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Question on Dual Top for noob

fflmaster

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Looking at my first Wrangler and my wife is set on the dual top option to switch out for summer vs winter.

Is this a good option and how do most store when you have TWO tops vs just the one for the times you want to be completely topless?
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DWaX

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What part of the country do you live, climate-wise?

WaX
 
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fflmaster

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Gregj

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The hardtop takes up a lot of room, if you have a tall ceiling in the garage you can hang it from the ceiling. The softtop can be hung on the wall with brackets which is what i do. Save the cover that it comes in. If you cant hang the hardtop there are carts available or you can make one, the plans are in the DIY section. Having both tops is great, we love it!

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Redbaron73

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I store my hardtop hanging from ceiling. My daughter uses toplift pro.

I have a soft top hanger system from quadratec. My daughter hangs hers on the toplift pro.

Both ways work.

I hange doors using evo door hangers. Daughter leans her doors against wall with moving blankets.
 

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DWaX

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If storage of the hard top is no concern then having options is nice. I'm in the south east, and have a hard top hanging from my garage ceiling for the last 2.5 yrs with a nice layer of dust on it... I have discovered soft top year round is the way to go for me.

WaX
 

karynm8621

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I'm in S NH which is colder than Pa

You COULD just run the soft top if you wanted all year. I'd suggest the premium top if you were going to do that.

We have both tops and I have a top lift pro so I simply store my hard top on it in the summer.
 

Rhinebeck01

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@fflmaster

Let your Wife know her / you dealing with a convertible top or even the Freedom Panels is a real pain in the arse..

Storing the convertible top and worrying about mouse chewing on it in PA, Winter's when it is in storage... ... then you have to store the hardtop and worry about that when it is off... you have to make the Spring switch to the soft top....

There are possible damage concerns when you put the convertible top up and down... Windows get scratched on soft top and soon get unsightly and more... like easy break ins by nitwits..

She/You will undoubtedly not want to deal with a convertible... you think you will but 8-)

In PA, in the Spring and Summer and it is .... constant convertible top up and down because of rain.. thunder showers..

Anyway, the absolute best way to go.. unless you are a die hard convertible person is to buy a Bestop Sunrider JL for Hardtop, in the TWILL fabric...

You or your Wife in seconds can open or close the Sunrider.. It can stay on year round.... it will have no issues with the PA, cold, snow... Of course, if you want to just use your Freedom Panels in the Winter, the SR comes off in say 7 minutes. Sure in the Summer, even though you have a SR, you can also still remove the hardtop if you opt to.

I've run a SR for about 2.5 yrs. now over 26,000 mi. with it on.. Never any issues with it. I split my time between NY, RI, Calif., and Florida... The SR loves the Beach, Snow and all... Only slightly negative thing with the closed, SR is a tad bit more cabin noise at speeds over 65 mph... No where near the noise level of a convertible at that speed though.

Do consider a @Bestop Sunrider for JL Hardtop.... Also, DO know that I am not the only happy SR owner that praises / rants about the SR like I do..
 

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Wife has a Sunrider on hers full time and it is great, but it's not the same as a full top down experience.
Gregj
Undoubtedly there is no substitute for running topless...

BUT, reality is doing so is a lot of work, lets say. Cutesy fun at first but it gets old putting the a full blown convertible top up and down when the showers come.. Most guys lets alone gals want to deal with it.. sure at first but it soon grows real old...

With a Sunrider, you get to the Movies, the Mall, your campsite and it flips closed in less then 5 seconds... I don't even have to get out of the JL to pen or close it..

A rain storm hits, I come to a crawl with the JL or pull over and flip the top closed... a few minutes later the rain stops and I flip the SR open.... Ya can't do that 5 seconn thing with a full blown convertible top or even with the Freedom Panels at that..
 

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I live in RI and have a soft top all year round. It’s always down in the summer and in the winter the only downside is when it rains/snows in the highway there’s no wiper to clean the back window. If you’re caught in the rain driving topless you just need to pull the safari top, it helps tremendously! I think the dual top is an excellent idea, wish I had it with mine.
 

MacombRoger

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Dual top is very common in the colder climates. I switch out the tops twice a year. The Hard top stores vertically at the front of my garage with no issues. There are a million tools out there to take off or store the top, but 2 people can easily do it. The Soft top does have more pieces to store when its off, but it spends the winter in my basement. 1 person can carry the parts downstairs.

Soft top is not a pain to operate, yes its not one button, but its not work either. The only downside for me with it, is the Jeep is never truly "naked" on those hot summer days. However, I love the flexibility of the top. Up, down, Safari mode, and just "flipped back". Really hot days, its nice to have overhead cover with the windows out.

To summarize, its not electric like say a Mustang, its closer in operation to a Model-T, but its still a winner for us northern people. The top is insulated, but I wouldn't want plastic windows in the wintertime with snow and ice.

Hard top gets you a rear wiper and rear defroster too.
 

Heimkehr

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...how do most store when you have TWO tops vs just the one for the times you want to be completely topless?
With the vinyl windows removed and the soft top folded back into the stowed & locked position, the vehicle is topless in the traditional sense of the word. Did you mean to say that you intend to remove the top's framework and door seal uprights for the sake of aesthetics?
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