Abstract: A ladder rack for motor vehicles including at least two support mechanisms for supporting an item such as a ladder, a pivot for concurrently pivoting each of the support mechanisms between a first position and a second position, and a motion stabilizer mechanism mounted on each of the support mechanisms. In the first position, each of the support mechanisms is disposed above the vehicle. When in the first position, the item is secured on the support mechanisms against movement. In the second position, each of the support mechanisms is securely disposed adjacent to a side of the vehicle thereby enabling easy loading and unloading of the ladder from the rack. The motion stabilizer mechanism stabilizes and guides the motion of the ladder as the rack is moved between the first and second positions. In the preferred embodiment, the support mechanism width is adjustable to accommodate various sized ladders.