Easy welding project - pickup bed load bars

[Sodo]

Here's an easy and useful project. A load bar that extends all the way across the pickup bed allows you to securely strap down boards that are longer than your pickup bed. It's a 1 x 2 x .065" rectangular steel tube. It's about 50 inches long, with 2 x 2 x 1/4" angle iron welded on the ends.

I've carried a lot more wood than is in this pic.

The bars simply rest on the canopy windowsills.

A really nice feature to using load bars is the tailgate can be opened and closed anytime. If you have a lot of weight resting on the tailgate it is un-usable. Plus the new tailgates are so lightweight I can't believe they can carry much weight.

The bars stow away at the front of the pickup bed, captured by the canopy clamps. They have been painted in this pic.

 

[edkemper]

very cool set-up.

 

[Big Barn]

Yes, very cool. However...I realize you have a canopy installed, but kinda scary without a cab protector. A sudden impact could prove disastrous with those boards coming through the rear window.

Terry

 

[calman93611]

nice project. I like the way you secured your canopy to the truck bed without drilling any holes, nice.

 

[Sodo]

Yes, very cool. However...I realize you have a canopy installed, but kinda scary without a cab protector. A sudden impact could prove disastrous with those boards coming through the rear window.

Terry

Thanks Terry, I don't do it often enough to worry about, but that's a good thing to take into account when placing the boards!

 

[muddstopper]

I like the setup, but I too worry about not having a cab protector. How hard would it be to add a few bars to the front load bar and using a clamp to hold it in place. It would still be removable and out of the way if you wanted to leave it in place, and provide some level of protection in the event you rear end someone or someone rear ends you. Heres is one that would be easy to copy and modify to fit inside your camper shell BackRack Headache Racks for trucks

 

[Sodo]

Yep that would be another easy project but thats too much worry for me. Any further energy for this I think ought to be devoted to a lumber rack ontop. Which has been the plan, but this solved an immediate need.

A more likely fail (for me) is to forget how far it's sticking out behind, and back into something and break my window. It's tied pretty tight with those 2-inch cargo straps, and very secure with the wrap around. But the bundle has to be oriented such that the wrap method can't reorient the stack and lose tension.

nice project. I like the way you secured your canopy to the truck bed without drilling any holes, nice.

Calman those clamps is how it came "installed" when I bought the canopy from the ARE dealer.

Good reminder to use the 2" straps for the "unknown" even though the little orange ones are sufficient. I think I'll take a look at the cargo loops to see how strong Bill Ford has made them,,,,,

Another thing I need is a "red flag" at the ready, a permanent one thats in the truck at all times. Quick to attach an that won't fall off.

 

[BukitCase]

"Quick to attach an that won't fall off"

Sodo, in your quest for the above, just walk on past these

HDX 2 in. Spring Clamp-80002 - The Home Depot

My 1 ton van gets maybe 10 mpg, but I have a little 5x8 1 ton rated (yeah, right) trailer and a hitch on my Corolla - I call that combo my "35 mpg pickup" - anyway, I bought some corrugated fiberglass roof panels at Homeless Despot, they were 12' long, stuck out a bit too much for the kind of cops I seem to attract

Didn't have any c clamps in the car and they prob'ly would've messed up the corrugated stuff without a couple pieces of "wiggle mold" to clamp on anyway, so I bought one of the above clamps and used it to clamp a red shop towel I had.

By the time I got up to speed going home (the straighter way) I couldn't see the clamp or towel in the mirrors

Thank God for back roads (and knowing where they go :laughing Now, the small "trunk tote" has a couple pieces of wiggle mold AND a couple REAL clamps AND a couple red towels in it, along with jumpers and ratchet straps...

Never did find that clamp, bet some "road shopper" has it in his shop... Steve

 

[Big Barn]

"Quick to attach an that won't fall off" Sodo, in your quest for the above, just walk on past these HDX 2 in. Spring Clamp-80002 - The Home Depot My 1 ton van gets maybe 10 mpg, but I have a little 5x8 1 ton rated (yeah, right) trailer and a hitch on my Corolla - I call that combo my "35 mpg pickup" - anyway, I bought some corrugated fiberglass roof panels at Homeless Despot, they were 12' long, stuck out a bit too much for the kind of cops I seem to attract Didn't have any c clamps in the car and they prob'ly would've messed up the corrugated stuff without a couple pieces of "wiggle mold" to clamp on anyway, so I bought one of the above clamps and used it to clamp a red shop towel I had. By the time I got up to speed going home (the straighter way) I couldn't see the clamp or towel in the mirrors Thank God for back roads (and knowing where they go :laughing Now, the small "trunk tote" has a couple pieces of wiggle mold AND a couple REAL clamps AND a couple red towels in it, along with jumpers and ratchet straps... Never did find that clamp, bet some "road shopper" has it in his shop... Steve

I think Steve made this purchase thinking it was another type of "bondage " device.

Terry

 

[Sodo]

Never did find that clamp, bet some "road shopper" has it in his shop... Steve

That'd be my dad (he has more time, beat me to it!).

 

[BukitCase]

Oooohh, BONDAGE... :licking:

(Almost as good as SHINY)...

 

[Sodo]

You talkin' about my hot glue gun?

 

[BukitCase]

Not if it's only 120 volt - I AM a PRO, after all

 

[Happy Gilmore]

Very cool idea Sodo, nicely done.

 

[Mace Canute]

There are a few times when carrying pieces longer than my pickup's bed that I could have used something like this but I think if I ever made such a setup it would be just one bar at the back to keep the load off the tailgate. That would let whatever I was transporting rest against the bottom of the headboard with no worry about it coming through the back window in case anything big rear ended me.

 

[Sodo]

For those times you have "stuff" in the bed that you don't want to move, you can make that judgement call. Or making just one takes half as much steel and saves about 10% of the build time.

Here's pics with tailgate Down & Up.

 

[Big Barn]

Here's a pic of e-track I installed in my pick up bed. Load bar is handy for minimizing load shifting. Long stuff goes over the aluminum cab protector. Terry

 

[Fluid]

There are a few times when carrying pieces longer than my pickup's bed that I could have used something like this but I think if I ever made such a setup it would be just one bar at the back to keep the load off the tailgate. That would let whatever I was transporting rest against the bottom of the headboard with no worry about it coming through the back window in case anything big rear ended me.

I second that idea or maybe lowering the bar that is closest the window so that load would be close to the floor of the bed but not all the way down. But all and all a cool idea and you did a fine job with the welds and fab work.

 

[Sodo]

Terry I bought a buch of that e-track, haven't yet decided how where I will use it but clearly it's good stuff.

Fluid that's a great enhancement and an easy modification too. The bar is about 61 inches long sill-to-sill, there's plenty of room to dog-leg down. I'd go about 6 inches down I think. It would still carry a good stack of 4x8 sheets. Thanks!

 

[Big Barn]

I agree that would be a good modification. Sodo, what's that white stuff on the ground in your pics?

Terry