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View Full Version : Ladder Racks!!!! possible?



suburbia4X4
03-11-2008, 11:56 PM
Title says it all pretty much. Im going to be hauling around ALOT of ladders at one time this summer, more then likely 3 32" Extension, 3 6' Standard ladders, and 3 8' Standard ladders. Chances are im going to be carying at least 3 at a time, but more then likely 6 or all 9 even. Is there any racks that can support this idea? perhaps i take out my passenger seat and stick a few out the back window? im trying to do it without getting a trailor cuz i dont wanna waste my money if i can pull it off with the jeep.
:smt066

LouisianaZJ
03-12-2008, 12:18 AM
for the extension (18' collapsed?)you will need a roof rack, and some sort of support coming up off the front bumper, hopefully you have a steel bumper

you can carry the 6-8' easily on the roof rack easily, assuming you secure it all well.

If you have ever seen them mess a dropped ladder on a 40mph+ street will cause, it aint good. Locally a woman was killed due to a ladder that fell off a truck on the interstate

geesaw
03-12-2008, 12:40 AM
I'm in a similar bind, but not with quite so many ladders. Have you seen how flimsy the stock rails are attached? I wouldn't use them at all for my ladder rack, and with as many as you mentioned I would consider going up and over from bumper to bumper (or frame) like a pipe rack on a plumber truck or similar. Maybe make some reciever type hook-ups so it's not a 24-7 deal.

zj95
03-12-2008, 02:06 AM
it would be cheaper to find a cheap trailer....

you can get one around here for 400 ish...

Skyline
03-12-2008, 10:18 AM
DO NOT TRUST THE STOCK RACK!!!

Anything heavy that you tie to the stock rack should be tied to the B pillars and bumpers as well. I had a friend who was carrying a matress on the roof of his XJ, and while driving on the highway, the matress took off, and took the roof rack with it. Pretty funny at the time, but it made quite a mess of his roof. The stock roof rack is not tied into anything solid, it's just attached to the sheet metal with no effort to spread the load at all.

You might be better off getting a rack that clamps to the rain channels.

geesaw
03-12-2008, 11:47 AM
EXO-CAGE!!!!

zj95
03-12-2008, 01:10 PM
You might be better off getting a rack that clamps to the rain channels.

What rain channels??

suburbia4X4
03-12-2008, 02:11 PM
EXO-CAGE!!!!

Now were talkin! well i know as of right now i have my spare up there and its just tied down and that seems to be just fine as far as the stock rack goes. If i were to fab up a reciever hitch sort of thing....what would it be like? just a support for the long ladders?

93ZeeJ
03-13-2008, 03:42 PM
just curious...why would one person need 6-9 ladders?

AgitatedPancake
03-13-2008, 07:13 PM
just curious...why would one person need 6-9 ladders?

So he could put them end to end to make a really long ladder, derr.

AgitatedPancake
03-13-2008, 07:14 PM
Test afkdjald;sfj;asdfkljdsf

*EDIT*. Well that was wierd. As soon as I posted that post above about 50 tabs instantly opened up lol. Didn't click any wierd links or anything just happened. Thank god for having an overkill comp =P

Skyline
03-13-2008, 08:24 PM
What rain channels??
Oops. You're right. But they do make roof racks with big suction cups that stap to the window openings.

geesaw
03-13-2008, 10:07 PM
just curious...why would one person need 6-9 ladders?
To make more money (subcontractor or supervisor) than the cretins that work with you. Zj 95 five is right though, that many ladders (and everything else involved in whatever your trade is) a trailer is probably the best idea. Yeah, they suck to tow everyday, especially if you work in some downtown effed up parking area (where the money can be GOOD), plus oppurtunists always seem to be more willing to steal off a parked work trailer than a rig that looks like the owner could be back at any time. Hey, buy my old work van before I scrap it. But really, tool-ladder trailer, good way to get the welding skills up before that long arm conversion.

suburbia4X4
03-13-2008, 11:55 PM
AYE! yeah, im a franchise owner with College Pro Painters. Its pretty sweet, but i gotta haul like 9 fuggin ladders around for all my dumb crews to paint houses with. oh well, the checks are in my name and i make a fair profit so im happy. and hey...another reason to bling out the jeep....MARKETING!!!!!!



funny story actualy. today im going door to door spreading the word right, didnt notice this but there was a no soliciting sign by this dudes door so he opens and is like WHAT! i was like well im in the area seeing if you might like to get your house painted then he points to the sign like CANT YOU READ IT SAYS 'NO SOLICITING'!!!!!!! GOD DAMN YOU CRAZY BASTARDS AND NOT READING SIGNS IM GONNA CALL THE COPS ON YOU....etc.


it was pretty sweet when i walked away and he was still yelling at me. Cant people understand that college kids gotta make a buck too!?

anyways, im thinking ill probably have to snipe a trailor in the end, these are all swell ideas though, next year for sure!

