Front Runner Slimline II Truck Bed Platform Rack - 53-1/2" Long x 56-1/8" Wide

Video Transcript for Front Runner Platform Rack Roof Manufacturer Discussion

Hi everyone, Aiden here with etrailer. Today, we've got Tony from Front Runner here with us and we're gonna check out some of their rooftop accessories and their roof platforms. Tony, how you doing Yeah, good. Nice to see you, Aiden. So right off the bat, I wanna know who is Front Runner for someone that doesn't know or isn't aware, what do you guys do and what makes you guys different Yeah, cool. Thanks for having us out here at etrailer.

Excited to be here with the team, doing some training, but yeah, Front Runner, you know, we forged the company in 1999, we're based out of Johannesburg, South Africa. We have our own production facility, so we do everything in house. So, you know, the product is coming from South Africa, it's tested in those harsh environments. And then we headquarter the USA up in Los Angeles where we have our warehouses and we also have another distribution on the East coast in Jacksonville. And yeah, we make high quality roof rack systems for your, all your adventure vehicles for anything that's got 44, four-wheel drive.

And so we stick to those vehicles. And the four-runner's actually our best seller in the United States. Yeah. Yeah. So we've got my videographer's, John's four-runner today and he's had this front runner platform on for couple of months now.

Tony Yeah. Aiden I've been very impressed with it, but we've also installed other platforms on other four-runners, other vehicles. Tony Sure. The main one recently has been ARB, but what makes Front Runner different in that aspect I think- Sure. Both ARB and Front Runner are so similar in a lot of ways, but, you know, I've got my own opinions on that, but I want to know what makes this option from Front Runner.

