Bestop Sunrider with soft window?

[rcadden]

I know they don't make this today, but is there any reason that @Bestop couldn't offer a Sunrider where the middle is a clear soft window, like the ones on the side of the factory soft tops?

Would be like a true sunroof.

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[JP29]

A few issues I see with it:

- It wouldn't likely fold well because of the vinyl material.

- Same said vinyl would be at the same level of durability as the current side ones; a lot of folks consider them a consumable, replace them every few years.

- The material would likely be susceptible to damage under heavy snow or hail.

So I guess it would depend on how it was implemented but I don't see a realistic way to do it. They do make clearlidz for the hardtop that take the space of both freedom panels, I'd like to have something like that for winter time.

 

[jludave]

is there any reason that @Bestop couldn't offer a Sunrider where the middle is a clear soft window, like the ones on the side of the factory soft tops?

It’s not a terrible idea, however I don’t see it being a marketable one. The point of the Sunrider is to be able to flip it back and get sun anytime and then flip it closed when sun isn’t wanted. Having a clear window in the Sunrider defeats its general purpose/use case.

With a clear window in the top, how would you cover it to prevent sun when it isn’t wanted?

Also, the issues mentioned above are credible. The soft top windows are easily damaged. I leave my Sunrider on year round and can’t imagine a material like that holding up long term as my roof.

 

[csjlu]

Direct hot sun on vinyl. Scratches. Diminished translucency over time. Difficult to get up there to clean. These may be just a few things stopping them. But I like your idea, and a hardtop with a filtered moonroof could be fun.

 

[ZeroTrev]

One of the concepts had a hard top with a glass sunroof on it. It replaced both the front panels. That's what I really want

 

[JP29]

One of the concepts had a hard top with a glass sunroof on it. It replaced both the front panels. That's what I really want

The clearlidz are pretty close to that, aside from the raised bits for aero/water. Bit pricey but def gonna get it when I get a hardtop.

 

[LittleDog]

The clearlidz are pretty close to that, aside from the raised bits for aero/water. Bit pricey but def gonna get it when I get a hardtop.

I concur. They supposedly block most all UV too. Only thing preventing me from purchasing them is that it is a single, giant, double-wide panel, instead of two.

For convenience, I usually take off only the driver-side panel, and toss it in the back seat footwell. Both panels will easily fit in the cargo area of a four-door.

 

[ZeroTrev]

Yea. Those are a bit to expensive for me. I did loo into them, bit they seem.. not what I'm looking for

 

[Bestop]

So interestingly enough, way back we used to make a translucent bikini. I think the material was called Sunlighter, but at this point I'm not certain. It was pretty unpopular because as others mentioned, it created a pretty hot (greenhouse) cabin. Additionally, some others hit the nail on the head with the PVC glass properties that would make it a suboptimal fabric for top deck use. I like your innovative thinking, though!

Lee
- the Bestop team
www.bestop.com

 

[Daffydnbugs]

https://jeetop.com/
Pretty cool but pricey.

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