Q: soft top. ON or OFF in summer ? what do you do ?

Yes

Electronics don't like water.

Carpet? Real jeeps don't have a carpet.

My top comes off the first warm day of the year and stays off untill cold.

Not possible...

Take the top off and use a car cover or tarp to cover it up at night. This is what I do and haven't had the soft top on in almost a year (Of course this is SoCal so it don't get too cold).

This protects against morning dew as well.

Bill

I remove the hard top and put on the soft. for the summer.

On nice weather forecasts I remove the doors and side windows leaving the rear window and top canvas. If it rains I just raise the top canvas and put up the rear window. I also have a large plastic bag to cover the seats When driving like this the only way you'll get truly wet is when you stop and the rain is going sideways. or you luck out and get stuck in a torrential downpour (it happened a few times and I got soaked to the bone) Man I love Jeeps!!!! :-)

When the weather forecast is lots of rain for one or more days I put the whole top on. Then wait for the weather to clear.

And the carpets were the first thing I removed to avoid ruining them. Cheers Frank

daveZ wrote:

First thing I did was tear out my carpet and leave the drain plugs out. Heck, I'm not even sure I could find them right now if I needed too.. hmmm. Anyway, yes, your carpet will develop a musty odor after repeated 'washings'. Protect everything around your dash- even your steering column. Your seats will be ok whether you have cloth or vinyl- cloth dries up really well and you can wipe down the vinyl. (OT- I was the only one the other day at the power-wash washing the INSIDE of my Jeep with the foam brush and sprayer)

I usually leave all my windows out all summer, rain or shine. I try to have the whole top off (not folded down) as much as I can, and by myself when pressed I can have that sucker on in about 10 minutes or less. I also have the plastic seat covers that I can throw on if I'm in a bind, like if I'm at work and I don't have my top and it's going to rain. I've come to affectionately call those times that I do happen to get caught in the rain unguarded as getting 'wetbum'... but I don't mind. Goes with the territory I suppose.

Having said all that, I have a 94 YJ; sounds like you have a newer Jeep so most likely you won't be as careless (read: carefree) as I am with mine. But I'm thinking given a little bit of time, you'll become a little less worried about stuff like rain and mud too. :)

coop

We are just starting to come into summer down here in Florida, actually I've had the AC on in the house for a few weeks now. Contrary to the rest of the world I prefer to have a hard top on in the summer down here. The winter's our good weather time, just ask all the snowbirds but in the summer it is hot & quite humid & not very enjoyable with the top down plus it rains practically every day. There is so water down here & with the heat it just draws it up to the skies & then lets it go every day, just about the time I'm getting outa work.

L8r - Jersey

I take mine up and down lots. I have no carpet inside.

I also have a sweet one piece top that goes up in 'way' less than 5 minutes if it is raining, way less...

I am inside dry and listening to the radio long before the poor TJ guys even have the windows ready to put in.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

daveZ wrote:

What is this "top" you speak of? :-)

"I can hammer it back into shape later." :wq!

I remember, I useta live in the LA / Ventura County area for 10 years. Back then I was into motorcycles & Baja Bugs & I really miss the mountains.

L8r - Jersey

i take it off in the spring and put it back on in winter...of course, i live i california so it doesn't rain at all in summer...i leave the main top on but taking it off is not hard-just a few snaps. it you have monsoons, i would leave the main top on so you don't have to fuss with the windows. otherwise, just take it off!

How do you do this? I want my my new Jeep to be as rugged as possible, I didn't think I'd be covering it with plastic everytime I thought it might rain. I considered gettine a marine radio for my Jeep, but the dealer said that everything was water "resistant". Which I suppose makes sense, but how "resisitant" is it? And will the dash just "dry up" too?

-Muuurgh

Basically anything electric that gets wet will be fine once it dries out.

What really screw up things is when you run power through the wet stuff, then things arc out and fry.

Mike

Muuurgh wrote:

I live in Washington...it always rains here....My soft top has been off for about 1 month now....I do have a safari top on and a tonneau cover. Put the doors on if the seats get wet. I completely remove my soft top, I don't fold it behind the seat. With the Safari top and upper doors on you wont get wet. You could also buy a Trail cover from best top.

Sean

You are allowed to put it in the garage. You are not required to leave it outside.

What's this quick top you speak of?!

Is it just a tunno/tarp type thing or can you drive with it on?