Why We Made A Sliding Load Bar

From The Desk Of Bernhard Leitner, CEO

The very first vehicle I owned was a beat-up Chevy LUV truck I got as a hand me down when I turned 16. Its modestly sized bed allowed me to load up my motorcycle and gear and head out for the weekend. At the races I would use it as a makeshift bed and sleep under the stars in the California desert. That vehicle started my love affair with pickup trucks. The versatility of a truck is unmatched and probably why 3 million of them are sold in the states each year.

I have always used my truck as a truck. That means loading motorcycles, toolboxes, appliances, lumber, and whatever else needs to be loaded into the bed. That’s why I have always thought a rack should add capability, not take it away.

That might sound obvious, but after installing different racks over the years, I kept running into the same problem. The rack would work fine loading items above but the moment I needed to load something tall into the bed like my motorcycle, things got complicated.

Either I was ducking under a fixed crossbar, trying not to hit my head, or I was performing the Limbo just to get the bike in without removing half the rack. That didn’t sit right with me.

Loading a motorcycle should not require a strategy session

I didn’t want to remove a crossbar every time I needed the full height of my bed. Because when you remove a bar, two things happen. You either lose it, or you forget to put it back on when you need to carry items on top.That’s not engineering. That’s inconvenience.

So, I designed a sliding load bar that always stays with you.

The idea was simple. Keep the structural integrity of a fixed rack, but give the user the ability to slide the rear load bar forward when they need full bed access. No disassembly. No misplaced hardware. No compromises.

Sliding load bar with knob-actuated adjustment and t-bolt channel system

The sliding load bar uses easy-to-turn knobs and four T-bolts that slide directly in our channel. When you need clearance, loosen the knobs, slide the bar forward, and you instantly regain usable bed space. When you’re done, slide it back and lock it down.Strength and function, without complexity.

What started as a design to easily load my motorcycles quickly turned into something more. Contractors need to load tall tool chests. Homeowners buy refrigerators. People move. Life happens.

Built for Real Loads, From Motorcycles to Toolboxes

The sliding load bar allows the rack to adapt without removing any parts. That adaptability is why we hold the patent on this functionality. No other rack system offers this level of integrated sliding support.

Now, I get asked a common question.“Why do I have to drill into my bed if I want a sliding load bar?”

There still needs to be proper support in the bed for when the load bar is forward and not adding structural support. Drilling four small holes to install the rear support ensures the structure remains sound and performs as designed. You can slide it forward when not in use, but the system still needs its foundation.

The only rack system with a patented sliding load bar

Engineering does not work on “most of the time.” It works on “every time.”The sliding load bar was actually the starting point for much of what followed. Once I solved the bed-access problem, it opened the door for other ideas. Side storage boxes. Tonneau-compatible racks. Modular accessories. The evolution of our system started with one simple idea.

Your truck should still function like a truck!

That old Chevy LUV taught me one thing. A truck should give you freedom, not limitations. And that is WHY I built a rack that never takes that freedom away.