Yeah. Unique. That's great segue, but yeah, we're unique because our rack is extremely modular, so the side profile, the front combined slat, the slats throughout could all be removed, replaced. If there's any damage to the rack, we can replace that one part and get your customer back out on the road, lifetime warranty. It's also broken down. We ship them flat packed and then you assemble them on the fly where I think the ARB base rack is fully welded, so you're getting hit with a little extra shipping fee, but yeah, limited lifetime warranty. Our foot rails actually have cutouts in them for table slides. So we have a prep table slide kit that'll slide in here and pro table slide kit that'll slide in the back. So we actually set ourselves apart because we utilize the foot rail as a way to mount more accessories underneath the tray, leaves your platform up on top open for ski bike, kayak, tents, awnings, recovery boards. Yeah. What have you. The list goes on and on. Yeah, that's the thing I was most impressed by and what really clicked for me during the training we did yesterday, is that modularity is great because if something does become damaged, you can replace just that one piece. That initial convenience of coming together fully assembled is nice for the initial install, but, I mean, once it's on, it's on. And I'm a big DIY person. I like the option to customize this a bit more and be able to repair things if I need to. Yeah, it's really nice for the consumer. They have a little bit of peace of mind there that we can get them back out on the road and looking good if they do get into a fight with a car wash. The other thing I want to touch on is our trays take Burley hardware. So we use M8 hardware throughout all of our platforms where our competitors are really M6, some guys use an M4. And when you're out on the trail, you're four-wheeling, you're over landing, for me, I want the Burley hardware. Yeah. I want the beefy stuff that's gonna last over time and M8's the way to go. Absolutely. Now for me, I think of these roof platform as kind of like a blank canvas. You can put so much onto them. And for me that's, I think half the appeal is the ability to just deck this out however I need for my adventures. And one of the ways you do that is all the accessories you guys make and- Sure. I mean that was just super impressive to me, so I'd love to hear about just a little bit more about them and you know- Yeah. Your design process with those. Yeah, I mean, once you're in the rack, we do see healthy repeat business from our consumer just 'cause we have such an awesome line of accessories. We say 55 plus, but I'm pretty sure we're over 80 top quality accessories. So really nice mounting mechanisms, quick release features- Yeah. Get your awning and the tent off with quick release adapters. I got a couple accessories here. These are two really of our best selling accessories. There's actually a third inside, but we'll talk about the Wolf Pack Pro first. So this is an outstanding box at a killer price point. Aiden Yeah. Tony The consumer can can afford this and maybe buy multiple, and then we have different attachment mechanisms for up on the tray. Aiden Yeah. Or you can just throw these in the back of the truck, you know. I keep all my recovery gear in one with an air compressor and then, you know, I give the wife one and she puts all of her camp kitchen stuff in there, spices, olive oils, you know, so we eat well, right Right. But outstanding box, great price point like I said. The box also has a rated gasket around the interior. It's not fully waterproof, we like to say water resistant. Aiden Sure. Tony But extremely strong box. We also offer a taller lid, a high lid if you do want a little more real state inside the box, but yeah, glass reinforced nylon latches that'll stand the test of time. Aiden Yeah. Tony And then inside I have our flat pack. So, let's say you have camera gear, you know, and you want to protect it a little more or a drone. Yeah. Or again, just camp kitchen stuff, spices and whatnot, and you want it in a smaller, easier bin, this one fully packs away and reclines, but these two, these two boxes work hand in hand in conjunction with one another. Yeah. If you want, so. Yeah. And the thing I loved about the Wolf Pack when I shot the video for it was those mounting brackets for the roof, I mean, those we're just next level to me because with those, I mean, you get the ability to have it on the roof hard mounted and you can just trust that it's up there, I mean, that to me was great because it clears up space in the vehicle. Yeah. And- Sure. It's just a dedicated bin. Sure you can find a bin really anywhere. I've got plenty of that up my own camping stuff, but it just gets thrown in the back and it takes up space. So if I can get it up top, that's- Yeah. The next best thing. I mean, I'm changing up my rack basically as the seasons change. Yeah. I'm in Colorado and, you know, now the tent's off, the awning's off and it's time to do some skiing and boarding. So ski carriers going up, I'll leave the recovery boards up there. Yeah. And then, yeah, couple Wolf Pack boxes, and that's usually my winter setup. And then when springtime comes around, it's tents and awnings again, and so that's the cool thing about our trays and our accessories, it's quick, it's easy, it's enjoyable. And we're trying to make that experience just awesome for the consumer. Absolutely. Yeah. Another product here that we'll just run through is our camping chair. This is our Expander chair, great chair, comfortable. You know, the big boys can get in here too. Aiden Yeah. Tony No problem with the load rating. And it's unique because of how it folds down. Again, a comfy chair, you can sit up and work at your PC. Aiden Yeah. Tony You know, you can eat a, a nice meal from it, you're not too relaxed. Aiden Right. Tony Right. But this is the feature, the selling feature is this how easy and how compact this chair turns into. Yeah. And we do offer really nice chair bags, we have a double chair bag, single chair bag that work conjunction. These usually just pack away inside the vehicle. But for guys that are limited on space, like your Jeep guys, these chairs are outstanding. Yeah, I mean, and it's nice that you don't need the rack for it, you know. For me, I don't have a Front Runner rack on my own personal vehicle, but this would be great for my camping setup because I drive a little Ford Maverick, it's a small truck and space is limited in there. For sure, perfect example. I like a more upright chair too, so this would be, this is probably gonna be something I get in the near future here. Let me know. I think I know a guy that can get you a deal. That'd be great. Well, Tony, thank you so much for taking the time to be here with us today. It's been a pleasure having you down for training and getting to learn a little bit more about this stuff directly from you guys. For anyone at home looking to get a Front Runner rack for their vehicle, whether it be for a truck bed application or the roof, you can use our fit guide here at etrailer to find the right kit for you. But again, Tony, thank you so much for your time. Yeah, it's been outstanding. Just spending time with the team here, training up, customer service, and the content teams. Good couple days. Always awesome to see the etrailer guys and the team here. So thanks for having me, man. Absolutely. Cool. Thanks for watching.