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Do I need to protect my leather interior from the weather?

18K views 48 replies 23 participants last post by  panthermark 
#1 ·
I have a '13 JKU Moab, hardtop and black leather interior. This summer I want to spend as much time as possible with the top off. I'm planning on buying a Harken hoist to attach in my garage and driving the Jeep to work (which is less than 3 miles away). At work, I will be parking in an unprotected parking lot.

Concerns:

Do I need to be concerned about my leather cracking and/or fading in the Kansas sun?

What's the best way to keep my Jeep dry in case of light unexpected showers? We generally see huge thunderheads rolling in from 100 miles away if we are going to get a down poor, but occasionally, we'll have some smaller sprinkles and I'd like to avoid puddles as much as possible.

Thanks for ideas and suggestions!
 
#3 · (Edited)
You are definitely going to need to protect that leather much more than you would cloth seats. Even on my Tundra which is not topless, I use leather conditioner every few months to keep them from drying and cracking. After 5 years, they still look new. Rain and sun will not be good for those seats. I almost ordered leather in my JK, but then realized the problems I would run into when topless...not to mention how uncomfortable they would be on a hot day in the desert southwest. I would use a good quality leather conditioner on them often...like maybe every few weeks...and try to keep them shaded. Actually, if I had leather seats in my Jeep, I would do the same thing I did with my cloth seats. I covered them with TrekArmors.
 
#4 ·
You are definitely going to need to protect that leather much more than you would cloth seats. Even on my Tundra which is not topless, I use leather conditioner quite often to keep them from drying and cracking. After 5 years, they still look new. Rain and sun will not be good for those seats. I almost ordered leather in my JK, but then realized the problems I would run into when topless...not to mention how uncomfortable they would be on a hot day in the desert southwest.
I just started thinking about this and I am wondering if seat covers might be the best bet for the summer. Are neoprene seat covers my best bet for fit and comfort, or should I just get a "seat towel." Is a summer top a better solution for sun and rain?
 
#8 ·
greech said:
I just got my Harken hoist installed yesterday, and plan on getting my hardtop off as soon as the Virginia weather warms up a bit more. As I am also concerned with my leather, I plan to get Wet Okoles for summertime, as well as add a soft top for when parked in uncovered lots.
Are you going to get a Mopar soft top or something else?
 
#22 ·
#12 ·
First off our factory leather seats are primarily vinyl, like boat vinyl seats, at least I know that to be true on the 2012 and earlier seats, haven't really looked hard at the 2013 seats. These seats are pretty rugged and made to live through a certain level of exposure. So far I treat the seats with 303 aerospace protectant (the same stuff I use on the vinyl boat seats in my nautique). I've been using it because so many guys in the boating world love it and I have to say after years of use I'm sold... I think of it as UV protection, I also use lexol leather cleaner and lexol leather conditioner about once a month. (Maybe a little more often during the summer when I'm running topless more often)
 
#15 ·
Ha. Truthfully my seats are hot if they sit in direct sunlight. I would have preferred a lighter gray colored leather seat. But I was super happy about everything else that this jeep had so I bought it off the lot, and they can be redone with a different color if I wanted to pay for it.

I keep a few microfiber hand towels in the jeep all the time. I'll lay one on the seat if I'm worried its going to be too hot to sit in when I get back. Not an elegant solution I guess, but it works for me. The towels come in handy if anything gets wet as well. My opinion is that the leather seats are definitely better for wet situations. Just wipe them off and sit down. My bum's never been wet.

Some have cut a hole in a towel and slip it over the headrest, or put Velcro or snaps on one end so you can snap it around the headrest. There are even some Jeep seat towels ready made if you wanted them.

I think true seat covers that you leave on come down to personal preference. I don't prefer them, so I'm not going to use them. If my leather starts looking bad years down the road then I'll probably just pay the $1000 to $1500 to redo the seats.

There are others who love seat covers. Maybe someone else who uses them can chime in on that front.
 
#17 ·
I park in our garage at night. Honestly that's an awesome plus for hardtop owners who like to run topless.

I carry a bestop trailcover for emergencies. Works great, wish it was a little lighter. Here's a pic from when I first got the jeep last summer
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Automotive exterior Automotive tire


Last year I did not have a bikini but I did get a duster first thing. I love having that!
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Automotive exterior Auto part


This winter I bought a bikini, but I haven't put it on yet. I'm on the fence about whether its simply going to be an emergency top that I can drive with or something I will keep on. I really like having the top off.

