Hi all! First post, have been reading for months now (ordered in May; Belgium), but as the delivery of my defender starts to get closer I kind of want to start making decisions.
I'm more or less sure about the frontrunner roof rack. However, how do you get up there without the OEM ladder? :-)

Does anyone have experience with the ladder that Frontrunner makes?
https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.co...nt-ladder.html

To me it kind of looks like an 'unfinished' product (as in: very basic / it 'sticks out'), and also very unsafe in case you would hit a pedestrian (far fetched, I know, but accidents happen.. )

Anyways, looking for real-life experience with the product. Thanks in advance!

 

No, no experience with that ladder. Looks a bit overdone, blocky, heavy and rather expensive. For that price you can do much better. You can get a pair of these, one for each side and a lightweight telescoping ladder. It is what I use. A lot more utility, allowing access from either side.

Ladder Support

 

I have the OEM one and it’s been great.

 

Yes - am considering this as well, but it's an extra 'thing' to keep in the trunk, I prefer an 'external' ladder if that's a possibility


As far as I can tell from other posts on the forum and info from FR website, the OEM is not compatible with the large FR rack. But it sure looks amazing!

 

If you are going to use the front runner rack then get the front runner ladder it will just work better I have the OEM rack with front runner stuff and it was a pain getting the T bolts so I could put my stuff up on the rack.

 

I have front runner everything on my car and I would not put their ladder on it..... I personally think it looks very bad and its massive and not as refined as the LR one. Even the FR team admitted they didn't like it when I talked to them. I think the best mounted ladder option for now would be Lucky8 with the FR rack.

 

This is also what I do but as I have built up the inside of my car with a bed etc I will admit I am starting to get tired of carrying the ladder around with me. Functionally its great though and I have used it at campsites off my car to hang stuff in trees etc which is nice.

 

Yes - looks nice indeed!
Just wondering: are you supposed to go via the spare tire from the third step? (like one foot on the ladder, one foot on the tire?)
It looks very narrow above the rear lights.
Hard to tell from looking at the pictures alone.

 

Lucky8 also don't seem to ship to Europe/Belgium

 

Major fan of the Lucky8 ladder. If I hadn't already modified it so much, I'd be seriously looking to trade the OEM Expedition rack in for a Forerunner, Voyager version. If I took a more recent photo, you would see the rear lights on this angle.

Link to thread. Photo from thread: