Community Forums

GeeWillakers · 06-27-2016, 11:20 PM

I've been towing my 2003 TJ for years behind my camper on holidays and weekend excursions but will soon be going farther afield and for longer. For those of you with Wranglers, or who used to tow one, did you prefer going with the soft top or hard top?

Buttercup987 · 06-28-2016, 06:47 AM

For me, it would be a question relating only to whether you wanted to go naked or not and nothing to do with towing. We wouldn't consider a hard top because we can't envision the effort to remove and stash the top. ymmv. '13 Sunstar 26he '15 Wrangler

Bumps · 06-28-2016, 06:55 AM

We had both. While the soft top option was often more appealing, in the end we kept the hardtop on. As we aged, we valued air conditioning, less dust, and the security of our cameras (etc) over fresh air and sunshine. M2C, /ken

J-N-Lham · 06-28-2016, 07:07 AM

Our 2012 has a hard top. Went this route because we tow but also use as our main auto. After several trips driving it to Florida it is invaluable. No wind noise (very little) no flapping like driving a car, It also has Freedom tops, kinda like old t tops we can remove when we want the outdoors. But in the future we plan to add a soft top as an addition for fun.
For a thousand mile plus journey driving it I vote hard. For fun, would love to have the versatility of soft
Jack

FIRE UP · 06-28-2016, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iawia

I've been towing my 2003 TJ for years behind my camper on holidays and weekend excursions but will soon be going farther afield and for longer. For those of you with Wranglers, or who used to tow one, did you prefer going with the soft top or hard top?

iawia,
One of the main reasons for a hard top is, it's considerable easier to access the rear of the jeep with it. With a soft top, there's a lot more to do, to both gain access and, close it up for driving. If you're the type that needs access to the rear with any frequency at all, you'll definitely appreciate the hard top. As for weight differences, yes, there's a tiny bit. But, not nearly enough to create any differences in mileage.

Yep, I've always liked the appearance of a soft top vs the hard top but, as has been stated, the hard top provides considerably better noise reduction, easy of access to the rear, seals better for dust and much more. I just recently put power windows and power door locks in our '03 Rubicon. Wow, what serious operational difference. I push a button a key fob and, the jeep locks from quite a distance.

And, the power windows are a zip. They're about twice as fast as any other power window vehicle we've had.
Scott

**Lt Dan** · 06-28-2016, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bumps

We had both. While the soft top option was often more appealing, in the end we kept the hardtop on. As we aged, we valued air conditioning, less dust, and the security of our cameras (etc) over fresh air and sunshine. M2C, /ken

I agree with Ken and Scott on all points. We tried the soft top one trip and went back to the hard. The hard top and windows are also easier to keep clean, plus the security of remote locks and power windows is nice. Ours has the removable T-tops if we have the overwhelming desire to get wind blown and sun burned.

trimacon · 06-28-2016, 01:19 PM

I've had both. I prefer hardtop. Because.... It's quieter. You can simply open the "t tops" of a hard top and replace them quickly. I live in the humid south with daily afternoon summer thunderstorms so a t top is easier to re install than a soft top.

GeeWillakers · 06-28-2016, 10:42 PM

Thanks for the insights. I know about the dust having travelled lots of back roads. I like the soft top for cooler travel (my tj doesn't have air conditioning) and the free feel of no top at all. I like the security of the hardtop though I have a Tuffy lockbox. Our jk has the t-tops which is nice but is a little heavy for us to tow. Torn between two lovers in a sense. It is great to get others' opinions. It looks like hardtop is the way to go until I graduate to a DP capable of pulling the jk. Thanks all.

vsheetz · 06-28-2016, 11:04 PM

Hardtop here. All the comfort and security reasons as provided previously...

cwit · 06-29-2016, 05:00 PM

Soft top only and we travel from NY to Fl to winter. Fire up where did you get the window and lock kit. Really want to do the Windows.

pchuckie · 06-29-2016, 08:29 PM

Ive had 2 Jeeps so far, the first was a soft top that I adds a hard top to. When I got the newer wrangler no way was I getting a soft top. The noise and lack of security wouldn't be to bad to deal with if the top wasn't such a pain in butt to remove.

om comparing the Jeep roof to a Miata I had for several years. Two latches and you could put the top down or up in 2 seconds. I've even done it at a traffic light because it started to rain. Gotta be a better way to make a Jeep soft top.

Hikerdogs · 06-30-2016, 07:48 AM

We bought both the tops with our 04 Wrangler. We primarily use the hard top for the reasons previously mentioned, plus the fact that it takes 2 people to remove it, and space to store it.

Occasionally on nice days we go with either the soft top or topless. My luck being what it is topless has rarely been a good choice. More than once a bright sunny day with no rain in the forecast has ended in a "freak" downpour. On 2 occasions it rained so hard the water in the streets was up to the bumpers, and Jeep filled with water until it ran out the doors.

As for security with a soft top it doesn't exist. Talking with owners who use the soft top regularly I found they have a saying, "It's not a matter of if it will be broken into, it's a matter of when".

avid_dk · 06-30-2016, 08:37 AM

We purchased both with our '13. Hung one of the Hard top garage lifts which makes it real easy to take off the top solo. The Mrs., who insisted on purchasing the dual top, isn't interested in going back to the Premium soft top we purchased. Due to noise, dust and security.

The one thing that concerns me a little is the weight for wheeling. Have you ever been offroad and experienced the long seconds while your rig was wobbling trying to decide which side was up? I just wonder if one might regret the extra weight above the center of gravity in that situation.

Hikerdogs · 06-30-2016, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avid_dk

We purchased both with our '13. Hung one of the Hard top garage lifts which makes it real easy to take off the top solo. The Mrs., who insisted on purchasing the dual top, isn't interested in going back to the Premium soft top we purchased. Due to noise, dust and security.

The one thing that concerns me a little is the weight for wheeling. Have you ever been offroad and experienced the long seconds while your rig was wobbling trying to decide which side was up? I just wonder if one might regret the extra weight above the center of gravity in that situation.

Yes, and it was moments you never forget. Many years back we took our 1987 full sized Bronco off roading near Telluride. A couple times it felt like the right side wheels were in the air. Another time we started sliding sideways down a shale slope. We were able to recover from both situations without damage or injury. However I think my heart stopped at about the same time I stained my shorts.

Needless to say it was the last off roading trip for the Bronco. We parked it at the rental office and rented a Jeep for the remainder of the vacation.

As a side note we went back in 2013 with our 2004 Wrangler. We went the same route, but it seemed more like a highway than the death trap we'd been on years before. When we stopped for lunch at a local restaurant I mentioned to the owner how much easier the trails seemed today than in years past. He laughed and then mentioned the trails were now twice as wide and not nearly as steep. They had all been widened and smoothed because of all the accidents in the past.