Sunrider owners - MY mess-up, or theirs?

[ShadowsPapa]

Hang in there, once the dealership get it sorted out it will be worth it. I wish I could give you some "fix" for it. Since it is a Jeep branded accessory, Jeep should be able to make it right. When you pointed out the effort it took to install it, it seemed that was an unusual amount of work. The first Sunrider that I installed took me about ten minutes, it literally took longer to pull off and bag the Freedom Panels than to install the Sunrider.

Yeah, the bag for the panels was almost too small. The zipper was running against the panels so tight I thought it was going to break!

That's a big plus - it's a Jeep branded part - so it's got support from the dealer and Jeep if it needs to go that far.

We are in another unusual heat time with high UV, hotter than typical - and as I looked over at my JT parked in the driveway so I cold get the mower out, I could see the "waves of hot air" above the black sunrider - none above the rest of the roof. That thing was baking inside

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[Trollboogie]

This Sunrider worked great on my 21. I kept it to put on my current JT. Of course my 21 didn't have the mucket. The gap on my doors doesn't look off like yours. The gap is even, but drivers side mucket is pushed down and gets folded by the door. The passenger side is pushed a little but still stays up when the door is shut. Going down the highway sounds like it is not latched shut.

I know the plate that the latches clamp to can be adjusted a bit. I haven't tried that yet. I am hesitant because that plate has a lineup hole for the freedom top pin. I don't want to mess that up. Like you said.... these newer JT's are so much more quiet now.

 

[Charles 236]

We are in another unusual heat time with high UV, hotter than typical - and as I looked over at my JT parked in the driveway so I cold get the mower out, I could see the "waves of hot air" above the black sunrider - none above the rest of the roof. That thing was baking inside

I have noticed that with mine, it does allow more heat inside than the Freedom Panels does. It is almost like being in a car from the '70s with T-tops on a sunny summer day. I open it whenever I can during the time I have it on, which is from late March until sometime in November. I have ordered one of the new Hot Heads liners for the Sunrider, expecting that it will reduce the heat a bit, maybe even quieten the noise a bit.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I have noticed that with mine, it does allow more heat inside than the Freedom Panels does. It is almost like being in a car from the '70s with T-tops on a sunny summer day. I open it whenever I can during the time I have it on, which is from late March until sometime in November. I have ordered one of the new Hot Heads liners for the Sunrider, expecting that it will reduce the heat a bit, maybe even quieten the noise a bit.

Assuming they can find and fix the situation on mine, I've been thinking about that as well. It really is a killer in there with that thin black fabric. There are days we get UV warnings and just being outside for a while you feel like you are in the mountains with 90 degree air temps. It was something seeing the waves of heat above only that part today. Getting in - well, luckily it was just to back it into the garage and get out quickly.

 

[Gatorized]

posting this only to remind people of what that seal does, why it's there and how it came about - it came about because Jeep owners griped, Jeep listened, and Jeep fixed it with this seal and trough setup below.

But for some fun - picking on those who might have complained but then don't care if the sunrider interferes with the shape of this part of the seals.

I have a question for those who advocate tucking that seal up behind the sunrider rail........
Actually, for anyone who has a 2021 (I think that's the year) or earlier Gladiator or even JLU and has ever complained about opening the door to get out and getting rain dumped on your leg or into the floor of the Jeep.
Raise your hand if you have ever complained about your earlier JLU or JT dumping water on you or into the truck as you open the door to either get in or out of the Jeep.
( I could spend some time and find you - who you are - because a lot of folks here complained about the fact that when you opened a front door, you got water dumped on the floor, or on your or a passenger. It was a big topic and some came up with some stick-on solutions, and so on)
If you are one of those people who complained about the rain dumping on you, your wife, or into the floor of the Jeep and you are also saying "tuck that seal, it serves no purpose" or "it doesn't lean, so doesn't matter" - you are contradicting yourself.

Did you know that due to the many, numerous complaints, Jeep actually DID something about it? And they issued a sort of TSB for it - if you complained while it was under warranty, they replaced your windshield header seal and other parts under warranty! Free! You got the upgrade that came along on 22 and later model years.

That piece people are tucking up is what diverts water into a special trough to prevent rain from dumping on you or getting onto the seats or the floor when you opened the door after or during a rain!

Water comes off the front end of the drip rail, is diverted by that seal you want to tuck, and into the plastic channel added for the 22 model year - maybe it was 2021?

(Does anyone here have the TSB for this??)

This is a 2023 and you can see exactly how rain water would behave -

I had the TSB for the water fix and went to the dealership to see a 2022 model Gladiator to see what was different, how it looked, so I could show people here what it was and how it worked back in that year - this is new for 2022 model year. (really wish I could find that TSB!)
It catches rain water off the drip rail and diverts it into the plastic channel away from you, your leg and the inside of the Jeep.

