FILENAMES:

truck_rack.jpg

DESCRIPTION:

This is a picture of a rack for carrying ladders etc. on 
a pickup truck. 

Posted by Bob Powell <bobp@dogpatch.com>.  

The following description was provided:

=================================================================
Bob Powell
bobp@dogpatch.com
June 1, 2002

Simple truck rack - truck_rack.jpg

The photo shows a simple heavy-duty truck rack that has worked  
well for me. 

For years I sketched the ultimate rack, cantilevered over the cab,
with removable cross supports, tie downs everywhere, anchored to the
frame ... little chance I would ever build it, and besides it would
have weighed 500 lbs.

The day came where I needed a rack to carry a half ton of 20' bar
stock and I needed it in two days.   This is what I came up with 
using material on hand.

The rack is two separate pieces, each of which weighs about 50 lbs
and is securely anchored to the bed.  

The idea with this rack is that I can go somewhere, e.g. an auction,
and haul long material or a tall item without having to decide up 
front whether to bring the rack.  To load something tall it takes just 
a couple extra minutes to unbolt and remove the rear rack, load and
replace the rack.   Both halves also easily come off to use the canopy
instead.  (Handling the canopy is another matter.)

The lack of front-to-back rails is a bonus at the lumber yard as
a forklift can directly load long timbers.

The angle iron pieces that sit on the bed rails are 3x3x1/4 and are
about 32" long.  They are notched at the front end to fit over
the front bed wall.

The four corner posts are 1-1/2" square x 1/4" wall.  The two cross
rails are 1-1/4" x 2" x 1/4" wall.  The eight diagonal braces are 
1" square x 3/16" wall.

The material is overkill - thinner wall tubing would be OK - 3/16" 
for the posts and rails and 1/8" for the braces, maybe thinner.

The top of the rails is about 4" higher than the cab - to allow for
some flex in the payload without hitting the roof.

Be careful to control distortion when welding up each frame.  The 
diagonal braces are a poor design with respect to asymmetric welds on 
the face of square tube.  I reccommend welding the diagonals to the
cross rails, then jigging the frame to size and welding to the corner
posts.  This was MIG'd with .035 dualshield (flux core wire with 75/25
gas).

The rack attaches to the bed rails with eight 1/2" grade 8 bolts.  
Eventually I'll weld a nut plate on the underside of the bed rails
but for now it just uses a nut and a heavy washer under each bolt.

The excuse for it not being painted is that I want to add some 
tiedown hooks and then will clean and paint it...

Bob