STAINLESS STEEL FASTENERS All fasteners used on System One® equipment are made from 18-8 stainless steel. We spend a lot of extra money on these fasteners but we don’t want to see any rust running down our ladder racks no matter how old they are. Galvanized fasteners can resist rust well for years but where the galvanized coating is broken by wrenches, lock washers or nuts run tight on their own threads, they start to rust. At that point there’s no turning back. Our fasteners are all in inch (not metric) sizes and many of our nuts have self locking nylon inserts.

PICK-UP TRAK ® The Pick-up Trak® is the structural foundation of the System One® ladder rack. It distributes the weight along the bed rail, reducing the concentrated loading common with other ladder racks. In addition to serving as a bed rail protector, there are recessed T-slots in each Trak that accept ordinary, commonly found, 5/16 carriage bolts. Once the Traks are mounted to the truck, no other holes need to be drilled into the truck. All tool boxes and accessories mount directly to the Pick-up Trak®. This is truly a universal mounting platform and is the heart of the modular aspect of System One® ladder racks.

LARGE PROFILE LEGS Large profile legs mean rigidity. These legs measure 4-1/2 inches wide and 2-1/2 inches deep and this is a major part of why our ladder racks are so sturdy. These legs lean inward at an angle of 17.5° so our rack follows the same angle as that of the cab of the truck. Not only does it look better by conforming to the truck’s cab contour but loads are centered evenly over the vehicle for a more stable center of gravity. All legs have three T-slots recessed in them and, like all of our other T-slots they accept regular 5/16” carriage bolts that can be bought anywhere. Two of these T-slots are on the outside face of the leg and are used to mount various accessories. The third T-slot is concealed inside the leg and is utilized for accessories, window guard mounts and for corner braces. Two other recessed areas on the outside face of the leg are designed to accept our color inserts. These are high quality vinyl inserts and come in 66 different colors to match or accent your truck.

CROSSMEMBERS Crossmembers at the front and rear of the pick-up bed area have the same profile as the legs. Their 2-1/2” depth gives them a high load carrying capacity. Crossmembers have three recessed T-slots – two in the upper surface and one running down the center underneath. The T-slots in the upper surface are used for our Ladder Life® anti-wear inserts and for our Ladder Glide® low friction insert. They are also used to attach many accessories, such as ladder stops, ladder roller and clamp system and strobe/antenna mounts. The rear crossmember on Contractor Rigs® is easily removed using the handles provided. Access for tall items on our Utility Rig® is easily accomplished by removing the entire rear truss. Front cantilevered crossmembers have four T-slots , two on the upper surface and two on the lower surface and are also supplied with a Ladder Life® insert. Our mid-crossmembers are made of the same extrusion and are also supplied with a Ladder Life® insert.

EXTENSION BEAMS Extension Beams are supplied on Contractor Rig® ladder racks to cantilever the front crossmember out over the cab of the truck. The cantilevered section of the ladder rack allows transport of longer, more flexible cargo such as thin wall tubing, molding and siding. Their height of 5-1/2” is what provides the strength for the high weight carrying capacity out over the cab area. Extension beams for pick-up trucks come in 102”, 120”, 138” and 156” and are matched with the corresponding body/cab combinations. There are two 1/4” recessed grooves in the beams that accept the provided colored vinyl inserts. These colored inserts, as well as the colored inserts provided for the legs, sit below the surface of the extrusion protecting them from scrapes and scratches. The horizontal mounting flange of the extension beams is one third of an inch in thickness and is where our mid-crossmembers are mounted as well as accessories such as the tall side stop and Extension Beam J hook.

GUSSETS System One® truck racks for Pick-up trucks (both Contractor Rigs® and Utility Rigs®) are divided into 2 categories – standard series and heavy (ITS) series. The gussets found in the upper corners are the only difference between standard and heavy (ITS) series racks. The standard gusset is concealed up inside the corner and provides the standard contractor rig with a 1000 lb load carrying capacity. The heavy gusset used in the heavy (ITS) rack has much thicker walls, is larger overall, has a 1250 lb capacity and, most importantly has 2 holes, or bores, incorporated into it that accepts the moving parts of our work winch. This combination of heavy gusset and work winch is known as the integrated tie down system. (See "About ITS" under Work Winch®). Heavy (ITS) gussets are also fitted with a T-slot on the underside to accept our tool box hangers which are used when mounting top side or low side tool boxes.

