Hitch Mounted Hard Top Removal Redux

[Magnetdragon]

https://top-off.biz/product/topoff-jk74/

Another option if you don't mind drilling. Don't have just thought was good idea.

I had this on my jk when I had it. It was... Alright. I didn't hate it but it just barely fit in my garage width wise and took good amount of time to get everything lined up.

It was portable but you had to carry around 14 pieces total. Also the weight load for the rack is pretty low so you couldn't have too much weight on it.

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[RussJeep1]

Can the sunrider stay on all year? We live in Ohio, so just curious if it keeps the snow and ice out. The Jeeps are garaged at home, but curious how the top holds up during yucky travel.

The Sunrider can stay on all year, even in 4 season weather. It's maker, the same one that makes the OEM soft tops that are weather tight, promises this one to be weather tight as well. Now, the JL Sunrider is new, so we'll have to see if Bestop's claims hold true, but I don't recall much but happy customers on the JK one, and I suspect Bestop will deliver as promised.

It's funny that you mention inclement weather Brandy @Mt Jeep because I once asked here on the forum what attracted people to this device over say the conventional soft top. Several Floridians chimed in about the Sunrider's ability to open, and particularly to close without having to leave the rig.

More to this point, as I am sure you must know, Florida is known for its afternoon thunderstorms in season. Imagine the storm moving from West to East while you travel a highway in the opposite direction with the Sunrider in the open position. That situation is going to leave you with little time to "close the hatch" shall we say and secure your rig from the deluge of water about to come your way. The Sunrider lets you address that much better than having to pull your rig over, get out, and close the soft top, especially if it is all the way down, as opposed to in 1st a.k.a Sunrider*** position.

(***"Sunrider" is both a product of Bestop and a position, in fact 1st position, of the OEM soft top, premium or basic, that Bestop makes for FCA.)

Or course you can make yourself one of these that I still owe the bboard DIY instructions on, but I've never tested it when the rig was moving, even at slow speeds:

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/diy-power-soft-top.13374/#post-402695


I have the JL Sunrider on now. It's in the 20s today where I live. I find it no noisier than the Freedom Panels. As far as cold goes, I don't think it's much colder than the Freedom Panels either, especially in light of the fact that Wranglers, and their hotter engine temperatures seem to shine at delivering heat to the cabin occupants.

 

[RussJeep1]

I had this on my jk when I had it. It was... Alright. I didn't hate it but it just barely fit in my garage width wise and took good amount of time to get everything lined up.

It was portable but you had to carry around 14 pieces total. Also the weight load for the rack is pretty low so you couldn't have too much weight on it.

Yeah, I think the Top Offs distinct feature might have been transportablility (as opposed to portability--the latter implies to me less deconstruction setup time.) Otherwise the Top Lift Pro, Hoist a Cart and Freedom Jack are much faster if not also much less portable solutions.

 

[caged]

the wife and i used to remove and install our TJ hard tops all the time. just the two of us, lifting them off ourselves.
these JK and JL tops, which are really only half a top, once you remove the freedom panels, are they not any lighter than a TJ top?
i used to remove and install my fiberglass topper on my old chevy s-10 by myself. i mean, it must be easier to just manhandle the top on and off, no?

now, i haven't removed my top yet, as i just received the jeep in late october, but when i do, i will just call on the wife and lift it off ourselves.
i use a chain hoist for my steel willys top, but even my father in law and myself lifted this one on and off ourselves.

those hardtop hoists just look like they take up quite a bit of real estate in the garage.

 

[RussJeep1]

I'm talking about this set up. Sorry I wasn't more specific.

I agree Darrell @Firecracker18 , if you have the ability to rig hardware from above, in a garage, to take your hard top rear off, that's your best bang for the buck.

It may involve the need to line up your rig in the ways that devices like the Top Lift Pro, Hoist-a-Car, and Freedom Jack don't, as you move the vehicle to your rigging device, rather than vice versa, but likely to be much more reasonable in cost.

But also, interestingly enough for the reasons you cite, if taking your Top off at a Destination, particular one off road like a campsight is your play, I think, precisely because the 3 immediately aforementioned devices won't move well off pavement given the nature of their wheels, and because a Wrangler is designed for this purpose (off pavement movement) it's all the more reason to want a hitch based hard top rear removal and placement system, and to move your rig to the hardtop, not the other way around.

And this isn't to say that a hitch based solution couldn't also excel at competing with these 3 methods when removing your top at home, even on pavement Created correctly, the hitch based solution could be done relatively inexpensively, possible even DIY, assembled and deconstructed easily, take up little garage space when not in use, and along with a DIY hard top cart, present a highly viable alternative--no disrespect to the products already out there to do this.

And yet humility has me ask what I'm missing that the idea wasn't brought to market, given its already been not only thought of, but patented. ??????

 

[Bestop]

Hey!

The Sunrider is made to be ran year-round! It will hold up to snow and ice, our HQ is in Colorado so we test it fully! I would suggest rinsing it off just as you would your Jeep when it gets too dirty, we use some chemicals on our roads here - not sure what you guys use. I just don't like it sitting on my paint or top for too long.

CassieAtBestop

Can the sunrider stay on all year? We live in Ohio, so just curious if it keeps the snow and ice out. The Jeeps are garaged at home, but curious how the top holds up during yucky travel.

 

[GreyFox]

Hey!

The Sunrider is made to be ran year-round! It will hold up to snow and ice, our HQ is in Colorado so we test it fully! I would suggest rinsing it off just as you would your Jeep when it gets too dirty, we use some chemicals on our roads here - not sure what you guys use. I just don't like it sitting on my paint or top for too long.

CassieAtBestop

Thanks! And yes we use all those nasty chemicals and salt too. Again, thanks for the response!

 

[RussJeep1]

..and then this dawned on me:

The patent for hitch based hard top removal maybe owned by or licensed to one of the existing companies in the hard top removal business, to legally secure it from not reaching market...

Will investigate

 

[Recursion]

..and then this dawned on me:

The patent for hitch based hard top removal maybe owned by or licensed to one of the existing companies in the hard top removal business, to legally secure it from not reaching market...

Will investigate

That is only an application, not a granted patent. And it was also abandoned after being rejected.

 

[RussJeep1]

That is only an application, not a granted patent. And it was also abandoned after being rejected.

Thanks George. I hadn't noticed that https://patents.google.com/patent/US20130280020 .

 

[Bubba33]

I have all 3 tops soft top ,hard top , sunrider fir the hard top. I built a cart to sit the hard too on. My garage is big enough to store it like that. The jeep and ram fit in the garage. I will only change tops in November and spring. The wife can help with the top or a neghibor. Some of these things are just too much trouble for me. Few beers and a neighbor goes a long way.

 

[RussJeep1]

I have all 3 tops soft top ,hard top , sunrider fir the hard top. I built a cart to sit the hard too on. My garage is big enough to store it like that. The jeep and ram fit in the garage. I will only change tops in November and spring. The wife can help with the top or a neghibor. Some of these things are just too much trouble for me. Few beers and a neighbor goes a long way.

I hear you. Better still I envy you. My wife is far too short to help me, and we decided 20 years ago to move to a community with good schools, which sadly correlates sometimes with not so good neighbors more apt to say, "why don't you take it to the dealer for that," than, "sure, I'll help!"

 

[Recursion]

Thanks George. I hadn't noticed that https://patents.google.com/patent/US20130280020 .

No worries. The patent stuff can get cryptic.

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