Video Transcript for Feature Breakdown: Adarac Aluminum Series Custom Truck Bed Ladder Rack

Hi everyone, Aiden here with etrailer. And today we're gonna be taking a look at the line of ADARAC aluminum series custom truck bed ladder racks. These are gonna come in a number of different shapes and sizes for your different trucks and bed lengths. So be sure to use our fit guide to find the right kit for you. But it's gonna be a ladder rack that offers you a lot of options in terms of add-on accessories, tonneau cover compatibility, and just be an all around strong system for your truck. Let's check it out.

So the first thing you probably want to know is how is it tonneau cover compatible, because that's a pretty unique case. Ladder racks and tonneau covers typically don't play very well together. And typically if you want to do that, you have to get a really high end tonneau cover that has T tracks on the side and pair it up with a very specific type of ladder rack. The way this works though is by mounting up to the bed rails of your truck. And that part is what's gonna vary depending on your application.

Take, for example, our Tacoma today, it's actually bolted into the bed rails in three different locations. So that is gonna require some minor drilling, but let's say on a full-sized truck that has stake pockets, you might not have to drill at all there. So it's really gonna depend on your application and come down to your vehicle. Again, just be sure to check out those specific instructions for you and find out how it installs. But that method of attaching to the bed rails is what allows it to work with tonneau covers.

At least ones that sit inside the bed rails. Specifically they confirm fits for access roll-up covers, but depending on the brand that you get, if it sits within the bed rails, you probably can get that to work too. I would stray away from folding covers though, because as those panels fold up, you might have issues where they hit the uprights. Again, case by case basis, you might find some that work, but soft roll-up covers are probably gonna be the way to go there. Now as far as capability goes, you're gonna be able to support up to 500 pounds with this ladder rack.

So if you are using it for a work application with lumber, ladders, trips to the hardware store, that capacity's actually pretty good. You can certainly get higher rated ladder racks that are totally focused on that work side of things. But this is a nice middle ground where it can do that type of stuff, but again, has that compatibility with the other accessories like the top bars and side bars where you could attach a tent up here. You could attach recovery boards to the side, if you did choose to pick up those extra pieces. Just keep in mind that if you do go that route, those separate bars will have their own weight capacities and don't increase the weight capacity of the ladder rack. But they do add some structure and support to it. You're just gonna have to keep that in mind when loading it up and figuring out how heavy you can go with your accessories. Now, even if you didn't choose to add all these extra accessories, I still think the rack could be really good for more sports and rec applications, and that's because we can adjust the crossbar spread really easily. On the bottom of the upright, there's two bolts that will attach this to the track, and if you loosen those up on both sides, this whole track is basically just open for adjustment. Where you can slide the uprights forward and back, closer together, or further apart. You can have 'em really far apart, four lumber, ladders, or kayaks, canoes, things like that. Or you can put 'em a bit closer together for a tent or maybe for a box or a basket, maybe bike racks. Other accessories that don't need such a wide spread or can't have such a wide spread. This will be a completely fixed height ladder rack, which means there's no height adjustment. It will give you cab clearance, but that exact measurement will vary depending on your application. So for our Tacoma versus say an F-150, that height is gonna be a little different, so be sure to check out the correct kit for you to get that exact measurement. But if you need clearance over the cab for longer boats or lumber, that's gonna give you it. If you don't, I would recommend something like a mid height rack, maybe like the Thule Xporter or maybe an adjustable ladder rack like the Yakima Overhaul. And the reason I'd say that is if you don't need cab clearance, get that rack a bit lower to the bed. Whether it's a tent or bike racks or a basket that you're loading up, having it lower to the ground will make that process easier. And you don't have to reach up as high, and you're not gonna add as much height to your vehicle that way. But if you need the cab clearance, this is the way to go. And all throughout you'll see a matte black finish. They do offer this in a more bare aluminum silver look, and I don't like that near as much. I think the matte black is definitely the way to go as far as styling is concerned. But say if you had a white truck, that silver might look better for you and your own personal tastes. Functionally they're gonna be the same though, and you're gonna get the same solid construction all throughout. That is something I'm really impressed with. The one thing I don't love is the end caps on our crossbars. Really all they are are end caps. There are small loops there, but I personally wouldn't use it as a tie down point because the whole thing is just plastic. I'd rather go to a tie down point in my bed, or wrap the strap around the underside of my crossbar here. Overall though, I think this is gonna be a really solid option for a ladder rack. And particularly when compared to some of the other options, like I mentioned. The Thule Xporter, or the Yakima Overhaul. Specifically, I think this could be a good alternative to the Yakima overhaul if you're not afraid of potentially having to make some modifications, depending on your application, like our Tacoma. And you do want to add on some of the accessories like sidebars and don't mind drilling through the uprights to attach those. Because the whole system and just the ladder rack itself is a much more budget friendly option. So, again, if you're not afraid to break up the tools a bit and make this work for your truck, it's gonna be a really solid system. But if you are looking to just have something that's out of the box ready to bolt on, you don't have to make modifications, then do explore one of those other options. But I think if you're planning on really decking this out with all the accessories and you're trying to keep price in mind that this ADARAC aluminum series custom ladder rack could be a good fit for you. Thanks for watching.