Mounting a Ladder Rack on My Van Dwelling

Why, you might ask, should I install a van ladder rack on my van dwelling? This is my home, what could possibly be the point?

All that valuable acreage topside going to waste, by adding a simple rack system you can almost double your usable space. Of course you don't want to be in a top heavy situation or stack stuff high enough to increase the already sizable wind drag of your rolling cubical. Even so you can accomplish many things with the addition of a van ladder rack system of some sorts and it doesn't have to cost you a fortune.

I'm a low buck scrounger, never paying full retail and always willing to wait until the right deal comes along. Keeping my eyes open watching local sales I stumbled across an unadvertised special at Menard's. Menard's is a regional home center located mainly in the upper Midwest. My simple two bar van ladder rack system cost me $65 reduced from the regular price of $89.95. Even at full price it would have been a bargain as most similar racks run about $150-$200.

Construction is sturdy and the product has a nice powder coated black finish. Installation took only about 45 minutes as the whole thing only has 8 bolts clamping the two bars to the rain gutters on each side of the van.

Well now that we've established that a van ladder rack is modestly priced and easily installed what is the point of having one?

1. Stealth: If you do nothing but place a cheap ladder on your rack you have reinforced the idea that your generic white windowless van is indeed a work vehicle and should be no cause for alarm where ever it's parked.

2. Solar Power: Mounting a platform of some sorts will facilitate the installation of solar panels. Boondocking in the wilderness requires electrical power to some level. A set of solar panels can recharge your house batteries without starting your engine and wasting valuable fuel.

3. Storage: You can build or buy a modest sized storage container and mount it, increasing your ability to bring more "Stuff".

4. More Power: I'm considering mounting a portable generator topside or at least mount a box large enough to carry/conceal one.

5. Work platform: I plan to build a deck between my two ladder rack bars strong enough to stand on. At this point I'm considering using Trex Decking as it doesn't require maintenance like wood.

6. Bring a Boat: Kayaks are popular among the van dwelling crowd. I'm toying with adding a shallow flat bottom boat to my collection which would ride nicely on the rack.

I've only gotten to the point of installing my van ladder rack. The final decision as to what will be it's main purpose is still up in the air. You can see by this list I'm keeping my options open for now. Certainly it will be put to good use eventually.