my concerns with the oem rack is the wind noise and lack of mounting accessories. i will most likely do a awning mount and have not found something to mount to the oem rack. guess anything can be made.

the front runner is so appealing with the many options they have. The Up Too looks way better and got some better innovation

if Front runner could make a full rack that mounts on the rails i would be sold. not sure why they couldn’t. it would sit higher but you also get the benefits of the front runner table that sits under the rack. lots of thought put into the front runner stuff

the short rack is to short.

 

Just for SA - the upTOP rack is compatible with universal accessories and frontrunner ones. It’s almost (just under) 96”. Max shipping length was 96” so we went just under.

 

I know this is an old thread but I'm replying late to the game as I've just found these forums.

Slimline II all the way.

I have the Slimline II rack on my 2020 D110 and I love it. It's IMO much beefier than the OEM, the attachment points for bolt ons are extremely secure, and it looks exceptional. It is probably more difficult to access b/c it sits higher, but monkeying around on the truck is all part of the fun. I don't see any need to ever take my rack off; I have surf racks on one side and extended pads (customized Dakine's) on the other.

I just need to find a ladder now; the lucky 8 / proud rhino is solid but I think it's better to access the roof from the side than the rear.

 

How is wind noise?

 

I did my first trip this weekend with my slimline rack - about ~500 miles between highways and winding roads. I got loud noise maybe 20% of the time, mostly in winding roads at 50-60 MPH. Highways were mostly fine. But I also have Nitto Grappler tires that are pretty loud so... 🤷🏽‍♂️8.7.3

 

Wind noise is negligible. The rack comes with a wind deflector; with the sunroof and sunshade closed it's barely noticeable. I'm usually hauling surfboards so I've gotten used to tuning out external noise. Plus, the stereo works great

IMO, it's by and large the gold standard of racks. Where I live (Newport) there are plenty of Defenders with OEM rack's; I find other drivers craning their necks to look at mine all the time.

It's a bit tricky getting longer boards or SUP's on/off the roof but it's manageable.

There are definitely a couple items I wish I would've included in my search when I bought the truck (this was dealer inventory, not special order) but I didn't want to get 'stuck' with options I didn't need (i.e., the center console fridge, the 3rd row seating, the hood decal, etc...). This is a utility/surf truck for me (everyday driver) so it seems a waste to discard perfectly good tires, even if they aren't what I want. In the near term I'll be looking to source recovery hooks and a tow hitch. Down line, off road tires and a 1.5" or 2" lift rods.

I would like to add a ladder, and while I like the Lucky 8/Proud Rhino ladder, it just doesn't seem practical to add a rear facing ladder that doesn't allow me to access the front of the rack.


Slimline II with an Almond log

 

i must have the wind deflector or something off. i am getting pretty bad wind noise to the point where my wife looks at me strange. i get a loud howling sound when there is cross winds

just a heads up as i know they are hard to find. my local dealer had 3 oem ladders in stock last week. i got lucky and called and they had one for me. dealer is in San Jose Ca

 

The wind deflector is a (separate) metal piece roughly the width of the rack that angles out towards the sunroof/hood line. It does not interfere with the operation of the moonroof. If you have windows/sun roof open you're going to hear more of the wind noise from the rack. However if everything is buttoned up tight (including the screen/cover) you should hear very little wind noise, even at highway speeds.

 

Is that an additional item? My FR rack didn't include the deflector and I also get noise in crosswinds.