Advice - Soft top in Colorado/Utah in Winter

[amint17]

Looking for some advice from people experienced with winters out west. I'm doing a three month road-trip skiing across Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado starting in January. I have a premium soft top on my JL Unlimited Sport. I'm mostly staying places where I will have indoor parking but some days will park the car outside and will be driving between states/mountains regularly.

Do people think the soft top is a bad idea or will I be ok. I'm not really worried about being cold but more about windows cracking or the wind making things dangerous. I don't want to spend the money on a hard top but will if I have to.

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[Brenden]

I owned a rather inexpensive aftermarket soft top on a 93 bronco and drove 70 mph on days well below 0 degrees in Minnesota. It sat outside 24/7. Snow, sleet, ice (literal layer of thick ice), light hail. For 2 years straight. No problems.

The jl soft top has to be light years ahead of Jeff's bronco grave yard soft top. I wouldn't worry about it. I ordered premium soft top JLUR and am not worried a bit.

 

[flharleycop]

I live in Colorado near Wyoming the top will be fine in the winter. I wouldn’t mess with the windows much until the heater has the cab warmed up when it is below freezing but that is just me. As far as wind in Northern Colorado and Wyoming we get some serious wind in the winter. 45 is nothing so your top will make some noise. I put a strap on mine when its crazy windy as I have had it raise up from the sides and I thought I was going to have it fly off. Just keep a strap with you in case you get some crazy wind. If you are staying off the 70 corridor you probably won’t get the Wyoming winds.

 

[sf5211]

I’ve seen people post on here from Michigan, Wisconsin, the Dakota,s etc. that have soft tops all year and say the soft top is ok. Those folks laugh at our winters.
I live in NYC and have decided that if the Sky One Touch doesn’t pan out or they discontinue it should I purchase a future Jeep, I’m going soft top the whole year.

 

[Ohio Hiker]

Yep, you'll be OK. Back in the mid 80s I was stationed in Plattsburgh NY and a guy who I worked with had a CJ and year round all he had was a bikini top. Not ideal but that's what he had. I remember going on a skiing day with guys from our shop and I rode with him it was really cold but I had my military issue parka to stay as warm as I could.

 

[amint17]

I live in Colorado near Wyoming the top will be fine in the winter. I wouldn’t mess with the windows much until the heater has the cab warmed up when it is below freezing but that is just me. As far as wind in Northern Colorado and Wyoming we get some serious wind in the winter. 45 is nothing so your top will make some noise. I put a strap on mine when its crazy windy as I have had it raise up from the sides and I thought I was going to have it fly off. Just keep a strap with you in case you get some crazy wind. If you are staying off the 70 corridor you probably won’t get the Wyoming winds.

Thanks - I already had a window fly off driving about 80 down I95 - never thought about a strap and I'll look into that. Thanks!

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