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Someone talk me out of going with the Sky One-Touch roof..

Jhawth

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Personally I would go hard top or soft top, the SOT just looks funky to me when you try to get it "naked". With that being said, if you aren't able to remove your hard top by yourself then it's rarely ever going to happen, and while removing the freedom panels does open things up it doesn't compare to being completely top less.

I'd like to get a soft top just so it's more convenient to go "top less" but with my 3.5" lift and 37s I don't think I'd be able to fit in the garage anymore.
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dennis2society

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I've had my SOT for 11 months and love it. Had a JL hardtop before then - loved that too but rarely opened the roof b/c of PITA factor...

Shared similar opinions on this thread - might be helpful for you https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...-sunrider-4-hardtop.86445/page-2#post-1803075

Good -
1. More frequent top-down driving: Opening SOT is is first thing i do not raining and above 55 degrees. I basically drive topless 100x more than I did when I had the hardtop.

2. No leaks at all. Even after a year of rain and snowstorms. I park outdoors.
. Even after snowstorms. Pic below -
Jeep Wrangler JL Someone talk me out of going with the Sky One-Touch roof.. 1652291193168


3, Reiterate #1. I am in my jeep right now and basically sitting outside. Took 1 finger and 20 seconds. Amazing.


Bad -
1. A new light ticking sound above front passenger . Happens on highways sometimes.. Some forum members say I can fix with some foam tape - my next project...

2. I bit louder than hardtop at lower speeds. When driving 75-85mph, both sound equally loud IMO.

3. 2. Had some issues with grab handles but DIYed with some bungee cords., Pic below.
Jeep Wrangler JL Someone talk me out of going with the Sky One-Touch roof.. 1652291212938



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MRH512

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I used to have a hard top JK and a soft top JL and thought the SOT was just an overpriced gimmick.

Now that I have one on my current JL, it's the best of both worlds. Looks much nicer than the standard hard top, and feels like a soft top when opened. Plus the rear side windows pop out. Only downside is there aren't any overhead grab handles that will work with the SOT.

Overall, I highly recommend it!
FYI, I got these grab handles to work in the front, <https://gpca.com/shop/gp-grip-lite-universal-handles/>.

Still struggling to get them installed in the rear, though.
 

dennis2society

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I feel like the people claiming that have never tried to open and close a Sunrider while driving 40 mph
I had a sun rider for a 1 year before getting SOT.
closing at 40mph is impossible or if possible, just dumb.
I could do 20 comfortably. 30 felt like the whole sunrider was gonna rip off.
 

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Marine2146

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My current JLURD we went back and forth on if we wanted the SOT or color matched hard top, ended up getting the hard top. We were planing on adding a pioneer rack with backbone mounts, so far still no rack lol.
Ended up getting a Bestop sunrider, It works great and is super fast and easy to use less than five seconds.
I first got a premium soft top, while the top is still easy to use it requires you to be out of the jeep to flip the top back. Also I really missed the convenience of opening the rear glass vs undoing the rear soft window.
The 392 I have on order we opted to get the sky one touch for the ease of use. The rear quarter windows coming out will be a plus for the dogs. If your worried about insulation and sound you can get the hot head headliners for the SOT. As far as I know there is not yet a insulated solution for the sunrider. Youā€™ll probably want insulation living in SoCal lol. Mine lets in a lot of heat and sound at high speeds. You can remove the SOT completely if you really want to, as long as you take your time aligning it. Thatā€™s all they do at the factory anyway as itā€™s moving down the line. Nothing special or difficult about it.
As far as racks go, if you want to haul alot of weight up there get the hardtop with a proper supportive base. If you want to haul something light go with the SOT with gutter mount cross bars. Just incase you see hauling something up there.
 

NewJLU2019

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Here you go: Tieri Paracord Innovations
Available in whatever color combinations you want. They have lots of other clever stuff too.
Jeep Wrangler JL Someone talk me out of going with the Sky One-Touch roof.. 1652291212938
I looked at those but just the thought of only little screw holding those and being really pulled on hard made me back off.
 

NewJLU2019

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Amazon had the JK Mopar handles not sure they still do. I use them on my Rubi too.

20210614_221716.jpg
 

JLUandCJ-7

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Here's my take-

If it's just front seat passengers, a hardtop with the sunrider for hardtop is going to be just as impactful. Sitting in the front, your peripheral top view is blocked by the sound bar. It doesn't matter if you have the skytouch all the way back, you'll only be spatially aware of what is over your head, even if the side panels are out. When you look in the rear view you'll still see glass.

