, 20' pieces should be no problem to carry.
Reply:For appearance sake, if I were going to drill any holes, I'd drill in the bottom of the bed and bolt the angle iron down tight. You could put another piece of angle at the rear of the bed and then drill through the base to secure it. Weld an appropriate sized nut on the underside of the bed so you can place frame in bed, then bolt it down tight.If and when you sell the truck, patching the holes and covering with bed liner material will be easier than holes drilled into the side rails. You could probably even find some rubber grommets to fit the holes to cover them when the rack is not in the truck. If you go this route, be sure to coat the metal on the edge of the holes because any water in the bed will drain out the holes and could start a rust problem.Just my opinion,PapaLincoln Idealarc 250 (circa 1962)Lincoln Weldpak 155 w/Mig KitLincoln Squarewave TIG 175
Reply:First thing off the bat. I always do this with any new truck. slide some rusty angle across the sides of the bed. Once you have the paint scratched up some, it won't bother you to build a proper rack with hooks and rails so you can use it for what it was made for.  That's to work with. The danged manufarturers don't put decent hooks on their beds any more because there so cheaply made they are afraid you might tie something on to the bed and it will pull the hooks out and they might get sued so they make them just for looks.  They might as well use paper mache.  Mac
Reply:Originally Posted by Tool MakerFirst thing off the bat. I always do this with any new truck. slide some rusty angle across the sides of the bed. Once you have the paint scratched up some, it won't bother you to build a proper rack with hooks and rails so you can use it for what it was made for.  That's to work with. The danged manufarturers don't put decent hooks on their beds any more because there so cheaply made they are afraid you might tie something on to the bed and it will pull the hooks out and they might get sued so they make them just for looks.  They might as well use paper mache.  Mac
Reply:I wish you the best of luck with your project and will look on with interest.  From experience I will submit that you will have your work cut out for you building in enough triangulation into a structure that tall so that it will not wave all over the place every time you step on the accelerator, brake, or turn the steering wheel.  Chances are, when you have enough triangulation in, it will look like crap anyway so the arguement for aesthetics kind of goes out the window.  Smooth bends on round tubing could look nice in this application, but it will take a LOT of work to make it presentable with square tubing if it is your intention to keep your new truck looking "Nice"Doug (DSW) was correct suggesting the inverted angle iron on the bedrails as the base and building up from there as it will give you the shortest vertical legs and it will be the simplest to brace up with simple gussets to make it rigid and keep it from moving.I wish you luck in the pursuit of your vision, and hope it works out for you.Have a Good Day.Later,Jason
Reply:You say it is just going to be lite weight stuff. I might look to either buy one of these type racks or duplicate it. Just has corner type connections.Might also get a sprayed Rhino bed liner if you already haven't. The better shape the truck is in when you go to sell it, the more money, you can ask.http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hauler-Utili...68704736470593
Reply:much to consider..thanks to all.. i may get  superclamps  from usrack .com....
Reply:Only 10 footers?  Drop the tailgate and you're good to go.My name's not Jim....
Reply:Boostinjdm is right on that count, If your only carrying 10' pieces, then no rack is fine, 6; of bed,2' of tailgate and your allowed 2' overhang off the back in most places (properly marked/flagged) = 10' pieces. If you want to carry 20' pieces like I said before the rack is needed. I have seen "Bed Extenders" that slide into the reciever hitch for once in a while carrying duty, you might want to check into. Just store it in the cab when your not hauling anything, and install it while you do.
Reply:Originally Posted by BistineauBoostinjdm is right on that count, If your only carrying 10' pieces, then no rack is fine, 6; of bed,2' of tailgate and your allowed 2' overhang off the back in most places (properly marked/flagged) = 10' pieces. If you want to carry 20' pieces like I said before the rack is needed. I have seen "Bed Extenders" that slide into the reciever hitch for once in a while carrying duty, you might want to check into. Just store it in the cab when your not hauling anything, and install it while you do.
Reply:I would go with this.I didn't build this one. But I have built a few just like it.www.performancealuminumfabrication.com
Reply:Originally Posted by weldbeadit's quite possible i would want more than ten..any idea what the law is on the length of the bed extender? that might be perfect ..and i selected the 2 x 1/4 wall tubing because i have some in the pile ....
Reply:they appear to be about 4 feet long..so im guessing ten feet from the front of the bed to thecross piece..maybe carry a fifteen footer?
Reply:Originally Posted by BoostinjdmThis is what Bistineau was talking about.http://www.realtruck.com/extend-a-tr...load-extender/As far as being legal goes....A quick search says most people just flag the load and get by alright.  If it were me, I'd just add a set of tail lights to it.  I have considered getting one of them for both my truck and my trailer, but really haven't needed one yet.
Reply:Originally Posted by BoostinjdmThis is what Bistineau was talking about.http://www.realtruck.com/extend-a-tr...load-extender/As far as being legal goes....A quick search says most people just flag the load and get by alright.  If it were me, I'd just add a set of tail lights to it.  I have considered getting one of them for both my truck and my trailer, but really haven't needed one yet.