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Wightmn

Member
Joined
February 14, 2011
Messages
18
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0
City, State
Olathe
Year, Model & Trim Level
04 XLT, 11 XLT on order
Hello All. New to the board. Long time Ford Fan. 6 Explorers in the family since 93 with a couple of Mustangs and a Cobra thrown in for good measure.

So, the Missus has had her 04 since new. It's been a great truck. We go drive the 2011 and she really liked it in Kona blue. It's now on order and the first thing she says is, "It will come with running boards won't it?" Oooops.

I do some research and it doesn't look like Ford has a factory option for them. Not much in the aftermarket either. Anybody have suggestions? Am hoping when they get to be more common, there will be some aftermarket options. Have also been a fan of WeatherTech, but they don't have mats for the 2011 yet.

BTW, was suprised at what the dealer offered for our 04. It's in imaculate condition with 50,000 miles. Not a scratch and paint looks great. Loaded, the dealer would only offer $9k. Found a private sale for better, but will lose out on the trade difference in taxes. Guess a v8 and rising oil prices are having an effect.

Thanks and have a good one.
 



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You really shouldn't need running boards on the new one. While the new Explorers look high, they are actually a little lower than the previous ones at the kick plates anyway. I would suggest she try to get into one at the dealership without them before I start bolting them on the side.
 






I have to boost my 4 year old into the backseat of my 11'. I had running boards on my 04' Avalanche and she could get in herself. The way the door on the Explorer comes down, it'd be near impossible to put a running board on it & still have ground clearance.
 






V8

any talk of an optional V8 yet or is there one available?
 












The way the door on the Explorer comes down, it'd be near impossible to put a running board on it & still have ground clearance.

This. The doors come down so much lower than it seems. That accent strip at the bottom of the doors is really just an extension of the door. Looks pretty bizarre until you get used to it. I kept kicking it when I got out of it at first.
 






I noticed this too. The doors just seem huge (tall) and being new, the middle rest position (notch?) really grabs the door so you have to put a little extra zing in your closing-the-door motion. I wouldn't say heavy is the right word, they're definitely not light though. My old 96 Ranger might as well not even have a middle position. If it's still there, I can't tell, lol.
 












Found some running boards for the Ex on Ebay, with an installed pic, anyone else seen these.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2011...ccessories&hash=item588cc7691f#ht_2551wt_1165
They look very nice but I'm thinking that they would also likely rub off any dirt, mud or snow on the person's pant legs when getting out of the vehicle. The door, if it is anything like the ones on my Highlander, cover a good portion of the lower vehicle body thereby keeping that area clean.
 






I like them. These would help my 4 yar old daughter get in and out of the Ex easier. I wonde where they attach at though...
 






Do they hang down below the current bottom molding? This vehicle isn't super endowed with ground clearance to begin with...I wouldn't want to take away any more.
 






Yeah, I wont be doing much off roading in my Ex, its only FWD and a family vehicle for the extra row, so I think it would be great for those of us putting small children in a vehicle, looks like they only had 2 in stock on Ebay though, hopefully Ford will make their own sometime too.
 






So is anyone gonna give these a try? $349 doesn't sound like a terrible price. I'm considering these because it will definitely benefit my 4 year old getting in and out. My Explorer won't be here for another couple weeks, so I've got some time to make a decision.
 






Do you think adding the running boards will fool folks like Thaywood into thinking it is "really a truck" and not one of those pansy unibody wrong-mounted engine F/AWD mall carwlers? :)
 






This is something that Ford should of developed as a accessory. It just give the vehicle a more SUV look.
 






Do they hang down below the current bottom molding? This vehicle isn't super endowed with ground clearance to begin with...I wouldn't want to take away any more.

+1. The ground clearance with running boards would be ridiculously short. I wouldn't be surprised if you scraped over larger speed bumps with those things...
 






What's the ground clearance with the running boards?
 






Running Boards for 2011 Ex

My wife, being petite, asked if it was going to be a problem for her to get in and out.

I frankly didn't know. I'm 6'2" and like a guy, didn't think of it.

I don't see running boards in any pictures of the new ex, so I'll safely assume they're not included. After an exhaustive search, I found the following website.


http://www.ronusa.com/blog/2011-ford-explorer-running-boards-its-now-available-and-in-stock/


They're the only ones I came across with boards for the 2011 and Up. They want ~$350, but the pictures make it look great, check it out.

Hmmm, $350....wife tumbling out of the car while getting in.....or $350. So many decisions. She's worth it. :p:

If anyone else has other leads, feel free to post them, I'm shopping!
 






They're the only ones I came across with boards for the 2011 and Up. They want ~$350, but the pictures make it look great, check it out.

Hmmm, $350....wife tumbling out of the car while getting in.....or $350. So many decisions. She's worth it. :p:

They do look nice!!!

Keep her happy, especially if she is paying for half of the Ex!:D
 



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I ordered a pair from there yesterday. I can't have my wife sliding her butt across the edge of my leather seat all the time and prematurely wearing it out. I should have them by the end of the week, I'll post pics after I get them installed.
 






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