I plan to install the factory cross bars to my soon to be delivered D90 so I can attach my barracuda bike carriers and thule skis carriers.

Can I realistically get away with standing on the floor of either at the driver's side front seat or passenger's side front seat to mount and dismount my bikes and skis?

Or would I need the ladder to do it conveniently?

If ladder is needed, would the rhino rear ladder be limited in functionality as I might not be able to reach to the front part of the bike/ski mount from the back of the vehicle?

I do not like tow hitch carriers for personal aesthetic reason, so it's either throwing the gears in the back with rear seats folded down or onto the roof.

Any idea what the labor cost to install the factory ladder by the dealer or shop is?

Any advice and suggestions?

Thanks!

 

Its actually hard to stand in the door way and work on the roof. The floor and top of the door are pretty much parallel, I was drying my roof this morning and had to wedge myself between the front of the door and the body to have hands free.

May want to look at a "step" you hang on a wheel (rear probably best) like this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/HitchMat...4040/203517788

 

I think putting bikes on the roof of this thing is not something I’d ever want to do. It’s just way too high to handle bikes up there. If I absolutely had to, I’d only us a fork mount, but even that would be huge pain. Hitch rack is really so much better with a truck this tall. For ski racks, the Thule pull top that slides out makes it usable without even having to stand on the door sill. It’s the best ski rack solution for any tall suv.

 

The Factory side ladder has to be drilled into the side of the body. If you wish to remove it temporarily there will be 2 holes in the body just under the rear side window. Also in the 110 there is a pillar that blocks the window so the ladder won't compromise vision through the rear side window but in the D90 the Ladder blocks a huge portion of the rear side window that's why I went with the Lucky8 proud rhino rear ladder. I really like it and feel in works with the D90 much better. very sturdy no drilling and works well with the the factory roof rack it is difficult to deal with the side of the vehicle from this angle but the drilling into the body and loss of a huge portion of the rear side window precluded me from using the factory ladder and really happy with the Proud Rhino from Lucky 8

 

i installed my factory ladder over the weekend. it is true you have to drill into the metal trim piece that hides the two river nuts behind. you have to do the something similar on the other side to install the cargo box

i went with the factory due to design and as looks. it works with the factory rack or front runner that uses the oem rails. i have the front runner

other racks that mount to the roof won’t allow you to use the factory option. so might be an easier decision depending on rack you choose

 

How do you like the OEM ladder? I also have the Slimline II and prefer a side to rear mount ladder as I find it more practical for taking surfboards on/off the rack. Does it feel sturdy/well made? I'm afraid it won't stand up to the type of use I'd subject it to (I'm only 160 lbs but it just doesn't seem as 'solid').

Appreciate your feedback on this.

 

it’s actually a genius design and very well made. as Powerful UK mentioned you might want to put some ppf on that rear panel as your feet most likely will hit the paint work

it gives you a little more height and access. i have been just stepping on my rear tire to access my rack. i have side steps which i step on first and then the tire. but now having the ladder i can get actually on top of the rack with no issues

its the best ladder option if it fits.

 

I know it's not really any of the ladder options, but I use these on my current Amarok (Defender not arriving 'til September) to get access to the rack over the canopy. They just go in a pouch and sit in the storage on the rear doors. Very sturdy and take up no space for the extra height...

https://www.curvesurf.com.au/product...step-australia

(these aren't the exact ones I use, but I just googled 'car door step')

 

Thanks.

I did look into this but some people reported getting the door sill of their car damaged by the back of the piece despite the fact that it has a rubber bumper on it. There is quite a lot of force/weight exerted on such a small surface area.

 

Does the OEM ladder obstruct the drivers view out of the drivers side mirror? Is there a significant amount of additional wind noise when driving at (higher than!) highway speeds?