A ladder rack for supporting a ladder on a vehicle. The ladder rack comprises a supporting arrangement anchored only along a single edge area of a rooftop, the supporting arrangement comprising a first load-bearing member entirely extending over the rooftop within an edge of the rooftop and a second load-bearing member extending substantially parallel to the first load-bearing member with a lateral offset, outside the rooftop and away from the edge of the rooftop. A ladder-supporting arrangement holds the ladder and connects to the first load-bearing member and to the first load-bearing member for supporting a weight of the ladder. The remainder of the rooftop surface is exempt of any member and is free for other purposes. The ladder is held on a side of the vehicle with an offset to be able to open a sliding door on the same side of the vehicle as the ladder rack.

A ladder rack system for accommodating at least two stacked ladders thereon is disclosed. The system may have a stationary forward roof rail and a stationary rear roof rail. Pivotable ladder rack rear and pivotable ladder rack forward rails may also be provided. The ladder rack rear and forward rails may be selectively moved with respect to the stationary forward and rear roof rails via links that are connected to a connector bar and lever arm.

A retractable strap load tie-down device includes a housing containing a tubular spool with a flat helical spring in its interior and a flexible tie-down strap wrapped on its exterior. The housing also includes a frame journaling a tensioning shaft for rotation where the tensioning shaft includes a slot through which the strap passes. Keyed to the end portions of the shaft are ratchet wheels and associate with the ratchet wheels are pawls that engage and disengage from the teeth of the ratchet wheels by action of a handle mounted, squeezable release bar that selectively displaces slide rods leading to the pawls. The handle will selectively rotate the tensioning shaft depending on the engagement of the pawls with the ratchet wheels. Swinging of the handle through an arc will tension the strap when the free end of the strap is anchored.

A ladder transport system includes a cabin support member having an upper panel affixed to a rear panel, wherein the cabin support member can removably secure to a cabin of a vehicle. An aperture is disposed through the rear panel. A tailgate support member includes a front wall, a rear wall, and an upper wall extending therebetween defining an interior channel. The interior channel receives a tailgate of the vehicle therein, such that the tailgate support member is removably secured to the tailgate. A pair of support rods extend from the upper wall to engage a rung of a ladder.

An apparatus for protecting a tailgate portion of a truck have a truck bed is disclosed. This apparatus comprises a protection bar, at least two support tubes and at least two mounting tubes. The protection bar has a first protection bar end and a second protection bar end. Each of the support tubes have having a straight insertion portion, a protection bar receiving portion and a curved portion therebetween. The protection bar receiving portions are configured to receive one end of the protection bar. Each curved portion is configured to curve above and over the tailgate. Each of the mounting tubes have an open mounting tube first end, an open mounting tube second end, and four mounting tube side walls. The mounting tubes are configured to slidably receive the insertion portion of a support tube. Further, each mounting tube is configured to be secured to an interior side wall of a truck bed.

A ladder latching device for a rear deploy, tilting type ladder lack that automatically extends and retracts a latch pin as ladders are loaded onto and removed from the roof of a work vehicle. The latching device has an L-shaped lever with a spring biased first leg supporting a latch pin and a second leg with a roller for cooperating with a rail of the rack's stationary bed. The latch pin is made to extend through apertures in a stop post and over a rung of the ladder to trap it only when the roller remains in contact with the stationary rail. During tilting of the load support member, the latch pin retracts.

A ladder rack system for accommodating at least two stacked ladders thereon is disclosed. The system may have a stationary forward roof rail and a stationary rear roof rail. Pivotable ladder rack rear and pivotable ladder rack forward rails may also be provided. The ladder rack rear and forward rails may be selectively moved with respect to the stationary forward and rear roof rails via links that are connected to a connector bar and lever arm.

A ladder rack having a pair of side rails each having first and second ends, the pair of side rails connected by at least two cross bars. A pair of mounting brackets are connected to two of the cross bars, to attach the ladder rack to a roof rack, and a pair of ladder attachment devices are attached to two cross bars for attaching one or more ladders to the ladder rack.

A ladder latching device for a rear deploy, tilting type ladder lack that automatically extends and retracts a latch pin as ladders are loaded onto and removed from the roof of a work vehicle. The latching device has an L-shaped lever with a spring biased first leg supporting a latch pin and a second leg with a roller for cooperating with a rail of the rack's stationary bed. The latch pin is made to extend through apertures in a stop post and over a rung of the ladder to trap it only when the roller remains in contact with the stationary rail. During tilting of the load support member, the latch pin retracts.

A cable cleat system that secures cables to a ladder rack. The cable cleat system includes a mounting bracket assembly with a bracket body and a floating support bracket slidably mounted to the bracket body. A metal locking tie is positioned between the floating support bracket and the mounting bracket assembly. The mounting bracket assembly is secured to a ladder rung of the ladder rack and the floating support bracket supports the cables secured to the ladder rack. The metal locking tie wraps around the cables supported by the floating support bracket. The floating support bracket and the metal locking tie slide along the bracket body for enabling thermal expansion and contraction of the cables secured to the ladder rack.