I'd assume the front crash bar/intrusion beam needs to be easily accessible since the front bumper is modular. Removing the side sections of the bummer and leaving the beams would look ridiculous and be totally pointless function-wise.
I use a 2x6 that I cut hand holds into. It slides in the slots in the bed. You will have to cut two small blocks to double up the thickness. I had mine sprayed by the guys who did my bed liner (they offered to do it for free, but I gave the guy in the shop $20).
I just wanted to weigh in here as an X-Bull user.
I bought a set of these boards a little less than a year ago and have had them with me on about 15 beach excursions. We've used them to recover anything from small cross-over SUVs to full size heavy duty diesel trucks (250/2500 and 350/3500...
I contacted Front Runner about using the Truxedo Elevate rails for their bed rack/load bar setup. They confirmed it will work. I didn't get into weight/load ratings with them as it's hard to get a straight answer when dealing with products from two different companies. That's not either the...
This was my EXACT reaction to driving a ZR2 and why I ultimately didn't buy one and went with the Ranger.
I didn't find the interior on the ZR2 to be way worse than the Ranger. The Ranger has hard plastics (so does the ZR2), old Sync 3, and carryover items from Fords that are a decade or more...
We get out on the beach A LOT -- specifically the Outer Banks of NC. Just spent five days in a house in Corolla, NC. Here are a couple pics of the truck this past week. The pictures with our youngest son and the drive side have some posts in the background. Those are the state line between...
We were out the prior Sunday with our Magnetic, too. We ended up spending time on the beach with the kids and exploring the neighborhood all the way up to the border. Great day.
Where in NC are you? We end up down in the OBX at least once a month, if not more.
I'm nearly positive based on what I've read and the images I've seen that there are no wires. The keypad is completely wireless. There are images here of the guy who removed it from the door and put it on the fuel door.