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11-11-2015, 04:56 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: SW FL
Posts: 373
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Towing with soft top or hardtop
I have gone with a Jeep Wrangler 4d as a new toad. I am wondering if more people tow with a soft top or a hardtop in place. My concern is the wear and tear of the soft top as opposed to the hardtop. Just tell me I am overthinking this!?
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B Sears
2016 Palazzo 36.1 2019 Dutch Star 4310 Freightliner
2015 jeep 4d wrangler2019 GMC Yukon Denali
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11-11-2015, 05:03 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 10,309
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fanukalum
I have gone with a Jeep Wrangler 4d as a new toad. I am wondering if more people tow with a soft top or a hardtop in place. My concern is the wear and tear of the soft top as opposed to the hardtop. Just tell me I am overthinking this!?
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OK,......Yes you are. It would not matter if you were driving the JK or towing it as far as what kind of roof is on it. You need to buy the type of roof that suits your needs , then just tow it and enjoy it. They are a lot of fun
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2012 Essex 4544 2011 Jeep JK, M&G Braking, 2014 MTI 27' Hog Hauler, Wireless brake control, 2006 Ultra & 1989 Springer, 2003 Harley-Davidson
FLHR Road King Anniversary
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11-11-2015, 05:09 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Altoona, Iowa
Posts: 1,668
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fanukalum
I have gone with a Jeep Wrangler 4d as a new toad. I am wondering if more people tow with a soft top or a hardtop in place. My concern is the wear and tear of the soft top as opposed to the hardtop. Just tell me I am overthinking this!?
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I tow mine with the soft top on. I've been towing my current one for over three years and don't see any wear at all. It sits back in the MH vacuum so there is actually less wear on it than going 60 mph down the road by itself.
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2010 Itasca Sunova 33C, (lots of upgrades and modifications)
2011 Honda CRV, 2004 Rubicon (many modifications)
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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11-11-2015, 07:09 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Iowa
Posts: 282
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I tow my 2013 Jeep Wrangler JK with a hard top. I have a full roof rack that I carry my kayaks on. There are days when I wish I had the soft top but.....
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Ed and Barb Burgess
2004 42' Country Coach Tag, Intrigue
2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
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11-11-2015, 07:53 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Altoona, Iowa
Posts: 1,668
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gbburgess
I tow my 2013 Jeep Wrangler JK with a hard top. I have a full roof rack that I carry my kayaks on. There are days when I wish I had the soft top but.....
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Here's one of those days...touring through Arches NP with the granddaughter and with the top down. Priceless memories for that little girl! The Wrangler was my previous one.
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2010 Itasca Sunova 33C, (lots of upgrades and modifications)
2011 Honda CRV, 2004 Rubicon (many modifications)
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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11-11-2015, 08:10 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Fulltime, USA
Posts: 16,706
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My 12 JK hardtop T-top comes off. Great view! Soft top would be just fine for me except for the wind noise.
Just go have fun!
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11-12-2015, 07:31 AM
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#7
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Community Administrator
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: DFW, Texas
Posts: 21,262
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I towed a soft top 2005 Wrangler for 20,000+ miles with no problems or apparent wear on the top. My 2012 has both a hard and soft top and I prefer the hard top since it drives so much quieter. I tried it one trip with the soft top and put the hard top back on because there is a huge difference in road noise between the two. If you like Jeeping with the top down, then you may want to stick with the soft top. As we have "matured", the DW and I prefer less wind, dust and noise. Completely removing the hard top does require two to three people or a hoist of some kind.
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2017 Phaeton 40IH XSH Maroon Coral - Power Glide Chassis with IFS
Previous '15 Tiffin Allegro RED 38QRA and '06 Itasca Sunrise 35A
'16 Jeep JKU Wrangler Sahara or '08 Honda Goldwing
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11-12-2015, 09:26 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: SW FL
Posts: 373
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Thanks everyone!
Heading south to FL in a few weeks, will enjoy the hard top, then will be heading west in early summer with the soft top. By then I should have a good idea which I like the best. Although rainy season in Florida favors the soft top. Told ya I was over thinking this!
Installing baseplate on jeep today, hope that goes as well as the video!
__________________
B Sears
2016 Palazzo 36.1 2019 Dutch Star 4310 Freightliner
2015 jeep 4d wrangler2019 GMC Yukon Denali
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11-12-2015, 10:40 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Vista, CA
Posts: 294
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fanukalum
Thanks everyone!
Heading south to FL in a few weeks, will enjoy the hard top, then will be heading west in early summer with the soft top. By then I should have a good idea which I like the best. Although rainy season in Florida favors the soft top. Told ya I was over thinking this!
Installing baseplate on jeep today, hope that goes as well as the video!
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We're a similar boat, having just bought a clean, 08 Wrangler 2dr that has the hard top on and soft top sitting in garage. As we'll be heading south and west in mid-January, we decided to leave the hard top on for the first trip. We may be taking some long side trips and want the quieter top for now. When we come back in the spring, we'll probably put the soft top on for the summer and maybe the next winter trip as well.
As far as the baseplate install, just did that a week ago myself. We use a lot of salt on our winter roads so those 8 bolts holding the bumper on were pretty well rusted in place. Took me over 4 hours with a lot of PB blaster and grunts to get them off. One was really frozen and took 2 hrs or more! Would have been a LOT easier if I'd had an impact wrench. I hoping yours are in better shape and come off easy. The rest of the install is not very difficult, just takes some time.
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Newmar, Baystar 3401 (Lucille) towing 2008 Wrangler 6 speed with Ready Brute Elite bar attached to Blue Ox Baseplate
Formerly 2005 Winnebago Minnie 31C
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11-12-2015, 06:58 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: SW FL
Posts: 373
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeD1
We're a similar boat, having just bought a clean, 08 Wrangler 2dr that has the hard top on and soft top sitting in garage. As we'll be heading south and west in mid-January, we decided to leave the hard top on for the first trip. We may be taking some long side trips and want the quieter top for now. When we come back in the spring, we'll probably put the soft top on for the summer and maybe the next winter trip as well.
As far as the baseplate install, just did that a week ago myself. We use a lot of salt on our winter roads so those 8 bolts holding the bumper on were pretty well rusted in place. Took me over 4 hours with a lot of PB blaster and grunts to get them off. One was really frozen and took 2 hrs or more! Would have been a LOT easier if I'd had an impact wrench. I hoping yours are in better shape and come off easy. The rest of the install is not very difficult, just takes some time.
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Noticed we choose the same tow bar ready brute elite, however I went with the roadmaster baseplate EZ5 only because of the simpler installation ( no drill, no bumper removal, just modification of plastic air dam. Hope it serve as well as the blue ox.
__________________
B Sears
2016 Palazzo 36.1 2019 Dutch Star 4310 Freightliner
2015 jeep 4d wrangler2019 GMC Yukon Denali
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