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Soft Top Ease of Use?

JohnF

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I apologize if this has been covered somewhere, but I haven’t seen it.

I’m trying to find more info on the soft top, specifically how the back section opens and closes. It is now “zipperless” but I haven’t really found anywhere that shows a good demo of opening and closing it.

The reason this is a concern is that I would like to get the soft top but my wife has some physical limitations so she was unable to physically open and close the back window on the JK, so we had to get a hard top. Now with this “zipperless” design I’m hoping it is something that she could handle. I have found three videos that show opening it but none of them show how they close. In all of the videos that I have seen, they open it and then take the entire top down, which is nice to see the demo but I would like to know how fidgety (is that a word?) it is before I make a 45k mistake. None of them show putting it back together.

I know the safe answer is to wait until they hit the dealers but I need a new ride ASAP and would really like to order one soon.
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ThirtyOne

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Best demonstration I have seen:

 
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Jeepsterfreak

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Great video. He definitely struggled to replace the rear panels. Wonder if he practiced first or was able to do it in one take.
 
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JohnF

JohnF

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Thanks, that is the best overview of it that I have seen. He struggled a little but he did take it down and put it back up in about 5 minutes. I'm waiting to see the price of all of the options, if I can afford it then I may go with the dual top.
 

Jeepsterfreak

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Thanks, that is the best overview of it that I have seen. He struggled a little but he did take it down and put it back up in about 5 minutes. I'm waiting to see the price of all of the options, if I can afford it then I may go with the dual top.
I would plan on $2,300 for dual top option ($100 increase) which also includes the premium soft top.
 

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MockBarbecue82

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Great video. He definitely struggled to replace the rear panels. Wonder if he practiced first or was able to do it in one take.
He did the left panel in about 37 seconds, he just got hung up on the right side. Even if it was his 3rd attempt I wouldn't expect him to be speedy. I'm sure it will be quicker once owners have done it 7+ times.

Also, at the beginning when unlatching the front, he could have reached over to release the passenger side instead of walking all the way around.
 

Covfefe

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I apologize if this has been covered somewhere, but I haven’t seen it.

I’m trying to find more info on the soft top, specifically how the back section opens and closes. It is now “zipperless” but I haven’t really found anywhere that shows a good demo of opening and closing it.

The reason this is a concern is that I would like to get the soft top but my wife has some physical limitations so she was unable to physically open and close the back window on the JK, so we had to get a hard top. Now with this “zipperless” design I’m hoping it is something that she could handle. I have found three videos that show opening it but none of them show how they close. In all of the videos that I have seen, they open it and then take the entire top down, which is nice to see the demo but I would like to know how fidgety (is that a word?) it is before I make a 45k mistake. None of them show putting it back together.

I know the safe answer is to wait until they hit the dealers but I need a new ride ASAP and would really like to order one soon.
5 second open/close
New version will be coming out in January that folds even flatter below the spare.
Top is also quieter and more insulated than hard top.
5k is a drop in the bucket for ease of use and quality of life


 
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word302

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5 second open/close
New version will be coming out in January that folds even flatter below the spare.
Top is also quieter and more insulated than hard top.
5k is a drop in the bucket for ease of use and quality of life


5k for a soft top? Lol. No thanks.
 

Jeepsterfreak

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He did the left panel in about 37 seconds, he just got hung up on the right side. Even if it was his 3rd attempt I wouldn't expect him to be speedy. I'm sure it will be quicker once owners have done it 7+ times.

Also, at the beginning when unlatching the front, he could have reached over to release the passenger side instead of walking all the way around.
Starting about the 4:15 mark, he really has to muscle the right panel to get it to snap to the body. Maybe he didn't have it aligned properly. The OP mentioned his wife has physical limitations so not sure how much strength it takes to release and secure those plastic attachment points.

Also notice how the rear quarter window does not align with the rear door window. Best Top has claimed in another thread these are preproduction tops and the production top will have the windows aligned. The preproduction 2 door soft tops have the windows aligned already but not the 4 door for some reason.
 
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four low

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It looks like you have to get out to release the front edge of the rear side panels, likewise to fasten those edges when top is up. I have a 2007 PT Cruiser Convertible that has the easiest operating top ever.
Wish Jeep had looked at it...
 

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Jeepsterfreak

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It looks like you have to get out to release the front edge of the rear side panels, likewise to fasten those edges when top is up. I have a 2007 PT Cruiser Convertible that has the easiest operating top ever.
Wish Jeep had looked at it...

Well that's the last straw for me. Forget the Wrangler, I'm getting a VW Thing. It has 4 doors, folding windshield and easier to lower manual convertible top.


To be fair, the PT vert is no different than any other modern 2 door power top mechanism like I had in my 98 Mustang.
 

RussJeep1

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5 second open/close
New version will be coming out in January that folds even flatter below the spare.
Top is also quieter and more insulated than hard top.
5k is a drop in the bucket for ease of use and quality of life
This soft top is quieter (than the hard top or the prior soft top?) and more insulated than the hard top?

Could someone verify/source/refute this?
 
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JohnF

JohnF

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Starting about the 4:15 mark, he really has to muscle the right panel to get it to snap to the body. Maybe he didn't have it aligned properly. The OP mentioned his wife has physical limitations so not sure how much strength it takes to release and secure those plastic attachment points.

Also notice how the rear quarter window does not align with the rear door window. Best Top has claimed in another thread these are preproduction tops and the production top will have the windows aligned. The preproduction 2 door soft tops have the windows aligned already but not the 4 door for some reason.
All good points. As much as I hate to, I may have to wait until they are on the lot and just take her to try it. I would hate for her to not be able to get it back together.

You are right about the windows not lining up. I had noticed that a few months ago when the first pics came out but I thought that was fixed now... I guess not.
 

Jeeptimus Prime

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5k for a soft top? Lol. No thanks.
I don’t know man...you can out douche those douche bags. So totally worth it!!!

OP - Consider the Power Top? Can’t be much more than going the Dual Top route and no worries with any physical limitations.
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