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Method and arrangement for providing a load carrier mountable on a carrying vehicle. The arrangement includes an elevating structure arranged between a base portion and a load supporting portion. The elevating structure is adapted to expand and contract between raised and lowered configurations. The

Method and arrangement for providing a load carrier mountable on a carrying vehicle. The arrangement includes an elevating structure arranged between a base portion and a load supporting portion. The elevating structure is adapted to expand and contract between raised and lowered configurations. The elevating structure includes two substantially upright members, each of which is slidably moveable relative to the other for establishing the raised and lowered configurations. A fixing device is provided for releasably fixing the two sliding members one to the other. The fixing device includes a blocking member that is insertible in aligned receivers, one each of the aligned receivers being formed in each of the two sliding members for preventing expansion and contraction of the elevating structure. The fixing device further includes a take-up arrangement that is configured to press one of the two upright members against the other thereby forming a releasable friction fit therebetween.

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The invention claimed is: 1. A load carrier arrangement for a truck bed, said arrangement comprising: an elongate elevating structure arranged between a base portion mountable to a truck bed and a load supporting portion, said elevating structure adapted to expand and contract between raised and lo

The invention claimed is: 1. A load carrier arrangement for a truck bed, said arrangement comprising: an elongate elevating structure arranged between a base portion mountable to a truck bed and a load supporting portion, said elevating structure adapted to expand and contract between raised and lowered configurations, respectively; said elevating structure comprising two elongate and upright members relative to horizontal, and each of said two upright members are slidably moveable along an upright axis relative to the other for establishing said raised and lowered configurations; a fixing device releasably fixing said two upright members one to the other and thereby preventing expansion and contraction of said elevating structure, said fixing device including a blocking member pivotable about an axis parallel to said upright axis and pivotably insertible into and removable from slotted aligned receivers, one each of said slotted aligned receivers formed in each of said two upright members thereby blocking relative movement between said upright members; and said fixing device further comprising a take-up arrangement pivotally connected to said blocking member, said take-up arrangement having a pivot connection with said blocking member and configured to resiliently collapse at least one of said two upright members against the other when said blocking member is inserted into said slotted aligned receivers thereby forming a releasable friction fit therebetween. 2. The load carrier arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein said two upright members form said releasable friction fit directly between one another. 3. The load carrier arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein said aligned slotted receivers are horizontally oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the elongate elevating structure. 4. The load carrier arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein said blocking member is pivotally connected to the elevating structure. 5. The load carrier arrangement of claim 1 wherein said blocking member has a substantially planar portion insertable into said aligned slots. 6. The load carrier arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein said two upright members are telescopically arranged establishing two telescopic members with one at least partially positioned within the other. 7. The load carrier arrangement as recited in claim 6, wherein said fixing device further comprises a squeeze arrangement, said squeeze arrangement configured to constrict one of said two telescopic members about the other thereby forming a friction fit between said telescopic members. 8. The load carrier arrangement as recited in claim 7, further comprising: an elongate slot provided through an exteriorly positioned telescopic member of said two telescopic members, said elongate slot being configured to facilitate a constrictive biasing of said exteriorly positioned telescopic member toward an interiorly positioned telescopic member of said two telescopic members. 9. A load carrier arrangement for a truck bed, said arrangement comprising: an elongate elevating structure arranged between a base portion mountable to a truck bed and a load supporting portion, said elevating structure adapted to expand and contract between raised and lowered configurations, respectively; said elevating structure comprising two elongate and upright members relative to horizontal, and each of said two upright members are slidably moveable along an upright axis relative to the other for establishing said raised and lowered configurations; a fixing device releasably fixing said two upright members one to the other and thereby preventing expansion and contraction of said elevating structure, said fixing device including a blocking member insertible in aligned slotted receivers, one each of said aligned slotted receivers formed in each of said two upright members; and said fixing device further comprising a take-up arrangement, said take-up arrangement having an actuator pivotally connected to said blocking member at a take-up pivot connection and configured to resiliently collapse at last one of said two upright members against the other upon pivotation of said actuator when said blocking member is inserted into said slotted aligned receivers thereby forming a releasable friction fit therebetween wherein said blocking member is pivotably arranged with respect to said two upright members via a block-enabling pivot connection, said block-enabling pivot connection configured to permit transition of said blocking member between a blocking configuration wherein said blocking member is pivotably inserted into said aligned slotted receivers and a released configuration wherein said blocking member is pivotably removed from said aligned slotted receivers. 10. The load carrier arrangement as recited in claim 9, wherein said two upright members form said releasable friction fit directly between one another. 11. The load carrier arrangement as recited in claim 9, wherein said aligned slotted receivers are horizontally oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the elongate elevating structure. 12. The load carrier arrangement as recited in claim 9, wherein said blocking member is pivotally connected to the elevating structure. 13. The load carrier arrangement of claim 9 wherein said blocking member has a substantially planar portion insertable into said aligned slots. 14. A load carrier arrangement for a truck bed, said arrangement comprising: an elongate elevating structure arranged between a base portion mountable to a truck bed and a load supporting portion, said elevating structure adapted to expand and contract between raised and lowered configurations, respectively; said elevating structure comprising two elongate and upright members relative to horizontal, and each of said two upright members are slidably moveable along an upright axis relative to the other for establishing said raised and lowered configurations; a fixing device releasably fixing said two upright members one to the other and thereby preventing expansion and contraction of said elevating structure, said fixing device including a blocking member pivotable about an axis parallel to said upright axis and insertible into and removable from aligned slotted receivers, one each of said aligned slotted receivers formed in each of said two upright members; and said fixing device further comprising a take-up arrangement, said take-up arrangement configured to resiliently collapse at least one of said two upright members against the other when said blocking member is inserted into said slotted aligned receivers thereby forming a releasable friction fit therebetween and wherein said blocking member is pivotably connected to said take-up arrangement via a take-up pivot connection, said take-up pivot connection configured to permit pivotal transition of said take-up arrangement between an expanded and contracted configuration of said take-up arrangement. 15. The load carrier arrangement as recited in claim 14, wherein said actuator of said take-up arrangement includes an over-center cammed member that is operator-configurable between tightened and loosened configurations of said take-up arrangement. 16. The load carrier arrangement as recited in claim 14, wherein said two upright members form said releasable friction fit directly between one another. 17. The load carrier arrangement as recited in claim 14, wherein said aligned slotted receivers are horizontally oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the elongate elevating structure. 18. The load carrier arrangement as recited in claim 14, wherein said blocking member is pivotally connected to the elevating structure. 19. The load carrier arrangement of claim 14 wherein said blocking member has a substantially planar portion insertable into said aligned slots.