LouisianaZJ
03-14-2008, 12:21 AM
honestly, I would have told you to GTFO also. I hate solicitors/telemarketers/etc

93ZeeJ
03-14-2008, 01:26 AM
i would have not said a word and just shut the door in your face... thats what i always do to the jehovas witness and those sorts of people.

just leave a flyer on my porch like other people so it can blow away and polute the world even more.

suburbia4X4
04-30-2008, 11:31 PM
K. What if i just kinda fabbed up some adjustable bars that i can bolt onto the roof? something like what they put on sprinters and vans and shit, but put it on a jeep. and yes cuz there arnt rain channels i would have to drill thru the roof, but i figure if i do it right and seal the holes...it shouldnt leak. I just know its about that time to get ahold of some ladders and the trailor that is available to me is like 4X6 so i dont think it can handle what i want it to cuz the ladders would be hitting the back of my jeep if i put them on the trailor....decisions decisions!

Skyline
05-01-2008, 12:03 AM
i would have not said a word and just shut the door in your face... thats what i always do to the jehovas witness and those sorts of people.

just leave a flyer on my porch like other people so it can blow away and polute the world even more.

Years ago, I lived in Brooklyn within walking distance of Jehovas witness world headquarters, (the Watchtower complex). I used to get these idiots ringing my bell 3 times per week....and always someone different. Anyway, as I presumed these were the recently brainwashed, I used to have a bit fun with them. I would invite them in and do my best to convince them that they were wasting their life by doing what they were doing. More than a few left my place in tears.

indy242003
05-01-2008, 10:45 PM
If he had a front steel bumper and a rear reciever. You could weld a front reciever on and fab the racks off of that. That would really be pretty sweet! You could than remove them and leave them at home when not working. Using a Grand for something other than fun is a whole new concept for me, but I could really get into doing something like this. Too bad you live to far I would like to get in on this one.

suburbia4X4
05-01-2008, 11:44 PM
Haha, thanks indy, i would love to share the fab load! im still rocking stock bumpers however so at this point im SOL. im sure ill figure something out. If i can build enough revenue then ill just by a stupid old ford or something off craigslist and go from there...so far though its jeep or die!

suburbia4X4
09-02-2008, 12:19 AM
yeah....now that summers over....i only had 4 ladders. 1 40' 1 24' 1 8' step, and one multi-step-ext thing. its interesting to see all of them strapped to the roof at the same time, but the stock rack holds up. so if anyone is curious, 4 ladders averaging about 30 feet all together is just about as far as you should go with a STOCK zj. with just the 3 inches and 31's i have to get on the roof to put up the smaller ladders, and thats already with having the 24 and the 40 on there. PLUS with 15 foot straps, its pretty tricky. but i pride myself on making it work, so thats what i do.

geesaw
09-13-2008, 07:08 PM
Wow, I didn't know this thread was still alive. I also intended to carry a few ladders, but changed trades so it doesn't actually happen much. Here's what I came up with though, built a stronger rack that replaces all the factory cheese.

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm256/geesaw/DSCF0016-1-1-1.jpghttp://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm256/geesaw/DSCF0007-1.jpghttp://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm256/geesaw/Image003-2-1.jpg

DJJordache
09-13-2008, 07:58 PM
info on how you mounted it on the factory side rails please

geesaw
09-14-2008, 10:24 AM
I took the stock rack apart, laid the stamped roof members over some 1/8 X 1 1/8 steel strap, and marked the holes. Drilled the holes, bolted steel strap to roof, built rack on top, tack welding to it, then pulling it off to finish weld it.

So it doesn't really mate up to the factory stuff, other than the holes in the roof, and the plastic trim pieces.

It's pipe, bent with the cursed HF kinker, but it got it done for way under a hundred bucks. It of course is not strictly a ladder rack, but I thought I'd post it to get folks thinking of ways to bypass the factory stuff.