Ok folks I'll let the cat out of the bag and tell you that along with ? have been chosen to be a Sunrider for Hardtop reviewer by the kind folks at Bestop. My Sunrider should be arriving in a few days and I am very excited. The only slight glitch is that I will be out of action for the first 10 days or so in April so please bear with me. At the very least however, I should be able to post photos of the Sunrider, installed and uninstalled before.
I hope you will find this thread both enjoyable and informative. And I hope the other reviewer/s rather than starting their own threads will incorporate their reviews and photos here. It makes it a lot easier for the members having a one-stop-thread for the Sunrider.
From what I've seen of the product videos and install video, this cannot be done. You need to remove the Sunrider top to then fully remove the hard top.
I expect the other reviewers to be announcing themselves soon. Thank you Bestop for thinking so highly of WranglerForum.com and we promise we will do our best to keep this thread free of rancor and drama. This may end up as a sticky (up of course to the mods). Folks who are hell bent on making this thread go south will be referred to the mods. We owe this much to Bestop.
Mods, we request time permitting that you keep an eye on this thread. Thanks.
I can't wait to hear what you think. I have been on the fence for a while now trying to decide what to buy next and this is on the list. Hoping for a good experience that will force me to finally pull the trigger and buy one. I have a hardtop and do not own the soft top. Unfortunately I rarely ever get the hardtop off so this is a fantastic option.
Since Bestop is monitoring this thread. Any chance of posting the sunrider for hardtop usage instructions?
I'd like to know if one can flip open and drive at any speed.
I ask since the full soft top when open requires Velcro straps to be put on to folding arms. If this is the case it would defeat opening, flipping back, and driving away while staying inside.
Ok very easy install and very good instructions both the written, photos and illustrations. Never was there a scratch your head moment wondering what they were talking about. I worked solo and a bit over an hour. It would have been maybe 35-40 minutes but one of the knobs did not want to catch the captured nut but if I would have had someone to push down it would have not been an issue. initially I thought the knob threaded part was a bit short but it just took some pressure pushing down on the top deck. very nice quality and the twill is exactly like the twill I had on my 13 premium top. It is however much easier to get latched than that one was.
LOL. I probably should have waited to post as I just received it and just installed it. It is a clear sunny day so no leaks and have not driven it yet. It fits very nice and looks like the seals will be good for wind and water. I will report any short comings that should pop up. I will say it was an easy install. I am mechanical and do all my own work but I think if you can rotate your tires this will pose no problem. The instructions are the best instructions I have seen they rate a 10 of 10.
Yeah give him and the rest of us a few days to run it through its paces, they'll be enough of us I'm sure that will be able to answer and test everything soon enough.
Since the rest of you will still have to wait like a month to get them, we'll take care of what we can in the meantime
On the four doors you need to make two slits so the the knob bolt can pass thru the hole that is already drilled in the roll bar. The fabric covers it. Just a small slit. Not needed on 2 door. If/when you remove it you won't notice the slits. They are like 1/2" at most.
I was asked to give an honest review good or bad. Bestop asked if I would be interested in getting one and if I would give feed back good or bad. I told them right up front if it was good I would give it praise but if it had short comings or did not perform up to snuff I would report that as well. Not once did they say or insinuate the review could only be positive.
It was a painless install and instructions are well written not like some stuff you get and are more confused then before you read them. All images and illustrations are crystal clear as well.
I know some will find this hard to believe but I have no idea what the price on these are going to be. I know it is a quality made item. My wife did not know I installed and when she got home we took a drive and after a minute she said "what did you do to your top it looks really nice" it does give more head room and the black looks very sharp from the inside.
I just back from a drive and it was windy out. It is a bit louder than the panels but going by memory about what the premium top was on my 2013 jku. No whistles or air leaks just less sound dreading than the hard top.
Perhaps pwain, it would be best to read all the input from the three different reviewers before you raise the issue of objectivity and then you and others can decide. None of us would flush our integrities down the toilet in exchange for a freebie if that's what you were implying - I don't know why you would bring up otherwise. I have reviewed many products in the past particularly cigar accessories, humidors, firearms and the like and the offer of "free" never influenced my review and more than a few were quite critical. No, you did not miss a thread. Bestop contacted each of us individually for reasons of their own. We did not contact them.
There is no need to respond but actually I am glad we got this out of the way and can return now to our regularly scheduled programming. Each of us can be reached my private messaging as well. Thank you.
I did not take pwain's post wrong. I can understand why he asked the question and I think it was a legitimate question. I have been skeptical of this sort of thing in the past myself. I think Bestop has confidence in their product because they are taking a chance doing this if it does not live up to expectations.
Glad the initial reviews are positive. It looks like I'll be moving back to NH in a few months so Jeep mods are on hold till after the move is done. I'll probably be able to buy it just in time for fall. haha
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