New Member Advice

[Irishguy1973]

So i am a new Jeep member and have the painted hard top for my Jeep. What I want to know is what do the majority use when the hard top is not on the Jeep in case it rains. I am assuming there is a summer top. Which one should I buy and where? Pics would be great too!

I appreciate all the advice.
Thanks
Chris

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[DonH63]

Search here for threads/posts on Bestop; lots of info and pictures. Bestop makes the factory soft covers.

https://www.bestop.com/

 

[rk911]

Remove and sell your hardtop and buy a soft top. If I'm good in the Chicago winter with a soft top you'll be good in a Lousiana winter with a soft top. My windows are out and I'll be running either safari style or with the top down till fall.

 

[73TAWM]

So i am a new Jeep member and have the painted hard top for my Jeep. What I want to know is what do the majority use when the hard top is not on the Jeep in case it rains. I am assuming there is a summer top. Which one should I buy and where? Pics would be great too!

I appreciate all the advice.
Thanks
Chris

For two years we took off the hard top and drove all summer with it and the doors off. Watch the weather and plan the best you can. We had some moments with the radar on the phone in one hand while trying to "shoot the gap" between cells. Never got drenched, only slightly wet.

Now I have a Best Top installed with the hardtop setting against the ceiling of garage. It will remain down all summer but if a pop up rain does happen, I can throw it in safari mode to help keep the majority out.

Welcome to the community. And you're going to get wet eventually. It'll dry.

 

[dchemphill1]

Summer top? Maybe a sun screen but otherwise top off and go have fun.

 

[Irishguy1973]

I guess I just wanted a quick top if it rains is what I met. For example, if I wanted to go on a road trip and the weather happens to get bad, I can quickly put up. So was just trying to find what the majority is doing?
Thanks

 

[rk911]

I guess I just wanted a quick top if it rains is what I met. For example, if I wanted to go on a road trip and the weather happens to get bad, I can quickly put up. So was just trying to find what the majority is doing?
Thanks

If the rain is bad I look for a spot with cover...underpsss, gas station...and just put the top up. Takes a bit longer if really wet and you might get a shower during the process but it's likely you and the Jeep are already wet. But, like preparing a flight plan, your best bet is to do a fairly deep dive on the wx forecast for your trip and just keep the top up safari style.

 

[Jamrock]

Search here for threads/posts on Bestop; lots of info and pictures. Bestop makes the factory soft covers.

https://www.bestop.com/

What he said. There are a few other brands but Bestop is the most popular.

 

[autotragic]

Remove and sell your hardtop and buy a soft top. If I'm good in the Chicago winter with a soft top you'll be good in a Lousiana winter with a soft top. My windows are out and I'll be running either safari style or with the top down till fall.

Just because the soft top makes you happy doesn't mean all of us want one. Getting rid of my soft top for a hard top was the best thing I did.

 

[Johnny B]

I'm a newbie too. Joined this site this month, and already found a great deal on an almost new Best Top soft top (it is honestly that clean). Then I started the learning process. Top removal, and storage. Those two details might not sound like much, but they are. Removal and install can be done a number of ways. Three of the most common are. Couple willing bodies and some strength. For me, that would get old really quick. Another is that ceiling mounted hardtop lift system. You can use it as intended (pulling a single rope). Some folks have added a wall mounted hand crank. And some folks went full tilt and added an electric winch with an adjustable stop. The best feature of these are, raise the top, it is stored for the season. Another option is a rolling top jack. One person can easily and quickly remove and install a hard top. Some of these rolling lifts allow for storage as well. Heck, seen one that even stored doors (I think it was a jack for a JK 2 door model though). No matter what you do, replacement top, seasonal top. Good luck. I hope you have numerous great days ahead with your new Jeep...

 

[rcadden]

One trick is to just make it super easy to remove/reinstall the hard top. Most of us have a lift system setup in the garage - I can remove or reinstall my top alone in about 10 minutes.

Of course, that doesn't help if you're already out. I tend to keep a close eye on the weather forecast in the summer. I try to keep my top off as much as possible, but am quick to put it back on a for a day or so if needed.

I also have neoprene seat covers (Diver Down) that are like wetsuits, to protect my leather during the summer from both water (wet swimsuits, etc) and UV rays. They were $200 and I've used them for three summers (thus far).

Finally, your Jeep has holes in the floorboards to allow water to drain, but they're plugged up from the factory. You can remove most of the interior carpet with a system like @Armorlite Kail - best thing I ever did (but I despise carpet). It has drain plugs built in that are super easy to pull to let water drain out.

Lastly, you could pick up a soft top, as others have mentioned. It's pretty easy to switch between hard and soft tops, provided you have somewhere to store them when they're not installed. That's on my list, personally, but I've not had the budget just yet. Then, in case of rain, you could just pull over and put the soft top back up, but otherwise you could enjoy the "topless" experience.

 

[rk911]

Just because the soft top makes you happy doesn't mean all of us want one. Getting rid of my soft top for a hard top was the best thing I did.

Absolutely. I feel exactly the same way about my soft top.

 

[Irishguy1973]

So, I want to take road trips without my Hard Top and head to the mountains. Since everyone is saying buy a Bestop. Is there a personal one that would be recommended, I would like to fold it back in front of the spare wheel. My hard top is stored in the garage via an electric hoist. Probably wouldn't put it on till December/January months.

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