But tuck that thing and you have just undone what Jeep did to satisfy people who were complaining about getting wet, or water dumping INSIDE the vehicle or onto your leg.
See? Water flowing forward in the drip rail will drop off the end and into the Jeep or onto you just like the 2020 and 2020 models or all years of the JL did before Jeep's mod to FIX the water dumping issue.

So I guess I just refreshed my memory, don't know why I didn't think of all of this days and days ago because I KNEW IT, I knew what it was for - but it didn't come to me until now.

With a correctly fitting sunrider, this works exactly as Jeep intended and keeps you and your interior DRY when you open the door.
When it doesn't fit - it defeats the purpose of the TSB fix (and crushes and destroys other seals)

So those who say "who cares, don't need it anyway" - think back- did you own a JL or JT model year 2021 or prior? Did you complain about getting wet or the floor or seat getting wet when you opened the door?


Looking forward to next Tuesday to see how a second one fits.

You have until Tuesday to take critical measurements of your current Sunrider, so you can compare to the new Sunrider when it gets installed.

speaking of TSB’s -
Windshield header seal TSB 23-041-21

Replace windshield header seal and add diverter pieces to a-pillar
Posted complete by RetCop402 from Indiana on 12/1/22 - https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...tsb-23-041-21-rev-a.63674/page-5#post-1067199

A Pillar Trough Right 68453376AA X1 $35.69
A Pillar Trough Left 68453377AA X1 $35.69
Seal Windshield Header 68271695AI X1 $70.65
Rivet Windshield Header X4 $ 1.50

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/attachments/jl-jt-header-seal-pdf.286237/

 

[ShadowsPapa]

You have until Tuesday to take critical measurements of your current Sunrider, so you can compare to the new Sunrider when it gets installed.

speaking of TSB’s -
Windshield header seal TSB 23-041-21

Replace windshield header seal and add diverter pieces to a-pillar
Posted complete by RetCop402 from Indiana on 12/1/22 - https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...tsb-23-041-21-rev-a.63674/page-5#post-1067199

A Pillar Trough Right 68453376AA X1 $35.69
A Pillar Trough Left 68453377AA X1 $35.69
Seal Windshield Header 68271695AI X1 $70.65
Rivet Windshield Header X4 $ 1.50

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/attachments/jl-jt-header-seal-pdf.286237/

that's the TSB I was referring to. I know I have a copy somewhere, but it doesn't really matter, I guess.
Looks like I was in that thread and that's where I posted the picture I posted here earlier today.

 

[Eagle22]

I have noticed that with mine, it does allow more heat inside than the Freedom Panels does. It is almost like being in a car from the '70s with T-tops on a sunny summer day. I open it whenever I can during the time I have it on, which is from late March until sometime in November. I have ordered one of the new Hot Heads liners for the Sunrider, expecting that it will reduce the heat a bit, maybe even quieten the noise a bit.

Just installed a Hot Heads liner in my JL's Sunrider this week. Five hour drive yesterday to the beach on both highway and rural roads, headliner performed 100% as advertised...muffled wind and road noise and with 90 degrees outside, it seemed to help a lot with thermal insulation. High quality and easy installation. Very satisfied.

 

[Charles 236]

Just installed a Hot Heads liner in my JL's Sunrider this week. Five hour drive yesterday to the beach on both highway and rural roads, headliner performed 100% as advertised...muffled wind and road noise and with 90 degrees outside, it seemed to help a lot with thermal insulation. High quality and easy installation. Very satisfied.

Glad to know that, mine is supposed to be delivered by FedEx Tuesday.

 

[Mister Lamb]

Truck is going back to dealership tomorrow for paint defect and I figured I'd remove the Sunrider to avoid any problems/them breaking the Sunrider attempting to remove the hard top.

Freedom Panels are back on (first time in about 2-3 weeks). At highway speeds I'm now hearing whistles in the cabin that didn't exist before so it's fair to say the Sunrider screwed my seals.

@Bestop will try to claim it was a bad install but this is horse shit

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Truck is going back to dealership tomorrow for paint defect and I figured I'd remove the Sunrider to avoid any problems/them breaking the Sunrider attempting to remove the hard top.

Freedom Panels are back on (first time in about 2-3 weeks). At highway speeds I'm now hearing whistles in the cabin that didn't exist before so it's fair to say the Sunrider screwed my seals.

@Bestop will try to claim it was a bad install but this is horse shit

That's also a concern of mine - since it sits way too low at the front, really low on the windshield seal, it's really crushing it. I can tell when I pull it back it's leaving marks on the seal the tops didn't leave.
It sits too low.

Looking forward to Tuesday..........

 

[imaginaryreply]

There is definitely something wrong with the fitment on my '24. I had the sunrider for hardtop on a JKU and it was very quiet in comparison. On the JT it is very noisy, has a major whistling like sound. The fitment on the passenger side pushes that corner seal down, but not on the driver side.

