Sponsored

Bestop negative experience?

jdthird

Well-Known Member
First Name
John
Joined
Oct 8, 2018
Threads
4
Messages
50
Reaction score
19
Location
Wisconsin
Vehicle(s)
2021 JL Willys
So I finally had decided to get the Bestop Trektop NX in twill. It arrived with a broken part, they had to replace.

When I got it on, found that like many other have found, the rear seal for the tailgate / window was just totally baffling, since there's a large gap there. Known issue apparently, and a month and a half later they still haven't managed to get me a replacement, and I also have had issues with "blowout" over the bow above the passenger area, not the one on the very back, but the one over the rear seat. Anytime I'm over 35 MPH the ends "blow out" from the air flow forcing the top to move around. Their engineers asked for specific photos of my install and confirmed that yes, it's installed correctly.

Photos of how it SHOULD look (and does when the top is first opened) and how it DOES look when the wind just from having the top opened up (as it's designed) and driving 35 MPH...

So after no solution for the leaking rear, no solution for the bad design of the top, I've got the green light to do an RMA, but they're going to make ME pay to return the product that has been nothing but an utter fail since the day I received it...

I'm also disgusted with the fact that if you write a bad review of a product on their website, they just get rid of it, and won't allow it. No wonder anyone like myself, looking at the website, thinks, "Gee, nothing but 5 star reviews, they ought to be trustworthy." Hardly...

Clearly I'll never spend another penny there again, but has anyone else had this kind of a problem with them?

John

20190510_163108255_iOS.jpg


20190519_213302952_iOS.jpg
Sponsored

 

COSJL

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2018
Threads
2
Messages
229
Reaction score
152
Location
Colorado Springs
Vehicle(s)
2015 WK2, 2019 JLR?
If they don't allow negative reviews from actual customers, that is a definite red flag. Thanks for the warning. I did not have any issues with my order, but it was just floor liners.
 

Command Line RC

Well-Known Member
First Name
Brian
Joined
Mar 10, 2018
Threads
20
Messages
419
Reaction score
398
Location
Cleveland OH
Vehicle(s)
2018 Jeep JL Wrangler Unlimited
Vehicle Showcase
1
Interesting. I installed mine on Sunday and it went flawless. Can you take more pictures of what broke?
 
OP
OP
jdthird

jdthird

Well-Known Member
First Name
John
Joined
Oct 8, 2018
Threads
4
Messages
50
Reaction score
19
Location
Wisconsin
Vehicle(s)
2021 JL Willys
I know, that fact reminded me of all the fake Chinese products on Amazon and all the faked or paid reviews that make them look so good...

Too bad since I liked the top, LOVED the fastback look, I was finally a unique Jeep in my area with that. But there's better places to spend my money.

Just bought a tonneau cover for the rear cargo area, and a full sunshade... With the winch in the garage, it's not that difficult to just put the hard top on or off depending on weather...
 
OP
OP
jdthird

jdthird

Well-Known Member
First Name
John
Joined
Oct 8, 2018
Threads
4
Messages
50
Reaction score
19
Location
Wisconsin
Vehicle(s)
2021 JL Willys
Interesting. I installed mine on Sunday and it went flawless. Can you take more pictures of what broke?
Nothing broke. Their engineers confirmed everything was fine. But there's just too much "loose" top when it's folded back and nothing holding it in place. So those spots where the bow is above the passenger seat, where the velcro can't go all the way to the edge, is where the air can force itself out again and so it lifts and deforms everything back there.

I can even go back there when I fold the top, and gently tug and lift all that back area up...

So either a bad design or a defect in my particular top, either way what's happening with support is just unacceptable. Especially since I've been almost 6 weeks now and STILL they haven't done anything for the gap in the back, limiting my driving to dry weather only...
 

Sponsored

5c0073r

Well-Known Member
First Name
Scott
Joined
May 24, 2019
Threads
5
Messages
54
Reaction score
108
Location
Macomb
Vehicle(s)
2019 Rubicon
Sorry for your troubles but thank you for saving me $1,300
 
OP
OP
jdthird

jdthird

Well-Known Member
First Name
John
Joined
Oct 8, 2018
Threads
4
Messages
50
Reaction score
19
Location
Wisconsin
Vehicle(s)
2021 JL Willys
Wouldn't have minded the trouble had they actually been able to resolve the issues... Not just say, "We can't duplicate it." Maybe send out different parts in case something they couldn't see well from photos was damaged, deformed, just slightly bent so I couldn't notice it, etc... But even then, if they didn't make me foot the return postage I wouldn't have been nearly as disappointed with the poor experience... Some people have had good experiences, so just a shame that it seems to be such a random thing with Bestop... Flip a coin, know beforehand if you'll be happy or not? I'd rather play some craps in Vegas than do this gamble...
 

