Design Idea #1 Has anyone out there every seen or built a custom bikini out of wood/metal/acrylic?
After living with a standard bestop bikini the last 4 years up in the mountians in Colorado, I'm tired of getting drenched just about every day in the summers. I enjoy the ruggedness of a jeep as much as anyone, but when it's your only vehicle, sometimes you just don't feel like getting wet (ie when you are driving to work or a wedding etc... ) When it rains up here, it is COLD rain. The basic problems I have with the standard bikini are:
- Flapping
- Takes too long to put up/down for short trips around town. I end up getting lazy and just leaving it on all the time. Then I find myself wondering, why even take the top off if I always have this bikini on?
- Rain pours in between the roll bar and door, especially when turning or when offroading
- rain follows the strap that pulls the bikini tight by connecting the windshield loop to the rear roll bar. all this water ends up running all the way in and dripping all over your right shoulder and center console.
- i bought the factory door surrounds to try to get rid of the water coming in the sides, but the water still runs down the channel and pours in where the door surround and the windshield meet. plus, the standard bestop bikini does not have a way to connect to this channel like a factory softop does. i used stickyback velcro, but it just peels off on the really hot days when you are driving on the highway.
- the eternal problem of water pooling when the jeep is parked. i've considered the plywood trick, or the "bow" or "rib" trick, or the center tent pole trick, but those are all pretty ugly, and frankly a pain in the a$$. I usually just carefully back out, and then slam the brakes.
So, I am considering building my own custom top. I would probably build the frame out of plywood. I would lay some flush acrylic "sunroofs". Also, there would be a seam down the middle of the top, from front to back. I'd hinge it so either side of the jeep could be folded over on the other for quick trips around town etc. This would also facilitate storing the top in the back when I didn't need it during a trip. The top would extend back over the roll bar, over most of my soundbar. This would prevent water from leaking in the cracks between the roll bar and sound-bar, providing extra protection. Finally, the top would be wide enough to extend past the doors, making sure water drips OUTSIDE the jeep, not down the inside of the doors. I'd consider using steel, but I don't have a welder, and steel is too darn expensive right now anyway. I might rhino line the entire thing after its built for durability.
Design Idea #2 Has anyone tried to construct a plywood deck cover or tonneau cover? I'd like it to have hinged access doors, and everything should be as water tight as possible. The plywood would most likely span the entire width of the jeep, utilizing the factory bolt holes that oherwise hold on the hardtop. A wood cover would provide extra security and hopefully a dry place for gear. Again, I think this system might provide quick easy access to gear without messing with taking on and off a canvas cover. Plus, if the cover is strong enough, you could also pile gear on top for the extra long trips.
Thanks!! Lee
2000 TJ