I got a free bed rail / rack system and installed it. I'm going to try to tell you guys about it, but I've been drinking quite a bit so hopefully this will all make sense. Well first of all it was in pretty rough shape. I don't think it was left out side, but all of the moving parts, hinges and latches were stuck, so first order of businesses was soaking all that stuff until it moved again, and then greasing it up. Next was lengthening the top cross bars, as they were to short for the truck. Then cleaned it all up and painted it and installed it.
Below, the rails installed on the bed. My favorite thing about them is that the look good on the truck, and like they could have been installed back in '84.
You must be registered for see images attach
Below: From the other side
You must be registered for see images attach
Below: see how the rail bars hinge up, forming the legs and then the cross bars slip onto the top of the legs.
You must be registered for see images attach
So I can take this from being just bed rails to being a rack in just a few minutes, and it comes back down just as quickly. The top bars, are pinned in the center so they can be taken apart and I can store them in my tool box. If there is a down fall it's certainly not as heavy duty as a lot of racks, but it's much more flexible being able to easily put it up and take it down. Certainly I'll be able to haul a ladder up there, or a couple of long boards without any trouble. I've done some chainlink take downs which almost always involve at least a few 12 foot or longer pipes, so it should come in handy for that as well.