FitBliss

Well-Known Member
First Name
Gabriel
Joined
May 31, 2019
Threads
3
Messages
261
Reaction score
459
Location
MN
Vehicle(s)
2019 Jeep Wrangler Limited Rubicon
Vehicle Showcase
1
I been hearing allot of negative feedback about the tops and I have to admit I would have loved one! They just charge so much for the OEM soft top that I can never imagine in a place like MN with really only two months of the year spending over 2,200 on a soft top! But then I hear about the horror stories of this company and their soft tops and i feel like that OEM price isn't that bad.
 
OP
OP
jdthird

jdthird

Well-Known Member
First Name
John
Joined
Oct 8, 2018
Threads
4
Messages
50
Reaction score
19
Location
Wisconsin
Vehicle(s)
2021 JL Willys
Except they apparently make the OEM top as well. The only good thing there is you can deal with the dealer for issues rather than them. But I'm with you, I live in Wisconsin, so we don't have a lot of time it's usable either... So it'll just be the sunshade or hardtop for me. I'll upgrade my winch in the garage to have a motor rather than the crank since now I'll be using it more than just once in spring to remove it, and once in fall to put it back...

Considering how prolific Wranglers are, I can't believe there's so few options for soft tops....
 

mwilk012

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2018
Threads
14
Messages
8,926
Reaction score
8,759
Location
Oklahoma
Vehicle(s)
2018 Ocean Blue JLU Rubicon
Occupation
Service
I been hearing allot of negative feedback about the tops and I have to admit I would have loved one! They just charge so much for the OEM soft top that I can never imagine in a place like MN with really only two months of the year spending over 2,200 on a soft top! But then I hear about the horror stories of this company and their soft tops and i feel like that OEM price isn't that bad.
“This company” makes the OEM soft top.
 

Sponsored

FitBliss

Well-Known Member
First Name
Gabriel
Joined
May 31, 2019
Threads
3
Messages
261
Reaction score
459
Location
MN
Vehicle(s)
2019 Jeep Wrangler Limited Rubicon
Vehicle Showcase
1
I am aware of the besttop OEM top, I was just referencing how the mopar top, has been the gold standard since its release, people love it! Great installs, reviews etc. But the besttop products have been getting terrible reviews for awhile now in every model. The Mopar soft top OEM is extremely expensive and been very illusive for most 2018 JL's unless the dealer equipped them through the dual top option. My cousin got his JL right when they hit the floor and he has been waiting for a possible alternative soft top, so we have been researching allot of the soft tops instead of waiting for the Mopar one and paying an arm and a leg. But we watched a video on the oem mopar top and it seems worth every penny, especially when you see the horror stories.

55ACCBD9-0C77-4E9C-83DD-58E01F25CA84.jpg
 
OP
OP
jdthird

jdthird

Well-Known Member
First Name
John
Joined
Oct 8, 2018
Threads
4
Messages
50
Reaction score
19
Location
Wisconsin
Vehicle(s)
2021 JL Willys
Been some horror stories about the OEM tops too though, especially for people with holes and wear from where the fabric rubs the metal frame, some people had good experiences getting it replaced, some had bad, being told by their service departments, "Don't open and close it so much then." Just doesn't seem to be an ideal, consistently decent option out there...
 

FitBliss

Well-Known Member
First Name
Gabriel
Joined
May 31, 2019
Threads
3
Messages
261
Reaction score
459
Location
MN
Vehicle(s)
2019 Jeep Wrangler Limited Rubicon
Vehicle Showcase
1
Been some horror stories about the OEM tops too though, especially for people with holes and wear from where the fabric rubs the metal frame, some people had good experiences getting it replaced, some had bad, being told by their service departments, "Don't open and close it so much then." Just doesn't seem to be an ideal, consistently decent option out there...
Totally agree! I just think the market needs time, for them to work out the kinks! imagine the company that gets it right!! They are gonna make a killing!
 
OP
OP
jdthird

jdthird

Well-Known Member
First Name
John
Joined
Oct 8, 2018
Threads
4
Messages
50
Reaction score
19
Location
Wisconsin
Vehicle(s)
2021 JL Willys
Considering how long models hang around before a revamp (i.e. the longevity of the JK prior to the JL) do things like the tops improve and get adjusted / modified over those years? I've been a jeeper since '99 when I got my first WJ and started offroading, then even more when I got the '01 with Quadradrive and did more offroading. Only did a bit of mud with my '14 and '15 KL Cherokee limiteds, but this is my first wrangler despite being my fifth jeep, so I haven't paid much attention to wrangler parts the last 20 years...
 
OP
OP
jdthird

jdthird

Well-Known Member
First Name
John
Joined
Oct 8, 2018
Threads
4
Messages
50
Reaction score
19
Location
Wisconsin
Vehicle(s)
2021 JL Willys
If they don't allow negative reviews from actual customers, that is a definite red flag. Thanks for the warning. I did not have any issues with my order, but it was just floor liners.
Side question - were your instructions actually printed and bound in reverse order, so you had to start at the end of the little stapled print of the PDF and work backwards?
Sponsored

 
 



Top