2-Bar Van Roof Ladder Rack Alloy Adjustable 47.2"-78.7" for Full-Size Vans

Drilling holes in a van roof is a decision you cannot take back, and on a leased vehicle or one you plan to sell on it is worth avoiding altogether. These two bars clamp onto the rain gutters instead, held by a single bolt at each end, so the roof panel is never touched.

Clamps to the gutter, one bolt a side

The clip-type feet hook over the rain gutter and pull up tight against it with one bolt. Fitting needs basic hand tools, no drill and no sealant, and the whole rack comes off in a few minutes when the van goes in for a service or back to the leasing company. Because nothing is bonded or drilled through, the bars can also slide fore and aft along the gutter to suit whatever is going up there, from a pair of ladders to a bundle of conduit.

Built around the wide American vans

The bars extend from 47.2 to 78.7 inches, roughly 1200 mm to 2000 mm, which covers the roof width of full-size vans fitted with rain gutters. The supplier names the Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana and Ford E Series. The legs adjust for height as well, between 6.3 and 7.7 inches, and that is how the rack copes with the camber of a curved roof without one bar sitting proud of the other. Alloy steel carries the weight, a galvanised coating handles the wet, and rope hooks down each side give you fixed points to strap to.

Key features

• No drilling: gutter clamps with a single bolt at each end, on and off with ordinary hand tools.
• Rated per bar and per pair: 250 lbs each and 500 lbs for the two together, as quoted by the supplier.
• Height adjustment: 6.3 in to 7.7 in of leg travel, so both bars sit level on a cambered roof.
• Galvanised alloy steel: a zinc coat over the steel, for a rack that lives outside in all weather.
• Side rope hooks: a hook down each flank so the strap pulls against the rack rather than wrapping around the bar.

Specifications

• Bars supplied: 2
• Material: alloy steel, galvanised
• Load rating: 250 lbs per bar; 500 lbs for the pair (supplier's figures, no metric equivalent given)
• Adjustable length: 47.2 in to 78.7 in, approximately 1200 mm to 2000 mm
• Adjustable height: 6.3 in to 7.7 in, approximately 160 mm to 195 mm
• Fitment: full-size vans with rain gutters, as listed above
• Straps: not included

Measure your gutter-to-gutter width first. If it lands inside that range, this is a rack you can fit on a Saturday morning and strip off just as fast.