Reviews: Smittybilt Defender Roof Racks

Love the look of the rack on my 2014 Jeep Unlimited. I was looking for a rack primarily to carry SUP's and surfboards. This rack is perfect for that. I wouldn't suggest it if you are looking to carry a lot of weight. Specs say 150lbs max. I mounted my Highlift jack to the rack and carry two SUP's daily to the lake - total weight on the rack is probably about 100 lbs. I haven't done any serious off-loading with the rack - most of my 4 wheeling is beach driving. However on the road and my light duty off roading the rack is very secure. I am very happy with this purchase. Also mounted 4 KC lights on the front and 2 utility lights on the back of this rack.

amazingly well built roof rack and for those with a jeep gladiator this rack fits perfectly on the back half of your roof allowing you to fully remove the freedom panels with no trouble...in fact i have a bestop sunrider installed and they look amazing together lining up perfectly! (super easy install by the way, i did it by myself in about 45 min)

Well built and installation was a breeze with 2 people

Install was straight forward. Directions were clear and easy to understand.

Fit’s perfect and looks fantastic on my 2021 Wrangler JL. Quality built and finish is fantastic easy to install with 2 people.

Fast shipping ordered Sunday received Wed. Just be aware it's shipped by semi. So have to be home to receive. Plus was there was no damage to the rack. It's a great quality roof rack. Easy install and removal ability without drilling holes in the top attracted me to this rack.

This rack seems really sturdy. I love how it looks on my Jeep. Except for 1 bolt needing to be ground and rethreaded, it was an easy install.

Great rack. Looks good and functions as intended. I prefer the flat rack design. Haven't strapped anything too it yet but I put it on my roof and jumped up and down a few times for good measure. No issues.

Ordered on 4WP website.Shipping was fast and no damage to it when received. That’s a plus in my book! Thank you 4WP! Will definitely use 4WP for future upgrades for my rig!

I wanted to add pictures of the first time I actually used the rack for camping.

The basket it self appears to be very sturdy. I am surprised that it is only rated for 150 LBS. In this day and age I wonder why they do not offer their instructions in color and on the website. The instructions are vague in the assembly and some of it was even wrong and I had to disassemble it to make it correct.

When I ordered the roof rack there was nothing else to help me purchase the correct bolts and or hardware. Where can I purchase them to attach it to my truck?

This is a very solid roof rack. Installation is fairly easy but be sure to cover your roof with blankets or you will scratch it during installation. It took 2 people to place into mounting area. I'm satisfied with the quality and look. Having said that - WIND NOISE!!! I'm not sure if I'll leave it on full time as when it's windy it's very loud and the wind really grabs it from the front & sides. This is something I did not consider when buying. That's on me & the nature of the rack beast.

Great value and well made. Makes squeaking noises from the pipe connections. Once I figure that out 5 stars

The roof rack is nice, but it's not completely straight. I'm not going to give it a bad review for this reason as there is a one piece available that I'm sure would avoid this problem & it's nice that they offer a bolt together option to save on freight. All in all, I think it's a great alternative to more expensive options out there for large roof racks. It seems well made. The wrinkle finish coating is nice, only time will tell how that holds up. Not sure if it's powedercoat or painted on. Given the limited options for 12ft roof racks, I would buy this one again.

This is a really good roof rack. Excellent value as compared to the other roll bar styled roof racks. Moderate effort to assemble. Instructions are OK. All hardware is supplied. Mounting points go on the frame making it feel secure. I gave it 4 stars because I had trouble figuring out a rear bumper solution. I have the JLU Sport with the plastic rear bumper. There doesn't seem to be a way to mount this combination without cutting out the bottom of the plastic bumper. If you have a JLU Sahara or Rubicon you have the luxury of removing the side pieces off the factory rear bumper so it fits without fabrication. Overall a really good roof rack.

Heavier than what the website said, shipping weight is 130 pounds, it also had a chip in the coating.

Roof rackgood quality I've had no wind noise at any speed of travel. In order for it to fit a yj with smittybilt roof rack. You will need to buy 4)1 7/8" u-bolt clamps to fasten to roof rack 2 frt. 2 rr. Has light mounts 4frt. 2rr. Sides you will need to buy bar clamps for lighting.

Great construction, only cons was not 100% clear on site about mounting brackets.