Cargo Trailer Conversion Series: Vevor Ladder Rack, future roof deck!

[@michaeltichonuk2176]

Wow..things to watch for...if you wanted to pay it forward, you succeed!

[@tom_olofsson]

Explanation and visuals are excellent.

[@Alexanderfhu13]

I enjoyed this video and appreciate the detailed directions. I ordered the Vevor ladder racks a couple weeks ago because of this video and I'm happy to say they actually changed their main mounting bracket to some L stock to add more contact with mounting, but unfortunately the directions are definitely still a joke!

[@getaway_man]

Thanks! I’ll have to check out the new design. Wouldn’t you think the directions would be the easiest part of the design/manufacturing process? 😆

[@stephanmedlin7323]

I’ve done this myself. Worked out pretty good

[@getaway_man]

Just curious, are you talking installing a ladder rack for solar? I always like hearing or seeing other setups!

[@stephanmedlin7323]

@@getaway_man my deck is 6ft wide and 7.6 feet long. It was designed for a particular tent. And it left me enough surface area on the roof for a 170w solar panel and a Fantastic Fan Roof Vent. All available space used. My Trailer is a 6x12 V Nose. And I used a standard RV ladder. Lots and lots of Research and Math involved. The latter of which I am poor at.

[@getaway_man]

That’s awesome, sounds like a sweet setup. I still need to figure out how to build the deck portion. Did you use wood or composite decking by any chance?

[@stephanmedlin7323]

@@getaway_man I used 4 support brackets and stained 2x4s each rated for 200 lbs. Because of cost, I went with 2x6 lumber as deck board. Accounting for the weight of materials the deck itself will safely hold 670 lbs. Which is more then is required for two people and a pop up tent. I have safety netting (similar to what you’ll find on a sailboat) sticking out at about 45 degrees around 75% of the deck. Then it has a simple 18 inch tall line rail on the remaining area. You gotta have your sea legs when you are up there so we just use it as a tent platform. But, ya could plop a chair up there if you wished.

[@getaway_man]

Awesome, thanks for sharing! Gives me a few ideas for sure. I’m definitely trying to find that compromise between cost and quality.

[@vagari889]

Great video. I'm getting ready to add a ladder rack to my trailer for solar so your video is very helpful. Why did you choose screws over bolts? Are you worried about the screws coming loose over time?

[@getaway_man]

The manufacturer didn’t include mounting hardware or even specify how they intend it to be mounted. After researching a bit I came to the conclusion that most ladder racks are attached with screws. I did however consider bolting but decided against it. If I want to remove the ladder rack or even a single bracket down the road, it would be much more difficult with a bolt on application considering the bolt head or nut would be in the wall/ceiling of my camper/trailer. And in my experience, hex head screws hold good when applied with a impact, especially when going through several layers of thicker gauge metal. Also, I can periodically check the screws and snug them down if need be. And once again, if the bolt gets loose but half is hidden in a wall, how would you tighten it? Maybe unlikely but something to consider. Hope that helps!

[@patrickconrad396]

Thanks man. I'm doing the same thing so this was helpful. I'm gonna throw some 2 pvc pipes on each end and some cut pieces on the front end and back to make it stealth. But i then maybe am gonna try and use them as water tanks. Do you think weight would be an issue for that though? Only thing I'm not sure about

[@getaway_man]

I’m glad it was helpful. I really like the stealth thing and I think you’re on to something with the pvc pipes. If you used 5 or 6” diameter pipe x2 you would end up with about 30 gallons of water according to the online calculator I found, which is 250lbs total. I think a ladder rack could handle the weight as long as you spread it between at least 3 crossbars and place the pipes as close to the ends/brackets as possible. It doesn’t seem ideal to carry that much weight so high but if you can limit how much you drive once you fill them up, maybe it could work. If it worked, you would have a sweet gravity fed water system, and maybe not need a water pump.

[@patrickconrad396]

@@getaway_man yea I'm really concerned about sloshing if I were driving. My original plan is to use a water tank inside. Maybe a combo of the two and then I can have extra if I'm boon docking somewhere. But I think you are right about driving with it full.

[@getaway_man]

@@patrickconrad396 Right, maybe a traditional water tank inside and one pvc tank on the roof for added capacity. 10-15 gallons is definitely more doable. I was thinking about building a pvc solar shower but not sure I’ll get around to it with this build. Would be a great option for you I think though.

[@2hotscottpro]

I have everything to mount panels but after seeing rack welds I hit the breaks on install.That and I have an rv so there’s gutters in the way.

[@ericmattinen4728]

I think I would have someone TIG weld both sides of the rectangular tube to the flat mounting plates, that broke way too easily. Should be able to weld them in place. My OCD is thinking they should be evenly spaced from front to back...lol

[@getaway_man]

I know what you're saying! The tube is welded to the plate but it's a small bead. I would like to see it bigger. But I've pushed/pulled on the rest, rocking the entire trailer without issue. And spoiler alert, I've already completed my roof deck and it's all holding up with no problems! So I really think I just had a fluke. But if any others show sings of failure I will have them further welded. Overall, I think it turned out good but if I did this project again, I would definitely look into other racks. But I don't recall finding many with this high a load rating. I just need to learn how to tig weld! I can relate to your OCD comment haha. But once you see the solar up front and the roof deck on the back, it looks great!

[@JustMe619toby]

i want to add ti downs on that same top track. what size screws were used with your install?

[@getaway_man]

Sorry for the late reply… I would go with the biggest screw that fits in the hole honestly. I wouldn’t rule out through bolting either. I know I mention in the video how screws are what most racks are installed with and are easily replaced or tightened but a bolt is going to be stronger and less likely to come loose in the first place. You could do grade 5 or 8 and if you’re worried about rust you could cover them with some sort of sealant.

[@JustMe619toby]

@@getaway_man ok cool tha k you