Better quality rock rails with grip top for light off-roading

Hello all, first post here.
I've owned a 1996 4Runner and absolutely loved it.
Looking to get one for the wife next year and have decided on the TRD
Off Road Premium version. It'd be nice to do a little light off roading
once in a while, nothing too hairy though.
I'd like to put rock rails on it "just in case" and have 2 basic questions:
- I assume you can do better quality wise, over the Toyota rock rails
- What is grip top; is it like truck bed liner that's bonded to the entire top surface
of the step part; does it wear out, separate, etc; does it really add functionality
over bare powder coated steel?

Thank you all.

 

OEM are very light compared to aftermarket. I have RSG which uses powder coating and a grip top plate which I like. When wet I find it provides traction for shoes. I use mine to climb on roof rack.

I think any powder coating or truck bed liners are going to age and get dings requiring maintenance. One call out on the grip top plate is it has the potential to rust. I really like these sliders.

https://trail4runner.com/2020/08/26/rsg-grip-top-rock-slider-review-5th-gen-4runner/

 

From what I seen of the oem rock rails is they are light duty. Which may work for you depending on your use. The oem ones are pretty cheap as well.

But there's a ton of companies that offer heavy duty ones.

If your going to use bedliner, raptor liner is the best on the market.

 

Go with aftermarket. I have the Cali and love them. My wife is short and she can still use them to get in. I also bought the cali catalytic converter covers. The rails are painted. Cali actually said painted is way better because if you hit a rock you can touch it up with black spray paint - with the powder coated they have to be re-powder coated.
Rock Sliders – Cali Raised LED

 

The term “grip top” can mean different things depending on the company. It always means something that increases traction, of course. I think some companies use a textured coating as you suggest, but for many it’s a detail in the metal stamping.

On the left, an RSG slider with a smooth top, and on the right the same slider with a grip top.

 

I have the ones on the right. Great sliders. I found out years ago with a Shrockworks front bumper that black powder coat can be touched up quite well with textured bumper paint. I had one of my RSG sliders go AWOL with FedEx Ground on the way from Colorado, and it had a slight ding on one corner. Touched it up with said bumper paint, you'd never know.

 

If you offroad, rock rails should be painted not powdercoated. Black spray paint is cheap and easy to touch up. chipped powder coating is not.

 

I just found it funny that these were in successive posts. :-D

 

you can spray a little spot. but, once you start scraping powder coating, water can get in behind it. with spray paint, you just take a wire wheel to the rock rash. then touch it up with spray paint.