TRUSS MOUNTS The Truss Mount serves as the transition, or mounting block, for the legs to the Trak. On the Pick-up Trak®, the Truss Mounts fasten to the T-slot in the upper flat surface and can be mounted anywhere along the trak. Usually they would be mounted at the extreme ends. A 5” long, 3/8” diameter stainless steel carriage bolt runs through one leg wall, through the Truss Mount and out the other side of the leg. A 3/8” stainless steel nylon lock nut is screwed down on the bolt pinching the Truss Mount within the leg. The hole through the Truss Mount is oblong, allowing the bolt and leg to move inward or outward ½” for adjustability.

WORK WINCH ® The Work Winch® is the most universal and easiest to use tie-down system ever made and is an important reason why many contractors buy System One ladder racks in the first place. With this one piece of equipment, all cargo tie down problems and challenges are solved. All the searching for and untangling of ropes and bungees is solved. Safety issues are solved. The work winch with its operating handle is always right there and ready for use -- just lift the pawl and pull out as much strap as you need. Throw the hook end of the strap over the load and hook it to the under side of the crossmember. Take up the slack with the hand wheel and tighten with the handle. Constructed of aluminum alloy and stainless steel with a PVC bearing, it is the only rust-free tie-down system made and has a nearly unlimited lifespan. This is not a bolted-on aftermarket accessory, but an integral part of a System One I.T.S. series ladder rack.

LADDER LIFE® INSERTS Ladder Life® inserts are definitely the kindest thing to ever happen to ladders. Ladders and other equipment rest on high durometer EPDM rubber inserts instead of riding on the bare metal crossmembers that other ladder racks offer.

Ladders, both aluminum and fiberglass, need to be carried gently – for both longevity and safety reasons. A ladder with rails worn thin by constant vibration and abrasion against crossmembers is a serious liability. Additionally, they just plain cost to much to allow them to wear out while in transport. Neither steel nor aluminum are good materials to transport ladders on and round tubing or pipe crossmembers are the worst offenders due to their small contact (high pressure) area. We know about this stuff (click here).

These simple, rubber inserts (about the same feel as a tire) eliminate ladder wear and they, like our Ladder Glide® insert, seem to last forever as we have sold practically no replacements in 15 years.

Another huge plus is the reduction in noise!

LADDER GLIDE® INSERTS The Ladder Glide® insert is extruded from PVC and it is installed on the rear T-slot of the rear crossmember. It protrudes upward about a quarter of an inch and then wraps around the rear upper edge of the crossmember. It is a simple, effective solution to 2 problems. First, it allows ladders and other long items to literally glide onto the rack. Ladders feel like they’re on rollers while sliding against the PVC. Second, the Ladder Glide® insert isolates ladders and other cargo from the rack, protecting them from wear. They are extremely durable and since the introduction of the Ladder Glide® insert in 1998, we have had no calls to replace worn out inserts.

ACCESSORY KNOBS All System One® knobs utilize brass threaded inserts. Knobs for accessories also have a special built-in O ring so that if they are not fully tightened they don’t rattle off.

ADJUSTABLE HANDLES Adjustable handles, used on rear crossmembers of Contractor Rigs® spin on just like a nut would. When tight, you disengage the handle by pulling outward slightly, rotate the handle to the desired position and then let it snap back in. There are 12 engagement positions in 360°.

COLOR INSERTS Color inserts are available with all ladder racks to match or accent your vehicle or company colors. There are 66 different colors available. You can select a color in one of three ways. If you provide the color code of your truck when you order, we can find the closest match from among the available colors and include it with your order. The colors can be installed after the ladder rack is built so, if you would prefer to make the selection yourself, we will include a chart of the actual colors with a certificate to return your selection in the enclosed envelope. Finally, a third method is to select from our online color samples but be aware that color monitors often don’t represent colors accurately. The color inserts are made of high quality 2 mil vinyl from Avery graphics and rated extremely high in UV resistance.