Dropping Bestop Sunrider top vs. factory soft top?

I don't know about the Sunrider, but I don know that you have to take the windows out of the factory top if you want to put it down. I guess you could just roll up the back window, but it's just as easy to take it out. My son takes the canvas all the way off of his and just folds down the frame. Doesn't take a whole lot longer to put back up, and sure looks neater when it's down. If it ever quits raining here, I may try that.

-- Old Crow '82 Shovelhead FLT 92" 'Pearl' '95 Jeep YJ Rio Grande ASE Certified Master Auto Tech + L1 TOMKAT, BS#133, SENS, MAMBM, DOF#51

if the sunrider windows are anything like the factory soft tops....I'd pull them before dropping the top. I once tried as nice as possible to roll up my rear window and it got kinked and creased and was a pain to clear that....so keep'em flat if possible. I've never seen anyone roll their top with their windows....try it and then you can give us the horror story of your ruined windows! ;)

Take the time and pull the windows....the top it self goes up pretty quick....so know the weather before you walk away from your jeep for extended periods of time....you don't have to carry your windows to zip'em back in....most rain comes straight down so you just need your top up!

I have a Bestop Sunrider - I have never had the factory soft-top so I can't compare, but the Sunrider is really easy to put down. I roll the back window, remove the side windows, and it drops in like 5 seconds.

Deac>

I do this all the time with my Bestop Supertop. Just unzip the side windows and fold them across the top, leave the rear window zipped right in (or roll it up if you want), then fold the top in halves until small enough to fit behind the seat, then fold the frame back and secure with the elastic straps. Side windows are sandwiched in the top and are protected. The rear window hasn't seemed to get scratched up much yet either, though if you do take the time to roll it it would be less likely to.

-Fred W

Fred,

Are you saying that you take the soft top off of the frame and fold it up and store it behind the seats? Or, do you leave the soft top material on the frame and fold it back?

-- Chris G.

Deacon,

Thanks for the reply!

How do you keep the rear window rolled up? The factory top has elastic straps with snaps that make it easy to roll up the rear window.

So just to be clear, all you do is remove the side windows (which I figured), roll up the rear window, and you leave the fabric connected to the frame? Then you just drop back the fabric and frame?

If it is that easy, I will keep the Sunrider on this Summer.

-- Chris G.

Where I live the rain is as likely to come down at an angle as to come down straight. Which means put the windows in, or come back to a flooded Jeep. ;)

With my factory soft top, I always rolled up the rear window. Yeah, after a couple years it gets a little scratched, but so what, it was never like looking through glass in the first place!

-- Chris G.

Without a doubt the side windows have to come out. As for the rear window, roll that bad boy up. The less hassle the better!

-- Chris G.

Just try a Sunrider sometime and you'll get it! ;)

It's all about convenience. The more convenient it is, the more I'll ride around with the top down.

Ever have to put the factory top up while it is pouring? Your interior is getting wet! With the Sunrider, when the weather looks iffy, you only flip back the "sun roof", and when the rain comes you can have a sealed top again in literally 10 seconds. I have never tried it, but you could probably even close it while driving (to get the full seal you'ld have to stop and open the doors to seal the side flaps, but you'ld keep the rain out until you had a chance to do that.)

-- Chris G.

The former.

-Fred W