Looking For Standard Contractor Roof Rack for Ladders, Long 2x4s, Etc

[Scooter 123]

New Member Here, Tom is the name. Existing pickup is a S10 ZR2 and the wife has a 2019 JL Rubicon Wrangler. I’m retired but do a lot of home improvement on our Los Angeles home and our wilderness uni-bomber cabin in the mountains. I’m also a volunteer US Forest Service Ranger. The S10 while capable does not cope with trails up there, so a Rubicon Gladiator (or a Chevy Colorado Bison) is on my list for 2021.

While I’d love an expedition style rack anchoring 14’ ladders or 12’ 2x4s on those is not feasible. So .....

I am in need of a standard no frills ladder rack for the Gladiator. This is the type you see 100x a day on Colorados, Tacos, and Silverado’s, cantilevered over the cab. I was going to go down to the rack topper shop and see if they can fabricate something for me. The rack on my S10 was $700 and is 2” steel tubing.

Has anyone here but one of these ubiquitous racks on their Gladiator? I would probably put a rotopax or two on it somehow since gas is an issue up there.

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[XJADDICTION]

I bought a standard 8 foot bed double cab full size ladder rack that I am going to fab up for my JT. I want to attach the front hoop of ladder rack to a Gobi front hoop (with isolators for movement).

Right now I’m running a cheap ladder bed rack (shortened to keep a lower profile) with a Yakima bar mounted to the cab. I can move the Yakima bar forward when I need it and keep it back when I don’t. With it back I have less wind noise and freedom top use.

Great for lumber trips and road trips with Yakima Skybox

 

[mountainpass]

I needed a ladder rack as my old truck had an 8' bed and it seems there are few good options. A friend swears by his Yakima but no way I'm spending a grand on a rack. There are cheap aluminum ones but after looking at the buyers pictures of welds I decided on a steel Erickson one($179). It seems sturdy enough.

One thing I'll point out is if you get a soft top you won't be able to let it down with an over the cab type rack.

 

[Higher_Ground]

Have you considered a hitch mounted extension to fit everything in the bed itself?

My longest kayak is only 12.5' and only overhangs about 30" from the end of the extension. Heck of an overhang though.

 

[Scooter 123]

I have not considered a bed extension, but most appear not to accomodate wide sheets of plywood as easy and as out of the way like a typical lumber-ladder rack. I will never take off the hard top on my truck. The ladder-lumber racks also have options for bolt on ratchets along the side to secured the load to the ratchet ring without having to use ropes or ratchet straps. This is really a daily work truck for use in connection with US Forest Service stuff and the occasional road trip. And a daily pavement pounder.

 

[XJADDICTION]

There is a way to handle soft top. My setup does that, don’t always need Yakima bar.

The ladder rack OP mentions can do the same... you will see?

Not a huge fan of Fab Fours products as most are too over the top for me.

Their overland rack to the windshield is very similar to what I want... sans grumper ?

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