Soft top window storage

[vonbek]

Which bag is this? The elusive factory one?

yes, I posted pics a while ago in this thread, but I never attached the tailgate bar so I thought I'd give an update.

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[ekimgnuj]

Ok. Here are some photos. Not the best because it's harder than I expected to take photos while actually taking off the windows since I'm trying to do this on my own. On a side note, I've gotten really good at taking off and putting on the windows since I got the bag. I'm sorry if I didn't get the photos that you were hoping to see.

Photo 1 - empty bag in the cargo area, Rubicon 4 Door, back seats are up. Bag and interior of the cargo area are black, not sure why they are showing as gray.



Photo 2 & 3 - This is the bag open. I put a towel under the rear window. Then I fold the window. I use the noodle thats stitched on the end of the silver/gray fleece in the fold so it doesn't crease (not really necessary to sew a noodle in, I originally used a rolled up towel). Then I use the rest of the fleece to protect between the fold and to cover the top of the back window folded in half. You can see the pink noodle that I stitched into the end of the fleece. It's about 60 inches long and probably 25 inches wide with the noodle on the end of the 60" side. Note: I always end up with an extra piece of the felt that's already in the bag so I probably don't need the towels, but it's always a good idea to have some extra towels in the jeep right .





Photo 4 & 5 - Right side on top of the silver/gray fleec layer, I could have used one of the three felt layers that were already in the bag here. I usually do, was just trying to get photos and I think I forgot. That's why I had two layers left over at the top. Left side on top of the right side, with the black bag layer of felt between them. I put the "hard corners" facing down. I leave the tailgate bar in place until I finish, keeps it safe and clean.


Photo 6 - Folded the last layer of felt (then zipped up the bag. Use the tailgate bar to hold it down.

Thanks for posting, but how did you get this bag?! Where did you get this bag? More importantly, where can I get this bag?!

 

[ekimgnuj]

So, I bought the Smittybuilt bag. It fits the side windows beautifully. Plenty of depth in the bag for the corner supports, and really nice felt between the layers. The back window does have the be folded, so I remove the tailgate bar and I use a cut pool noodle with a felt wrap around it in the "fold" to keep the window from creasing. Problem solved.
As for the bag, generally, I don't have much in the back of the jeep when the top is all the way down, so I lay the bag flat in the back cargo area and then lay the tailgate bar diagonally across the bag. So far, no creased windows, and the only scratches I have are from cleaning the windows.

Can you post pics, and the model number of the bag? I bought the Smittybilt bag that was advertised for the JL (but NOT through Smittybilt), and mine definitely did not fit the side windows, no amount of finesse or force would allow the bag to zip because of the corner supports.

 

[CPU Granite Rubi]

Thanks for posting, but how did you get this bag?! Where did you get this bag? More importantly, where can I get this bag?!

Extreme Terrain.com
J116797 - Smittybilt Soft Top Storage Bag (87-18 Wrangler YJ, TJ, JK & JL)
Item #: J116797
$72.99

Here's the thing. The description originally said it would fit the JL. I initially called them to tell them that it did not fit the back window, but then I decided something is better than nothing so I thought about a solution (the noodle) that allowed me to fold the window without a crease. So many JK owners roll their windows, I figured as long as the window didn't fold with a crease, it would be fine, and so far it's been perfect and straight when I put it back on. So this bag works well since it fits the side windows without folding or rolling them (if that's even possible with the bottom edge. Honestly, given the overlap, any bag would have to be at least 4-5 inches wider to fit the back window without folding it and then it wouldn't lay flat in the back.

 

[WVUBrew]

I still find it laughably outrageous that they spent so much time promoting the new soft top (which is my favorite part of the overall JL redesign so far) and didn't even bother to have a storage bag ready to go at launch. "You had one job"

 

[Majestic]

I still find it laughably outrageous that they spent so much time promoting the new soft top (which is my favorite part of the overall JL redesign so far) and didn't even bother to have a storage bag ready to go at launch. "You had one job"

The promotional videos just show some guy tossing the windows loose in the back like it’s no big deal. For the entire process of taking the top down, properly storing the windows takes the most amount of time. The storage bag is key to the whole thing. The rest of the soft top improvements is saving less than a minute at most.