Issues:
- Major whistling at highway speeds
- Passenger side corner seal pressed down

Here is what I tried so far:
- Called @Bestop , they said to email with pictures
- Emailed @Bestop w/ pics, no response
- Called Quadratec, sent pics, they immediately sent a replacement
- Installed replacement, no change in whistling noise, same passenger seal issue

 

[ShadowsPapa]

There is definitely something wrong with the fitment on my '24. I had the sunrider for hardtop on a JKU and it was very quiet in comparison. On the JT it is very noisy, has a major whistling like sound. The fitment on the passenger side pushes that corner seal down, but not on the driver side.

Issues:
- Major whistling at highway speeds
- Passenger side corner seal pressed down

Here is what I tried so far:
- Called @Bestop , they said to email with pictures
- Emailed @Bestop w/ pics, no response
- Called Quadratec, sent pics, they immediately sent a replacement
- Installed replacement, no change in whistling noise, same passenger seal issue

Interesting that I'm seeing more of "it's worse on one side than the other" posts - and it might be more on the right side.

Those who say "it's the Jeep out of specs" are ignoring the fact that everything indexes off that structure up there. All trim, sunvisors, windshield, freedom panels, you name it, it all indexes off that. If it's off - everything else will be. The mucket and seal parts attach to that framework and yet they line up perfect with the panels.

 

[Bestop]

I apologize, but I need to ask. Do you want this fixed? My impression after the last few posts is you’re more interested in being pissed off. This has mostly been pinpointed. You should be happy you alerted others. A seal change in 2025 doesn’t match an aftermarket (Jeep branded), but still aftermarket part. The aftermarket company, @Bestop, is a fantastic company to work with. I have zero doubt that they’d be more than happy to help resolve this. But with all the finger pointing and blame, I can’t imagine they’ll be too excited to help. They still likely will as they’re a great company that stands behind their products. But did you consider the possibility that Jeep alone made a mistake? Maybe Jeep screwed up and didn’t realize their new seals wouldn’t work with an accessory like this, and just threw it on the build without thinking. Everyone on this thread had tried to help you find a solution. But phrases like “another ding against”, are just likely to alienate people. If you want this over and don’t care to be part of the resolution, return the sunrider to the Jeep dealer, and get some money back. Put your freedom tops back on and move on. It’s a great Jeep.

@WILDHOBO thank you for the tag!

@ShadowsPapa We have a DM going and you are going to let me know what the dealership says when you talk to the salesman again.
Bestop is aware of the change made by Mopar and we are working on correcting the 2025 version of both the factory Sunrider as well as ours. I appreciate you bringing this to our attention, please know our Engineering and Quality Teams are working diligently on a resolution!


~Crystal@Bestop
www.bestop.com

 

[Bestop]

There is definitely something wrong with the fitment on my '24. I had the sunrider for hardtop on a JKU and it was very quiet in comparison. On the JT it is very noisy, has a major whistling like sound. The fitment on the passenger side pushes that corner seal down, but not on the driver side.

Issues:
- Major whistling at highway speeds
- Passenger side corner seal pressed down

Here is what I tried so far:
- Called @Bestop , they said to email with pictures
- Emailed @Bestop w/ pics, no response
- Called Quadratec, sent pics, they immediately sent a replacement
- Installed replacement, no change in whistling noise, same passenger seal issue

Did you get my DM that I sent you this morning? If not, you're welcome to email me and I'll see what I can do to help out! [email protected].

~Crystal@Bestop
www.bestop.com

 

[ShadowsPapa]

@WILDHOBO thank you for the tag!

@ShadowsPapa We have a DM going and you are going to let me know what the dealership says when you talk to the salesman again.
Bestop is aware of the change made by Mopar and we are working on correcting the 2025 version of both the factory Sunrider as well as ours. I appreciate you bringing this to our attention, please know our Engineering and Quality Teams are working diligently on a resolution!


~Crystal@Bestop
www.bestop.com

Yes. My JT goes in first thing Tuesday morning. Not sure if I'll stick around there or not.

For onlookers (Bestop knows this) - The shop people ordered a whole new sunrider.
It arrived last week. Tomorrow, they will do a test fit and go from there.
I'll let Bestop and JeepCares know of the results and even pass along contact info it desired It's good if they talk with each other - dealership to Jeep to Bestop.

Today I noticed a whole lot more wind noise but didn't bother checking further as by tomorrow, it won't necessarily matter.

In my case, though - it's not the changes made by Jeep - it's the fact mine simply sits sooooo very low, it's all but against the top of the door and it looks like heck when you look at the right front of the Jeep - it actually looks like there's a problem with it from a distance, it sits so high in the back and low in the front.
So mine isn't an issue as far as change - that jeep added that mucket and rain channel, it simply fits my truck wrong.

Take away the mucket issue - it's still a poor fit.

I'm hopeful, though - going ahead and ordering a sunshade - probably a Spiderweb product.

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