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Long trips doorless

9K views 74 replies 49 participants last post by  brandofamily 
#1 ·
Looking for advice. I have a 7 hour trip to the OBX in a month. I usually run doorless the whole time I am there. Trying to find a place to store the doors is a pain though (I know first world problems). So I am thinking of just leaving my doors at home. Has anyone done something similar? If so any tips? Would tube doors make any difference on the trip? Most of the drive is 45-55 mph speed limits with some highway. I have a cover so no concern for rain when I actually get there.
 
#3 ·
My .02 - When I arrive. I take my doors off and stow them in a bedroom, hallway, storage closet...etc.
Been doing it that way for decades.

I would NOT recommend running w/o them. I even completely remove my HT when I get there.

Have fun. One of my favorite places. Started going down to the OBX in 1983.

Way before it was popular. Corolla was a no man's land.
 
#6 ·
About 10 years ago we did a trip with no doors from Denver to Moab and then back and it was like being in a wind tunnel for 5 plus hours. We were both just exhausted when we got home, not to mention our ears were toast from the wind noise.

Granted that was going about 65-70 on the highway the entire time.
 
#7 ·
Going on 4 weeks doorless right now, so ive got a few suggestions that might help.
- Interstate travel almost requires earplugs, wind and tire noise.
- Whether sunny or rainy, I would leave the soft top on for the long drive, just roll up the rear window, and you'll be fine. Its super easy to put the whole thing down when you hit the trail so no biggie.
- If it gets too hot, or too cold, Tough it out, prepare the proper clothes, and the heater/AC works really well to take the edge off.
- It only rained a few times out here in AZ since then, and the rain blows around me with nary a drop. Of course I was doing 70-85.
 
#8 ·
Going on 4 weeks doorless right now, so ive got a few suggestions that might help.
- Interstate travel almost requires earplugs, wind and tire noise.
- Whether sunny or rainy, I would leave the soft top on for the long drive, just roll up the rear window, and you'll be fine. Its super easy to put the whole thing down when you hit the trail so no biggie.
- If it gets too hot, or too cold, Tough it out, prepare the proper clothes, and the heater/AC works really well to take the edge off.
- It only rained a few times out here in AZ since then, and the rain blows around me with nary a drop. Of course I was doing 70-85.
^this, especially the highlighted.
 
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#13 ·
I drive naked late spring through late fall. Highway, roads, offroad. I love it. Longest drive I've done is about 5 hours. I just blast the music over the road noise. I always have my soft-top in a boot for long trips though. No carpet, so if it rains, I just pull the plugs for anything that gets in the jeep.
 
#18 ·
It's not that big of a deal to travel without doors. Sunscreen, stay hydrated, and make sure everything is secured.

I took my YJ to the street rod nationals last August with only a "Safari top" about 6.5 hr each way on interstate, and I've been to STL and home in 1 day multiple time (3hr each way)

Doorless Jeep is really comfortable compared to a motorcycle, my longest day rides has been Pueblo (2 times) Colorado Springs (1 time) to Central Missouri. longest round trip was to Fairbanks and back.

Edit. Keep a couple small towels in the console, the inside of the windshield can become an issue pretty quick in rain (also dew at night)
 
#20 ·
I can tell you tube doors don't help at all.

I stayed at a hotel about 1.5 hour drive from Silver Lake sand dunes. Drove topless+tube doors on highway to/from dunes, 70MPH. It was definitely noisy but tolerable on way to dunes. What really sucked was the drive home at night because everyone was tired and it was dark, so our personal tolerance level was much lower. What really sucked is that the night time temp dropped down to 60deg F. It said it was 60F but damn it felt like it was freezing with the wind blowing and no sun, my teeth were rattling....I kept looking at my temp read-out and thinking to myself...I don't remember 60F ever feeling this damn cold. I had the heaters blowing on high and it didn't make a difference. Wife and kid were curled up, heads covered under a blanket in the back seat. The next night, the soft top was up, windows zipped in with the tube doors on...much more tolerable for noise but still chilly.
 
#21 ·
I disagree with doorless being more comfortable than a motorcycle. Maybe if you wore a helmet in your Jeep and it's 7 hrs on a sportbike.

The absolute maximum I'd want to do doorless on the highway is one hour in perfect weather. And I would not be enjoying the last 45 minutes of that. The wind is just not pleasant. It's 10 times worse in the back seat (no windshield).
 
#22 ·
Wife and I make a few 6 to 7 hour trips every summer with Trektop NX in safari mode, and soft doors stored in back.
It's really not bad, in my opinion. One weekend, it started raining about an hour into the trip, asked wife if she wanted to stop and cover up, hell no was the response. The rain doesn't come in when we're moving ;)
Good wife :) We do run without carpets in the summer.
 
#26 ·
I don't see an issue. While I have not done a long trip doorless with my JK I have done 12 hours in my CJ both doorless and topless but of course that was 30 years ago. There is one thing I would invest in and that is an ACE JK Lava Jacket. Regardless of what the weather is doing outside you can stay warm or cool. I can't recommend it enough.
 
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#30 ·
Haha timely post.

The other day I went up to the lake, just shy of 2hrs at 65-70mph with halfdoors/softwindows and bimini top no back/side rear windows. It was tiring even with that.

So yesterday on the way home as i had the top off and no windows at all, I took the longer scenic way home and it was closer to 3 hours of 45-55mph with last 20 mins of 70 on the highway.

I was beat. My ears were wind beat, my hair had the anti-hat head, I scalp itched just from having windblown hair for 3 hours straight.

At a MINIMUM I'm keeping my winter wool beanie that covers my ear in the glovebox and a set of plugs for next time I'm on the highway topless/windowless. Also decided I'm 'ok' with not buying tube doors just yet. :)
 
#32 ·
Not exactly an answer to your question, but maybe something to consider: tubular doors + mesh inserts:



Open air feel almost the same as doorless, but mesh helps a lot to break the wind blasts to the nice and tolerable breeze.

I'm doing 100+ miles highway drives that way and its a lot of fun, almost like riding a motorcycle :)
 
#33 ·
I live in a bedroom community in the country.. It's a 3/4 hr trip at 65 mph to the city and 1/2 hr to the nearest small town. It's fun being topless & doorless in the city, but the trip there and back can be a pain.

As others have mentioned, the wind blast can be very unpleasant. Especially if there's a heavy crosswind. I also carry ear plugs..

One thing I've noticed is that if I lean way forward, towards the windshield, a lot of the the wind is taken off my head and face. It's kind of an awkward driving position to hold on a long trip, but if you do it every now and then, the break from the heavy wind is nice.
 
#36 ·
No way I would do that long of a drive without doors...most I’ve done was about 4 hours and it was too much....

Take them with you - as others have noted, leave them in a closet or hallway or something....or bring along a bike lock (or two), roll the windows down, take them off and lock them to a tree (through window holes)....I did this at a Boy Scout summer camp with my son a few years ago...no issues at all - worked great. :)
 
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