I just bought a ladder rack for my truck and though I much prefer the strength of bolting it down, I'm kinda on the fence about drilling holes on my bed rails in case I ever change it. The place I got the rack from recommended using "bed rail clamps" like those used for camper shells. Has anyone used these on a ladder rack? I'm gonna be using it to haul my 2 - 12 foot kayaks or my 14 foot Jon boat... maybe 250 pounds max? Think the clamps will hold? This is a 2 piece rack, i.e. one front bar and one rear bar so not one big solid piece but its rated to 500 pounds "when bolted".

thoughts?

 

It's not so much the weight that is going to be the problem.

At 60+ MPH the wind is going to be the factor, I'd hate to see your 14 foot Jon boat and rack going through the windshield of the car behind you, I'd be bolting it and using a nylon-insert lock nut.

Camper shells are behind the cab, they don't get the wind as much.

 

This is exactly what I was thinking. A camper shell is aerodynamic... a boat is a sail. I'm gonna drill and bolt. I just needed someone to verify my conscious lol. Thanks brother! Plus it saves me 90 bucks on clamps. I'm doing 4 - 5/16" bolts in each leg of the rail. So 16 bolts total. I'm never getting rid of this truck I'm not even sure why I cared... I'll take some pics in case anyone cares. Just basic amazon crap but I'll see if it holds up.

 

bolted it down. Sturdy as hell.... truck actually feels a little stiffer in the rear lol.