Bed Height Ladder Racks Garage Fit

[Kevin S]

Hey All,

I’ve made a couple of previous posts regarding my (hopefully soon) Ford Ranger purchase. I’ve asked about the FX4 and Tow Package. Thanks to the responses I got here both are now definitely on my “want” list.

Next dilemma, making sure this thing will fit in my garage. The width and length are fine. It’s the height I’m concerned with. I want to put a cap with ladder racks on the bed.

I currently own a 2000 Ranger that I’ve had for 18 years. On the bed I have an older black aluminum truck cap with two small screw on ladder racks. This setup has worked well for me over the years. (see pic) Hopefully I can do the same setup with my new Ranger.

I visited a local truck cap business yesterday and was told that a new aluminum cap similar to what I have is 23” high and to add an inch for bed-liner height. That would bring the cap to 24”. The ladder racks I’m looking at would add an additional 6” or so. If the aluminum cap makes the truck too high for my garage I am not opposed to going with a cab high fiberglass top outfitted with tracks … AS LONG AS they would handle occasional light ladder and lumber hauling.

The ladder racks I’m hoping to get are BR-B1X2 and are shown at EZWheeler.com

The finished opening on my garage door is 81”

What I want:
Super Cab with 6’ bed.
4x4
17” or 18” Wheels

Questions:

Can anyone tell me what the height is from the ground to the top of the bed rail on this particular truck? I’ve found diagrams on line with almost every other dimension but not this. I realize I could go to a Ford dealer and measure this myself but the Super Cabs are hard to find in my area. I did an inventory search yesterday and drove an hour to take this measurement only to find that they didn’t have the Super Cab on the lot.

Will tire size be a factor? (I’d like the 18’s but realize I may have to get the standard 17” wheels for the garage fit)

Would the antenna be an issue for me? If so, can it be replaced with something low profile?

Answers to these questions and helpful comments would be really appreciated.

Thanks,

Kevin

 

[Uncle Gump]

I can't answer the specific question for you....

But that don't look like any Chicago I've ever seen.

 

[sheep herder]

I can't answer the specific question for you....

But that don't look like any Chicago I've ever seen.

New and improved Chitcago. Much better than the old one.

 

[Dirtman]

Fun fact: Chicago is in Illinois.

 

[Kevin S]

Ha! They do let us leave the City and State to go on vacation once in awhile ya know! The picture was taken in Tennessee .... where I'd rather be right about now. ?

 

[sheep herder]

Fun fact: Chicago is in Illinois.

Nothing fun about Chitcago or Illinoid.

 

[sgtsandman]

I can't answer you 100% for sure due to the aluminum cap but I can get you close. Concerning the 18" wheels, the best I can recommend is to check out a tire size calculator and compare the two offered tire sizes and see if there is a height difference.

In any case, I have an FX4 with a towing package and 265/65/R17 tires. The height from the rear of the bed to the ground is 52". From the ground to the top of the roof rack bar on my fiberglass cap is 75". The antenna clearance is not an issue for me and it stick up about another 3" above the rack bars. I measured from the back of the bed because of the factory rake, so it will be the highest point on the bed. Here is a couple of pictures that might help you some.

 

[ericbphoto]

Concerning 17" or 18" wheels, it doesn't matter. What matters is the overall diameter if the tire. I would think that the larger diameter wheels (from Ford) would come with a lower profile tire to keep the overall tire diameter the same so that the speedometer reads the same. Therefore, OEM tire size probably won't affect ride height.

 

[sgtsandman]

With the 2011 Rangers, there is a height difference between those equipped with 15" wheels and those with 16" wheels. Drawing from memory, the 235/75R15 tires are about 29" and the 255/70R16 tires are about 30". Only an inch but that inch could make a significant difference in certain instances. It could be the same for the 2019 with 16", 17", & 18" wheels.

 

[Kevin S]

sgtsandman - Thanks for the measurements and pics! With that info at least I know I can go with a fiberglass cab high cap/with similar racks. According to your measurements I'd have 6" between the racks and my door opening ... and the antenna would still clear by 3". Regarding the tires, I'll go with the 17's

Question: How do you feel about an occasional lumber haul on those Thule racks attached to your fiberglass cap? I wouldn't load it up with treated 2x12"s just an occasional trip to the lumberyard for small buys.

 

[sgtsandman]

I wouldn't have a problem with it (consults the manual) The front racks are rated for 132 pounds and the rear racks are rated for 165 pounds. You could load quite a bit of wood with those ratings. They do caution about driving speeds not going above 50 mph when carrying plywood because of the updraft from the windshield getting caught between the plywood and the roof.

 

[Kevin S]

Nice. I can live with those weight ratings.

I'm still gonna do some research on the aluminum caps only because I still kinda like that "work truck" look. However, because of possible height issues with an aluminum cap and because of the info I’ve gotten here on The Ranger Station I’m now a lot more comfortable with the idea of fiberglass. I’ve also been looking on line and have seen some really nice looking fiberglass caps that still have that “work truck” look.

If I do wind up going the fiberglass route I'd probably only get the two cap racks. I don't think I'd need the cab clip-ons. As I mentioned above I'm looking at the 2019/2020 Super Cab model with the 6 foot bed so the two roof racks on the cap would be spread farther apart than those on your rig. I have a 6 foot bed now and I've never had an issue with lumber over the cab "bouncing" and hitting the roof … and I've carried 16 footers up there. As far as sheet material (plywood & drywall) and any lumber 8 feet and under, with the gate closed all that goes inside the bed on an angle over the wheel wells. It only sticks out 2 feet. I bungee the open cap door securely and never had a problem.

Thanks again for the replies.

 

[sgtsandman]

I ended up getting rails for my 2011 cab roof because of the canoe. You are probably right as far as the lumber. Plus the chances damaging the paint on the roof is much less with lumber than an aluminum canoe.

 

[Kevin S]

I test drove a 2020 Super Crew (they didn't have a Super Cab) last week. I brought it home and parked it in my garage. It's definitely a tighter fit than my old Ranger but manageable. As far as the height, I should be just fine. My door opening is exactly 82". The antenna on the 2020 cleared it with 4" to spare. Regarding the ladder racks, sgtsandman's pictures show the racks below the top of the antenna. It looks like I'll be able to keep the racks on all the time.