One of the benefits of buying a Jeep is its massive aftermarket support. Well, if you’re a Jeep Gladiator owner, you might have been surprised to discover that not a ton of components have been made available for Gladiator yet. This despite the truck having been on sale since 2019.
Finally, Front Runner Outfitters has put together a collection of racks specifically for the Gladiator — both rooftop and over-bed racks. They are called the ‘Extreme Roof Rack Kit’ and the ’Load Bed Rack Kit.’
What’s interesting about the Extreme Roof Rack Kit is that it has no traditional mounts at the front of the rack. The only in-roof supports are in the rear portion of the Jeep’s hard-top. The front portion is supported off the vehicle’s cowl, which connects to the rack with large exoskeleton-style bars.
Front Runner Outfitters’ Jeep Gladiator JT Extreme Roof Rack Kit
This mounting style allows owners to remove the Gladiator’s front Freedom Panels. This is great because other Gladiator roof racks completely prevent removal of any roof components once its installed.
The only downside is that the rear roof panels have to be drilled to install the Extreme Roof Rack Kit. However, this isn’t the only Wrangler/Gladiator kit that asks owners to drill their roofs. So, in the grand scheme of things, it’s not wholly unreasonable. Plus, it’s not such a terrible trade off for retaining the ability to remove the Freedom Panels — one of the features that makes the Gladiator so neat to begin with.
Front Runner Outfitters’ Jeep Gladiator JT Load Bed Rack Kit
The Load Bed Rack Kit mounts to the Gladiator’s Trail Rail system — an optional extra that lines three sides of the Gladiator’s bed. If your truck wasn’t optioned with the Trail Rails from the factory, be sure to pick up a set from your Jeep dealer before trying to install the Load Bed Rack Kit. You won’t get far without it.
The Load Bed Rack Kit retails for $825 on the Front Runner Outfitters website. And the Extreme Roof Rack Kit is priced at $1,259. Both are on sale now.
Header image credit: Front Runner Outfitters