I have dual tops, and I used to have the sunrider for hardtop. I just gave the sunrider up due to the hot ass summers in SC causing cooling issues. I usually have the hardtop on in the dog days of summer so I can keep the cab cool. It's softop the rest of the time.

The most enjoyment comes when I have the softop on, giving the full experience of no top, no sides, and no back. Still my peripheral is blocked by the soundbar, but the unsolicited comments, even at traffic lights, usually come when the softop is fully down because it is quintessential Jeep at that point.

I passed on the skytouch and have never regretted it. Hope this helps explain why.
 

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NewJLU2019

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Personally I would go hard top or soft top, the SOT just looks funky to me when you try to get it "naked". With that being said, if you aren't able to remove your hard top by yourself then it's rarely ever going to happen, and while removing the freedom panels does open things up it doesn't compare to being completely top less.

I'd like to get a soft top just so it's more convenient to go "top less" but with my 3.5" lift and 37s I don't think I'd be able to fit in the garage anymore.
Fully agree with how it looks. I still use ours (When wife says so)but nothing compares with open Jeep. Get you a TPL and easy off and store.

20210517_125728.jpg


TPL.jpg
 

BXFXJeep

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I live in Toronto, I use the SOT everyday once it is not raining or snowing, I use it in -10C temps, get the Cold Weather package.

Use 303 fabric guard to make the water bead, then it's easy to wipe off when the rain stops, if you want to open it.

In the past I thought the Sunrider for hard top was the best money I ever spent, but this SOT is by far the most useful option and it's money well spent for me.
 

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I had never considered buying a Wrangler until 4th of July weekend in 2021 when a friend came to a party in his new 4xe with the SOT. I had no idea that Jeep made an automatic top and a PHEV as well! Needless to say, I ordered my own 4xe with a SOT by the end of July. So had my brother-in-law once I told him. And then my Dad after I told him.

Without a doubt, the SOT is the best features of my Jeep and I wouldnā€™t buy another one without it. I live in Southern Indiana and we can easily experience all 4 seasons in a day several months of the year. It was awesome to be able to open the top when we hit a 70 degree day in February and I could see the jealousy on the faces of those with hard tops as I passed them that day. Heck, itā€™s 80 most days here now and I still see tons of Wranglers with their hard tops on/closed and when Iā€™ve asked people they say itā€™s just too much of a hassle to open them or take them off.

I know a lot of people donā€™t like theā€¦ um, uniqueā€¦ look of the Jeep with the SOT open, doors off, and the rear quarter panels removed, but I get TONS of comments from people on it because itā€™s different and most people have no clue the SOT existed.

In the end, I realize itā€™s not for everyone. The choice of top and Jeep color are the two most intimate decisions youā€™ll need to make as an owner, and everyone is entitled to whatā€˜s right for them. Iā€™m thankful that Jeep made the SOT (and the 4xe as well), because theyā€™ve made a lifelong customer with those options.
 

BXFXJeep

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I have had the one-touch power top for three years with no issues and i operate it almost daily. It is very reliable and i have zero complaints. Nothing negative to say other than there are lots of moving parts, so if it would fail it likely would likely be spectacular and expensive to repair.

I love it so much i added it to my new 2022 JKRU-XR order.

One thing to consider is that the SOT can be removed and replaced with a regular HT or ST or whatever if it ever fails and is not repairable, unlike the Liberty I'm guessing, it was part of the body and not removeable.

I also see ppl removing and selling the SOT for dirt cheap because they do not like it(does not work with roof racks etc), so that is another option.
 

BXFXJeep

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SOT tops seem great!!!

My doors and hard-top are only off for weekends and wheeling. I work in a rough area, in a government building, and I am not an LEO. I carry whenever it is legal to do so. I tossed around the idea of an SOT a ton, but in the end, I couldnā€™t let go of the fact that someone could have easy access into the vehicle with a simple pocket knife. I know that windows can be broken, and if somebody wants something bad enough safes arenā€™t even safe. However, Iā€™d rather have the noise and commotion cause by a window break, than the stealthy slice of some canvas.

Sucks to think that thieves impacted my decision, but Iā€™ve seen and heard of too many thefts from convertibles/Jeeps.

I think it might be harder to get in thru the SOT than it is for thieves to break the glass.

The gaps in the SOT are very small, not like the Soft top, I can see an "unauthorized person" getting tangled in the SOT.
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