ALUMINUM ALLOY COMPONENTS
All structural components of System One racks are made from 6000 series extruded aluminum alloy. Aluminum is one third the weight of steel and provides a superior strength-to-weight ratio over steel. It is the material of choice for the majority of the transportation industry.

Wide profile extrusions are important. Capacities are greatly increased with tall and wide cross sections. This is why System One racks are so strong. The fact that the rack is aluminum, and not steel, means that you get a lighter truck so more of the truck's available GVWR can be used for carrying cargo. The benefits of installing a high strength, rust-free ladder rack that delivers better gas mileage are undeniably clear.

STAINLESS STEEL FASTENERS
All fasteners used on System One equipment are made from 18-8 stainless steel. We spend a lot of extra money on these fasteners but we don't want to see any rust running down our racks no matter how old they are. Galvanized fasteners can resist rust well for years but where the galvanized coating is broken by wrenches, lock washers or nuts run tight on their own threads, they start to rust. At that point there's no turning back. Our fasteners are all in inch (not metric) sizes and many of our nuts have self locking nylon inserts.

UTILITY TRAK
The Utility Trak mounts to the roof of an enclosed body or trailer to provide a structural platform to mount the rack on. The trak is about 3 ¾” wide at the bottom. There is a recessed 5/16” T-slot in the underside of the Utility Trak so that it can be mounted to the body using concealed fasteners. You simply slide the 5/16” carriage bolts into this T-slot, threaded portion facing down, like studs, and (as long as you have drilled the holes in your body all in the same line) you slide the bolts front or back to align with your holes, and then drop the Trak on. Silicone sealant on the bolt threads ensures a water tight seal. The Utility Trak has a 1 ½” tall x ¼” thick flange that extends upward at 17.5°.. This flange or rib has 2 functions. First it gives structure to the entire length of the truck body providing rigidity to anything that mounts to it, and second, it has 7/8” diameter holes punched every 12” on center for use as anchoring locations for hooks, ropes, etc. Utility traks come in 8’, 9’, and 11’.

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CROSSMEMBERS
Enclosed Body racks can be built in a great many configurations. These racks can be ordered with almost any numbers of crossmembers and I.T.S. Surface Mount Brackets. Typically, five Crossmembers are supplied with the Enclosed Body Contractor Rig (although more are available) and Enclosed Body Utility Rigs are available with 2, 3, 4 or more Crossmembers. In the Contractor Rig, the mounting brackets are attached to the Crossmembers and the number of brackets can vary from 2 pairs up to as many Crossmembers that are used on the rack. On the Contractor Rig, the Crossmembers themselves are attached to the Extension Beams. They can be mounted anywhere along the Extension Beam although prepunched mounting holes are provided in the Extension Beam for typical mounting locations. All of the Crossmembers are of the same profile and contain 4 recessed t-slots – 2 in the upper surface and 2 in the lower surface. Stiffening Ribs which are used typically on 70” to 90” Crossmembers are also available. They mount to the underside of the Crossmember and roughly double its capacity.

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I.T.S. SURFACE MOUNT BRACKETS
The surface mount I.T.S. Bracket is essentially the same as the I.T.S. Van Bracket except that it is adapted to mount to a flat surface instead of a van’s gutter. Its use is not limited to enclosed body trucks as it is often used on trailers or on steel pick-up or service body caps, allowing these applications as well, to take advantage of Work Winches. It mounts with two 5/16” bolts to either a Utility Trak or any flat structural surface. The I.T.S. configuration means that these brackets are Work Winch ready and only the moving parts of the Work Winch need to be installed. The braces are the same as used in the Van Brackets having two 7/8” diameter holes to receive the hook end of the Work Winch strap or any other tie-down method used. The top portion of the surface mount I.T.S. Brackets mount directly to the T-slots of a crossmember. This means that they don’t have to be mounted on the extreme ends of the crossmembers – they can be mounted in-board if desired. Any number of Surface Mount I.T.S. Brackets may be used, but each pair of these brackets must have their corresponding crossmember.

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WORK WINCH
The Work Winch® is the most universal and easiest to use tie-down system ever made and is an important reason why many contractors buy System One racks in the first place. With this one piece of equipment, all cargo tie down problems and challenges are solved. All the searching for and untangling of ropes and bungees is solved. Safety issues are solved. The work winch with its operating handle is always right there and ready for use -- just lift the pawl and pull out as much strap as you need. Throw the hook end of the strap over the load and hook it to the under side of the crossmember. Take up the slack with the hand wheel and tighten with the handle. Constructed of aluminum alloy and stainless steel with a PVC bearing, it is the only rust-free tie-down system made and has a nearly unlimited lifespan. This is not a bolted-on aftermarket accessory, but an integral part of a System One I.T.S. series ladder rack.

Click here and go to "Work Winch Features" for more detail.

LADDER LIFE INSERTS
Ladder Life® inserts are definitely the kindest thing to ever happen to ladders. Ladders and other equipment rest on high durometer EPDM rubber inserts instead of riding on the bare metal crossmembers that other racks offer. Ladders, both aluminum and fiberglass, need to be carried gently – for both longevity and safety reasons. A ladder with rails worn thin by constant vibration and abrasion against crossmembers is a serious liability. Additionally, they just plain cost to much to allow them to wear out while in transport. Neither steel nor aluminum are good materials to transport ladders on and round tubing or pipe crossmembers are the worst offenders due to their small contact (high pressure) area. We know about this stuff (click here).

These simple, rubber inserts (about the same feel as a tire) eliminate ladder wear and they, like our Ladder Glide® insert, seem to last forever as we have sold practically no replacements in 10 years.

Another huge plus is the reduction in noise!