Excellent rack; lost one star for documentation
WHY FRONTRUNNER?
I discovered this Front Runner rack while looking over Jeep 4xe hardtop rack kits during the holidays. I figured there would be some deals to be had, and sure enough, I found this rack at $200 savings off the MSRP.
PROS
This rack has four (4) mounting points on the rain gutter of a JL Wrangler Unlimited hardtop. This is 1-2 more than most other non-intrusive racks that I've found for my Jeep.
Speaking of non-intrusive -- this rack doesn't require drilling, and for someone like me, it doesn't need to have a backbone system to be useful. I don't plan on putting a tent on top of it. But I do need to lash down light luggage or a camp chair.
This rack also doesn't block the Mopar freedom panels that go with the hardtop. I MAY put on a fabric set of freedom panels in the future, but I'm not sure if something from BesTop will flip up and be compatible with the rack right there at the front edge of the hardtop.
The Front Runner Slimline accessories are really what appealed to me. It's like a Rhino Rack pioneer platform but with a whole catalog of things to add / kit out the rack. I love that I have options down the road.
The install was pretty straightforward -- all the parts were well packaged and well marked. It DOES require two people to help get it safely on the roof without knocking out a window, but once it's up there, it feels rock solid.
Best part about the whole thing -- SUPER FAST SHIPPING DURING THE HOLIDAYS. It was on my doorstep before I could finish off Christmas dinner.
Front Runner customer support has been great -- see below for details!
CONS
The instructions could use some consistency. There are different versions on the internet vs. what gets included in the packaging. There were also some variances between the copies that were IN the shipped boxes.
It would be nice if all the logo pieces were updated to Front Runner by Dometic. I got lucky and had even numbers of Front Runner and Front Runner by Dometic labeled parts.
The corner pieces don't really feel like they fit together as well on the rack as the rest of the parts.
One of the two windscreens included won't work on a JL Wrangler Unlimited with front freedom panels. The taller of the two is too tall / touches the freedom panels.
RECOMMENDATIONS
When fitting the rack on the roof, align the rear and front on the JL Wrangler Unlimited Hardtop and make sure the legs line up with the rain gutter. Tighten the rear corners, then the front corners, then finish with the other four middle legs. I had to redo all of this because the rack was shifted to the back left after the first installation.
Be sure to measure from corner to corner to ensure that the rack is square / true. If not, you may need to loosen and then retighten.
Ask Front Runner for support for customer photo examples if you're installing an awning. Thanks to their fantastic customer support, I was sent two photos that helped me pick the right extra parts that I needed to get an OVS awning over the 1" lip of the rack edges. Without those photos, I'd have been left to my own devices to get it done.
Michael B.
