2 Bars Van Roof Ladder Rack 500 LBS Adjustable 35.8" to 57.5" Alloy Steel

Extension ladders do not fit inside a van, and lashing one to a bare roof panel leaves dents you can see from the footpath and scratches you cannot polish out. A pair of gutter-mounted steel bars gives the ladder something solid to sit on, and gives you fixed points to hook a strap over it.

Two bars, and the numbers behind them

The supplier rates each bar at 250 lbs/113 kg and the pair at 500 lbs/227 kg, quoted both per bar and per set, which is the useful way round for a tradesman working out what the roof will take. Alloy steel rather than aluminium is what allows that figure: steel holds its shape under a concentrated point load like a ladder stile instead of bowing between the feet. The trade-off is dead weight, and the reason the bars go through a galvanising bath. Zinc on the outside is what stops steel rusting where a ladder scrapes the coating off.

Sized for the smaller van

These are built for vans with rain gutters at the shorter end of the range, so think compact commercial van rather than long-wheelbase box. The width slides to suit your gutter spacing. Fitting runs to four steps and involves drilling, so set aside an afternoon and a drill; this is not a clamp-on set that comes off at the weekend. Once the bars are down, rope hooks along each side give you something to run a strap through. Straps are not included, so add a pair of cam-buckle or ratchet straps to the order.

Key features

• Rated per bar and per pair: 250 lbs/113 kg each and 500 lbs/227 kg for the two together, stated by the supplier in both forms.
• Alloy steel: heavier than aluminium, but it resists deformation where a ladder rail concentrates weight on a short section of bar.
• Galvanised finish: a zinc layer over the steel, aimed at the rust that starts wherever the coating gets chipped.
• Side rope hooks: fixed anchor points for your own straps, rather than looping the webbing around the bar itself.
• Adjustable width: slides to match the gutter spacing on your particular van.

Specifications

• Bars supplied: 2
• Material: alloy steel, galvanised
• Load rating: 250 lbs/113 kg per bar; 500 lbs/227 kg for the pair (supplier's figures)
• Adjustable width: 35.8 in to 57.5 in per the product title, roughly 910 mm to 1460 mm
• Mounting: rain gutters, drilling required
• Straps: not included

Before you fit these

• The title and the supplier's own detail text disagree on maximum width: the title says 57.5 in, the description says 910-1330 mm (35.8-52.4 in). Measure gutter to gutter and treat the shorter figure as the safe assumption.
• The rack's rating is separate from the roof load limit your van's manufacturer publishes. Work to whichever is lower.

If your van has gutters and the ladder currently rides inside on the floor, this is the straightforward fix that gets it up and out of the way.