Anyone remove Bestop Sunrider during hot/cold months???

[JonMN]

Seasonal here in the north. Off in November, on in April.

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[ShadowsPapa]

I think the Sunrider is better in the heat. The vehicle seems to hold less heat when parked in the sun.

Only with the sunrider open........... even my wife has noticed how hot it makes the jt inside just a couple of hours in the sun.

 

[jav_eee]

Only with the sunrider open........... even my wife has noticed how hot it makes the jt inside just a couple of hours in the sun.

Before the hotheads headliner (I got it for sound mostly) I never had a problem with heat and I’m in Deep South Texas. Yes you can feel the heat radiating from it a little more than with the freedom panels on but it doesn’t make the interior any hotter. I do have the ac on max (fan speed of 3 or 4 once cabin is cooled) almost every day of the year though.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Before the hotheads headliner (I got it for sound mostly) I never had a problem with heat and I’m in Deep South Texas. Yes you can feel the heat radiating from it a little more than with the freedom panels on but it doesn’t make the interior any hotter. I do have the ac on max (fan speed of 3 or 4 once cabin is cooled) almost every day of the year though.

It makes a huge difference. under 3 hours parked in the driveway with the sunrider it absolutely gets hotter than with the freedom panels in place.
Maybe the difference is the angle of the sun and not how hot it is outside.
Right now, the sun is much more directly over us than Texas. That means the UV will hit harder this time of year. That's what matters, not ambient temperatures, but the sun beaming down on that BLACK fabric.
It's science that black absorbs heat from the "sun's rays" faster than any other color while white reflects it back.
Blacktop driveways will melt the snow off even in the winter while our concrete stays snowed over.

It's the heat that black absorbs from the sun, not how hot it is outside.

Years ago we built a small motor powered by the sun - 4 arms with thin pieces of metal at the ends of the arms. The arms were mounted on an armature. One side of those metal pieces was painted black, the other silver.
Sunshine made it spin as the black absorbed the energy and got hot.
Ask anyone with a car with a black interior, or a convertible with a black top vs. white - you'll hear them talk about the differences.


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Science-

Color and Heat Absorption:
Black surfaces absorb more solar radiation than lighter colors like white or silver. This means a black convertible top will absorb more heat from the sun than a lighter-colored one.

Heat Transfer:
The absorbed heat is then transferred to the interior of the car, making the interior hotter.

Practical Implications:
On hot days, a car with a black convertible top will likely feel significantly hotter inside than a car with a lighter-colored top, especially when parked in direct sunlight.
Studies have shown the interior temperature difference can be as much as 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit.

Windshield Tint:
While tinting the windows can help reduce heat, it doesn't eliminate the effect of a dark-colored top.

 

[JoeJeep74]

Living in Michigan, I remove mine before it gets too cold, Novemberish and reinstall in the spring, Aprilish. I
store it in the yellow shipping bag, unfolded, outside down underneath the spare bedroom bed. I clean and lubricate all seals, front and rear doors as well as all top seals. I used to use silicone but I have started using “nextzett Ggummi Pflege Stift” weatherstrip conditioner and protector. This product was highly rated by a sports car group and is available on Amazon. Too soon to tell if it’s any better than plain ole silicone.
I am contemplating leaving it on year round going forward as I am now semi retired and am not out in the weather as much. I have had full soft top Jeeps forever and never froze to death. I would step up my use of the Bestop cleaner and conditioner and am looking at a headliner insert for the Sunrider.

 

[pharmfrank]

Different issues here in the NE, with the weight of snow and ice during the colder months.
I seem to recall when we installed the Bestop Twill Sunrider that it said it was not intended
to be taken on and off and so I never have (since 2021). Still seals well (no leaks) and is as
quiet as the panels were. Sometimes with a window open there is some flapping on the frame
with the top up as can happen with any soft convertible top. I had visions of putting my
hard panels back on during our Winter months but never have and don't regret not taking the
risk. What fears I have are falling branches, vandals and what a replacement will cost down the
road (so I saved the panels in my loft in the bags the Gladiator came with). Now that said, my
wife had an uncle who was a lumberjack and wore his long-johns year around, he is to have
said "if they keep the heat in during the Winter they'll keep the heat out during the Summer",
he was also known to have a 'little' nip of the bottle now and then........

 

[flipmcgee]

I am thinking about putting my insulated hardtop panels back on for summer. Love the Bestop for the spring and fall, but thinking summer and winter the hardtops might be better.

Anyone remove and store during these times? Or am I asking for trouble and leaks by removing and storing twice a year? The feel likes will be hitting 100+ this week in Texas.

I take mine off when its too cold to use anymore and put of the freedom panels. I recently bought the new headliner that hot heads makes special for it and that really cut down the heat and the noise so I might leave it this winter now. Very well made product and it looks great

 

[Nitroexpress]

I thought when I purchased my Sunrider that I would seasonally be switching back to the Freedom Panels. I was wrong. Since installing 5 years ago, the Sunrider has remained in place. It can sit in the direct sun all day and be cooler to the touch than the backseat fiberglass. I have zero issues with it in summer or winter.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I think mine is coming off until they get their shit together (Bestop and jeep) and fix the fitment issue. It's hotter 'n hell in there with it and no headliner, it's noisy as heck and is really wrecking the door seals.
While my son is here visiting, I think we'll take it off - might be for the rest of the year depending on how long each company drags their feet. I checked and they didn't put those mucket seals up under the rails when they swapped sunriders to see if a new one was any better and a piece was hanging off it.

It's too danged hot to have it be of any use anyway with the crazy temps and humidity lately. Funny thing - my ex-wife and my son both commented on how much nicer it was in Florida before they came up for a visit! What a hoot.

 

[wishiwasfishin2]

Took it off yesterday. Will put back on this fall. My factory panels have the insulated black inserts, so should be cooler than the Bestop.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Took it off yesterday. Will put back on this fall. My factory panels have the insulated black inserts, so should be cooler than the Bestop.

The heat difference is huge.

 

[Schaft]

The Sunrider was the second mod. I did to my JT. I intended to swap it out seasonally. But then I read, that it can be left on year-round. So I haven’t removed it even once. At home, I’m lucky to have a carport, so it doesn’t affect me in the summer or winter. When I go somewhere though, and park it in a mall lot, that I know has cameras everywhere, I will leave the top open. I do, however, close the retractable sunshade in that case. Otherwise, the black leather seats will melt your skin, if you’re wearing shorts. When I’m not in that situation, I crack the windows slightly, as I have side window visors. That makes a big difference. And of course, I will remote start it to get a headstart on cooling the cabin. In my case, I have the Sunrider open whenever it’s above 55° and absolutely love it.
I will definitely be looking into the hotheads insulation panels, for the Sunrider. I’m glad I read this post.

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