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Soft Top Options

2K views 22 replies 14 participants last post by  steve845 
#1 ·
Good Evening everyone.

I am looking for what everybody else is doing for a soft top. Now I know that is vague so let me tell you what I am looking for.

I don't have soft top hardware, and don't want to really buy the hardware. I am looking for a frameless setup. Now I know BestTop has the Trektop line, but I am thinking that that may be more cumbersome that I want to tote with me.

I am going to a Jeep rally that is roughly 200 miles away from home, and plan to be topless as much as possible, but I dont want to risk not having a top in case of a downpour.

So I am looking to the Jeep community for what my options may be.

Thanks in advance!
 
#3 ·
Warning regarding the Softopper: by some (many?) reports, the factory door surrounds and the top that fits them work better than the cheaper surrounds (and corresponding top) that Softopper offers as an alternative.

You also might look for a pure safari top. Without carpet, and with trash bags for steering wheel and seat(s), most rain storms are simple to cope with.
 
#5 ·
I've got the Rampage trail top, works well! The windows don't fit in the pocket for my LJ, but on a regular TJ you can go from soft top, to safari top in seconds.
 
#6 ·
I second the Softopper. Have had it just over a week now, am able to get the windows on/off in about 6 minutes. Haven't taken the safari top off yet but you can roll it back and store it behind your back seat just like a regular soft top. Don't have any experience with door surrounds since the Softopper ones are the only ones I've owned. But no leaks so far. Land vehicle Vehicle Car Jeep Automotive tire
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Jeep Automotive tire
 
#7 ·
sounds like you want a safari/bikini top so you don't get rained on an can take it off after. I had the pavement ends sprint top on my 01 I just sold and liked it a lot. it's frameless and has a sun rider option so you can slip the top back just over the driver/passenger and not have to take the whole thing off. now I've never stored it in my jeep but I imagine you could fold the windows in all in half somewhere inside the jeep to store it whole driving
 
#8 ·
I went trektop NX and am happy. Side Windows in early spring and fall. Winter is hardtop. Summer is safari only. I just added a duster and windjammer. With full doors on its as weather tight as it probably needs to be in rain. I can slip the doors under the duster, flip the sunrider open, roll the jammer down and be 95% naked in 5 min. Love it.

It's all Best Top gear off Amazon.

Jammer is the non-wrap around. Lose some rear view visibility and some seat recline but I've adjusted accordingly.



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#10 ·
I went trektop NX and am happy. Side Windows in early spring and fall. Winter is hardtop. Summer is safari only. I just added a duster and windjammer. With full doors on its as weather tight as it probably needs to be in rain. I can slip the doors under the duster, flip the sunrider open, roll the jammer down and be 95% naked in 5 min. Love it. It's all Best Top gear off Amazon. Jammer is the non-wrap around. Lose some rear view visibility and some seat recline but I've adjusted accordingly.
This looks sweet. Might need to consider the duster. Did you have to remove the rear seat ?
 
#9 ·
Forgot to mention that the Trektop NX included door surrounds.
 
#13 ·
Matt, pardon me, won't hijack your thread here. But two questions for the group. I'm also getting ready to replace a soft top, also on a 2000 Wrangler, so hopefully, they'll help you too. Anyway ....

- For the pro-Softoppers, how is the highway noise with the full top? Much flapping?
- For the Bestop Trektop people, (or those with some other frameless top) how tough or time-consuming is it to remove the safari top part altogether?
 
#14 ·
Hey Steve, I run both soft and hard tops on mine, as far as the noise goes, if you're all buttoned up its not a concern, if you've got the windows out or top totally off, that's what life's all about bud :)
I had to get a couple velcro straps to hold the rear seat belts to keep them from flapping, that will drive you bonkers!
 
#17 ·
Hello, My husband and I are thinking of buying a 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with a softtop. Our question is do they stay warm in the winter or should we consider putting a hardtop on for the winter?
Maine, eh? You might post in the Maine forum to ask. Most of the US I'd say you're fine with a soft top during the winter; Wranglers have a pretty powerful heater.

I've gone through two Indiana winters with the soft top now, probably time to sell the hard top.
 
#19 ·
The Bestop Trektop NX has everything you need to install it. I don't take the entire top off. I run it in safari mode more than half the year and just throw a trail cover on it when I park it.

With the sunrider back it feels pretty much the same as having the entire top off to me. It's one less thing to worry about because if it rains it's just a matter of flipping it closed. I love that for those mild days you get in the middle of the winter or in "iffy" weather when I want some air to be let in but don't want to bothered taking the windows out, putting the top down. I don't miss not taking the whole top down in any case because of the sunrider. What I do like is that the back end of my Jeep stays shady and protected.

I don't know about the quality of the other tops but the Trektop NX is very high quality.

I think taking the top off would be easy enough. I just don't miss it enough to be bothered. I also like that the windows in the Trektop seem to be larger. I just take the inserts out and roll them up and put them in my cloverpatch bag if I want to take them along.

I highly recommend the Trektop NX. It's an easy install and you don't need to buy a thing to install it.
 

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#21 ·
Ha, Mariah94, I'm the other way around. I'm in South Florida so I can run without the top for about 11 months. I don't have a hard top at all.

And thanks much for the feedback on my question, folks, it's much appreciated.

The thing that makes me a bit hesitant about the frameless is that I have a mesh top which seems perfect for the weather here. Limits the sun and heat just enough to make it really comfortable. So if I get the Trektop, for instance, I'm afraid it'll be more of a pain to pull the whole thing back. But as Dirty Backroads wrote, maybe I won't care because of the sunrider. I just need to make a decision. Not my strong point. :)
 
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