Anybody have feedback on SystemOne Racks
I have used a System-One rack on a van but not their truck rack. Does anyone have feedback that will help me justify the $850 price tag? Thinking of installing one on my GMC 2500hd that serves as my daily driver/hauler to end my eternal struggle with the 20′ walkboard and extension ladders.
Scott
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete (I am so in love with myself) Draganic
I love mine... had 'em about a year and a half or so now. No regrets. The Work Winch tie-downs make the system. Makes it really fast and really easy to safely tie down anything you put up there. Well built, look sharp, and they've handled everything I put up there without any problems. They still look good and nothing has broken or bent on them in the time I've had them and they get frequent use. But like I said... it's really the tie down system that makes these thing so great. If I bought a new truck tomorrow I personally wouldn't even look at a different rack system.
The only drawback I can think of is that the profile of them makes it impossible to have them side loaded at the lumberyard with a forklift. This hasn't been a problem for me as I usually get lumber delivered and just go to the yard myself for a couple of sticks of this and a couple of that. It's something to think about anyway.
This ? gets asked quite regularly here... everytime Diesel sings the praise and I knock em down.
My complaints:
They angle in to make the top narrower than the bed which causes several problems,
1 you can only fit 2 ladders in width instead of 3,
2 a forklift cannot lower a standard 4' pallet between the side rails,
3 put a signifigant load up there and the angled uprights exert enough sideways thrust that your bedrails will spread making the tailgait not work.
If you want to remove the back horizontal you can, but it is a PITA, I like the ones where you just pull a pin and swing it out of the way.
The extension over the cab is a joke- carries no weight at all, only way it is usefull at all is to tie down lightweight trim that would otherwise break in the wind.
The side rails are above the plane of the load carrying members, so say you need to pick up a couple dozen 2x10's that missed the take off, I used call the lumberyard have them band them up and ready to be dropped right onto my steel racks,slide the forks right out from under.... now with S1 I got to load them by hand.
The work winches are nice, but they are outside all the time, the last few weeks they have been useless as they are frozen solid, and you can't use them on finish materials if it has rained recently being they are soaking wet.
The rubber inserts on top are nice for keeping your load inplace if you aren't to good at lashing things down(especially when your work winches are frozen), but then it does take extra effort to pull things off the top when unloding.
I will admit that they are nice looking, but the next one will be back to the Vanguard TCR... much more capable, and I think that I am pretty enough allready.:)
Jay,
I'm wondering if they've changed the racks some since you bought yours. Mine measure 52" at the narrowest point (not counting the Work Winches which come off easily enough with those big black plastic knobs). I get pallets of nails forkloaded all the time onto my truck. And my bed is only 49" wide anyway since it's a SRW service body. Which brings me to another difference.... with my service body, the vertical supports foot themselves on a rail mounted to the top of the utility boxes.... no 'bed spread' here with my set up.
Where the heck do you live that the work winches froze up? You'd have to have a pretty serious wind-blown freezing rain storm for that to happen. I'm in MA and this is my second winter with the system.... never had a work winch freeze up on me... or anything even close for that matter. And if you're worried about the tie downs getting wet.... put them in the cab. They don't get any "wetter" than any other tie-down left out in the rain. That's a function of the owner, not the system. How does your back cross bar come off that makes it a PIA? Mine has two lever that I turn and two knurled knobs for the winches. Pretty straight forward.
I dunno.... some of what you say may be true... but some of your points are kinda 'reaching' if you ask me. To each his own, but at least give a fair assesment of 'em. I couldn't care less what kind of racks are on your truck but you make 'em sound awful! LOL... c'mon man. This is the third set of racks I've had... first were Vanguard tubular steel, second were TrakRac and now I've got the System One. You couldn't pay me to go back to either of those set ups over the System One.
Different strokes for different folks, I guess. View Image
You are right, differnt strokes, and different set up. I think the OP wants to put it on a pickup bed -like I have, and infact a silverado - like I have. I just went outside to check, I got 46" between the side rails at the top of the rack. Also went to my old truck with the vanguard tcr on it, it has 62" at the top. When I bought the S1, I didn't think the extra width would be missed-Wrong!
The bed of a regular pickup is made out of beer cans, so it doesn't take much to deform them , a good load on a straight rack causes problems also, .. so mabee that is a reach.
You think I should unravel the work winches and keep them inside? when the straps that work on any rack are allready there?
The back bar- 2 nurled knobs, pull 2 bolts, 2 levered nobs , pull bolts, lift off bar, 2 brackets still in the way, unlless u want to get the sockets out, load your stuff, try to remember where all the parts are, the re-assemble, = PITA. Or Vanguard, Pull pin, swing out of the way, load, put bar and pin back=easy!
I think my assesment for my circumstance is fair, I have owned many trucks, all set up with the vanguards, 1st one was in 1977, they all preformed well. I bought the S1 for my current truck (an 03) and have been less than thrilled with it.
Have you ever looked at Kargo Master racks? I forgot earlier, but I had a set of those for awhile too and liked them.
By the way.... in '77 I wasn't even in kindergarten yet. So I guess I gotta concede to you on the experience part. ;)View Image
I second what Dieselpig said. What I also like is the aluminum is light and strong and won't rust. Those steel racks have got to weigh at least twice as much.
Not specifically about system one racks, but I saw some racks that have a dropped center section to enable loading with a fork lift. Looks like it would work really well.
Rich
I have had the same rack for 9 years now and love it, I have put it on 3 different trucks and just had to buy new uprights. I often haul vinyl siding on it and have had as many as 8 square on it and it handled the load very well. No regrets here.
I bought the S1 racks for my F350 crewcab 4 years ago based on advice from this board. I'd do it all over again. I haul more than ladders and it has held up very well. biggest load has been a 32' long w12x26 beam. The winches are great. No problems loading pallets. I've hauled roofing, mortar, and hardwood all palletized. Maybe the chevy is a little narrower? I had my first winch freeze 2 days ago but it had rained the day before and it was 16 degrees. It is hard to load with a forklift from the side but not impossible.
Good luck,
John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.