Long Island winters: If I have the Dual Top Group, is it highly recommended to switch back to Hard Top?

[Punjabi New Yorker]

First time owner here (2020 JLUR, 3.6/8 speed auto, no etorque).

I have the dual top group and am extremely confused. Perhaps someone who lives near the Atlantic between New England and the Carolinas can guide me. I live on Long Island to be exact. I am on the fence about whether I should go back to Hard Top or stay Soft Top for the winter. A side of me wants to go hard top because the combination of living near a salty coast and then road salt during snow can wreak havoc on the premium soft top. NYC and Long Island love using salt in the winter! I am also fearful that someone in my family will try to scrape the vinyl windows and scratch them.

then another side of me wants to stay with the soft top as I don’t want to keep on finding me a knowledgeable buddy every six months to help me swap tops. I can always just buy me the 30606 Fabric Guard and spray the soft top in October and then again every April.

really confused as to what should I do and hoping someone who lives in a similar geography and climate as me can chime in. Thank you

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[Heimkehr]

I purchased a 1995 YJ new in December 1994. It had the factory soft top and was parked outside at all times, and went to work in the snow and cold straight away.

Pennsylvania bows to no one as it concerns road salt, either, and the winters here are at least as cold as NY.

There weren't any adverse issues with keeping the interior warm on cold days (I needed the fan on Medium, whereas a hardtop might have done OK on Low.)

I took care to periodically rinse off accumulated detritus with a hose, and/or careful blotting of the plastic windows with a sponge. This M.O. prevented any swirl marks, etc. from appearing. I was unmarried, and the only one to lay hands on the vehicle. More to the point, the soft top did not suffer any adverse effects from the low temperatures.

If we agree that the soft tops on the new JL Wranglers are of at least modestly higher quality than the same that was evident on the YJs, and/or subsequent generations of the vehicle, and you counsel family members about what not to do when cleaning the soft top on your Rubicon, then you should be fine.

Enjoy the drive.

 

[americonium]

I've had a Jeep on Long Island since 2012. I like the hard top in the late Fall to early Spring for the rear wiper and defroster, as well as the rigidity, just in case it actually snows a bunch, I don't have to worry about the top sagging from the weight of the snow. Not that I've ever experienced that aspect...

I like the soft top in the late spring to mid fall for the ability to drop the top and even pull the doors once in a while.

After a season, you'll know what you want to do, but I highly suggest trying it on before you get rid of it.

GL

 

[The Last Cowboy]

You will appreciate the warmth and dryness of the hard top and especially the rear window defroster and wiper on nasty slushy roads. It's worth the effort. I had a Jeep for a very snowy winter in Kansas, the hardtop was well appreciated.

 

[cosmec]

I live in queens and only have the premium soft top. I had dual tops on my previous jks and after a certain point, stopped using the hard tops altogether.

you’ll be fine.

 

[Black Jeep Convertible]

NYC here as well, soft top all year long. I just go through touch less washes to get the salt off before the temps get above freezing again

 

[ekimgnuj]

First time owner here (2020 JLUR, 3.6/8 speed auto, no etorque).

I have the dual top group and am extremely confused. Perhaps someone who lives near the Atlantic between New England and the Carolinas can guide me. I live on Long Island to be exact. I am on the fence about whether I should go back to Hard Top or stay Soft Top for the winter. A side of me wants to go hard top because the combination of living near a salty coast and then road salt during snow can wreak havoc on the premium soft top. NYC and Long Island love using salt in the winter! I am also fearful that someone in my family will try to scrape the vinyl windows and scratch them.

then another side of me wants to stay with the soft top as I don’t want to keep on finding me a knowledgeable buddy every six months to help me swap tops. I can always just buy me the 30606 Fabric Guard and spray the soft top in October and then again every April.

really confused as to what should I do and hoping someone who lives in a similar geography and climate as me can chime in. Thank you

If you decide to stick with your soft top, let me know, my son would love to buy your hard top and I can always always find an excuse to go back to Long Island.

 

[ItsNo4RE]

Dirty Jersey hea.. soft top only... its not as delicate as you may have been led to believe

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