 

[ekimgnuj]

The promotional videos just show some guy tossing the windows loose in the back like it’s no big deal. For the entire process of taking the top down, properly storing the windows takes the most amount of time. The storage bag is key to the whole thing. The rest of the soft top improvements is saving less than a minute at most.

Yeah, I thought about just tossing them in the back just like in the promotional video - for all of 5 seconds, because I figure the odds of the windows being there after highway speeds were pretty slim!

 

[ThirtyOne]

Well I've just been tossing them in the back. I don't mind except the windows are getting trashed. I wish I didn't have to go to the trouble of placing them in a bag but I don't see an alternative. I wish they were just more resilient.

But they certainly are not going to fly out of the back.

 

[digitalbliss]

Well I've just been tossing them in the back. I don't mind except the windows are getting trashed. I wish I didn't have to go to the trouble of placing them in a bag but I don't see an alternative. I wish they were just more resilient.

But they certainly are not going to fly out of the back.

I keep a couple of towels in the back and use them between the windows. I think I'm going to find some cheap fleece blankets though, and I like the idea if the pool noodle for folding the rear window

 

[ThirtyOne]

I keep a couple of towels in the back and use them between the windows. I think I'm going to find some cheap fleece blankets though, and I like the idea if the pool noodle for folding the rear window

I may just do that. I may use microfiber towels because they may scratch less.

 

[RussJeep1]

My other vehicle uses a retractable cargo cover based on a window shade paradigm. I'm pretty sure you're all familiar with what I am talking about.

I'd love (for the marketplace) to repurpose the long tube design this cargo covers sits in when rolled up and not deployed, to accept the soft windows (think of them as sheets of paper, while the tube a computer printer (if you will) that "sucks" them in). The device could temporarily attach to the bar the rear soft window slides into while "accepting" windows. Perhaps it could be spring or hand crank based.

Yeah pipe dream. I wonder if the tube would even sit diagonally across the floor of the cargo area.

Or maybe (to change gears) a similar retractable cargo cover could be devised for the JL. I have to check the position of two grommets (like the ones you use when installing the MOPAR cargo mats) that the factory places in the side walls on either side just behind the back seats. The loose end of the cargo cover could attach perhaps on to the bar the rear soft window slides into.

Of course there's the issue of such a device working around the sports bar in the cargo area or being narrower that the distance of its two rear members.

 

[Bigpackdaddy75]

Ideally, what dimension bag would fit the JL 2 door soft top?

 

[RussJeep1]

Ideally, what dimension bag would fit the JL 2 door soft top?

It's fair to say you're referring to the windows. Assuming you are, and that soft windows best be laid flat or maybe rolled, I can't image the width of the back window is (much) different for JL or JLU, meaning the that bags out there in the aftermarket, reported to fit the JLs soft top windows as per this forum, are probably still your "go to." on such things as the limiting width is that back window.

 

[ajasper6579]

"So, let me see if I can summarize," he says sarcastically.

The bad news is the soft window storage bag is on backorder.

But the good news is that when it does comes in, you'll pay substantially more for it than its original price on the Jeep.com order screens for the JL.

I guess it's only fair. FCA has a right to charge us when we they inconvenience them us.

Yippie!

https://www.google.com/search?q=ext...ved=0ahUKEwijoJe9kMPbAhWNxFkKHXEHAOYQ_AUICygC

Bueller? Bueller?.....

Has anyone actually tried an artist's portfolio with fleece blankets as dividers?

 

[ajasper6579]

Also, I just called my dealer to order part #82210326 and they said they would have it by the end of the week...did I do something wrong? Here is the part:

https://www.mopar.com/en-us/store/accessories/product/82210326/Storage+Bag.html

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