I've also been using an awesome app on my iPhone called dark sky:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dark-sky-weather-radar-hyperlocal/id517329357?mt=8

It uses the GPS in your phone plus local radar to predict down to the minute when it's going to start raining on you and for how long into the future it will rain. I have it set up to alert me at a sprinkle and its been awesome! Check it out if you have an iPhone or look for something similar on whatever you use.
 
#25 ·
I've also been using an awesome app on my iPhone called dark sky:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dark-sky-weather-radar-hyperlocal/id517329357?mt=8

It uses the GPS in your phone plus local radar to predict down to the minute when it's going to start raining on you and for how long into the future it will rain. I have it set up to alert me at a sprinkle and its been awesome! Check it out if you have an iPhone or look for something similar on whatever you use.
This is called "Cloudy Sky" in the Android market. Great app!
 
#23 ·
I have the black leather as well. I definitely don't think there is much leather in there. I have it about a year and a half, and the seats look like new. I use the 303 regularly, and I run a spiderweb shade. The shade helps greatly. I've been lucky enough to not get caught in the rain yet. So, I'm not sure how they will fare. I do not carry an emergency top just in case.
 
#29 ·
I have the black leather as well. I definitely don't think there is much leather in there.
I can't speak for the 2013s, but my understanding is that on the 2012s and back, on the standard "leather-trimmed" seats, only the center portion of the seat and back is actually leather. The bolsters and headrest are vinyl/Naugahyde/whatever. If you rub your fingertips across the seat from the bolster to the center portion you can actually feel the texture difference (well, at least I can feel the difference). My understanding is that the Katzkins, OTOH, are all leather.

I keep after mine with leather conditioner at regular intervals.
 
#26 ·
When you install that hoist, if you don't have an impact gun, I HIGHLY recommend you rent or borrow one. I used an electric drill to get the lag bolts into the rafters as far as it would drive them then finished by wratcheting them the rest of the way in. A good arm workout for sure, but a pain in the arse doing it upside-down above your head...
 
#30 ·
Caught in the Rain

So today I was driving my 2012 Call of Duty with the top off and it just started to pour. I didn't let it get to me and was laughing at all the people looking at me as it's pouring rain. As I was under the impression that jeeps were made to get hosed down and had drains in them but maybe that's older models.

Than I got to thinking about the type of seats I have and wanted to make sure they wouldn't get ruined as they have special stitching in them to represent the model and I'd like to keep it in good looking shape. Any advice on how to prevent any future damage from this event.

Thanks for any advice
 
#31 ·
I got caught in the rain on Friday....
Meh...just wiped it down and pulled up a bit of the carpets to help it dry.

Was bummed at first, but hey...it's a Jeep...and the leather/pleather is pretty rugged. I was glad that I didn't have cloth seats because it would have soaked into the cushions.
 
#35 ·
This happened twice to me in the last 2 weeks...bikini top helped a bit but still got standing water in the foot wells. I toweled off the seats, pulled the drain plugs and shop vac'd it, then let her sit in the sun and all was well 48 hrs later. Now I keep a harbor freight tarp and some bungee cords in the rear storage area which is easy/quick to use as soon as it starts raining and keeps all but sideways rain from coming in.
 
#40 ·
I dont think its GOOD to get them wet but ive been caught in the rain a few times in my jeep. Nothing ever happened to the speakers.

If they do get damaged replace them with speakers that have a plastic cone and rubber seal around the cone. I believe Alpines have a rubber seal. Most speakers have a foam seal, this will get damaged by water. The rubber seal will make them just as water resistant as a marine speaker. I know this from thorough research when I almost built a boat once.
 
#38 ·
I have had my jeeps leather out in the sun for almost two years no, no real problems. A little more rough, but not a big deal. But now I use leather honey, which is honestly the best thing I ever bought. After cleaning the seats every couple months, I apply this conditioner and it blackens them and makes them extremely smooth and is water resistant. Water rolls right off the seats. The must admit, leather is the best interior to go when it comes to cleaning. After wheeling or a down pour, it's so easy to just wipe it and continue. I couldn't stand cloth, you made the right choice.
 
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