Colors matter... especially if you live in the desert

[WambliSka]

I never really gave the color of my vehicles a lot of thought. God I'll never make that mistake again. I've always been a suited for purpose and features buyer and just lucked out with petty colors since I've never had a car that looked bad to me. Hell I've had some beauties over the years. But I just moved to the desert a few years back and now it's time to REALLY pay attention and it makes more of a difference in the Wranglers since that roof is just a plastic shell absorbing and trapping heat with little or no insulation.

My last Gladiator was light grey with a black hardtop, no insulation on the roof. Bought it in the mountains of western NC so the color combo was never an issue (cab temperatures wise) until I moved here, but even then I just thought that I needed to just suck it up assuming ALL cars got that hot in the SW. Then I bought the Mojave and now that it's hitting 100s I REALLY notice the difference. My new one is bright white with insulation on the roof panels. The difference from the old to the new when you get into them after they've been parked outside in direct Nevada sun for a few hours has to be 20 degrees at least!!!

DAMN!!! The old one felt like you were climbing into Hades and there were days in the middle of the summer with temps of 110+ when the AC BARELY kept the temps acceptable in the cab while driving around town or off-road in the desert. The new one cools down in freaking minutes!!!

Just posting this in case there are some folks out there ready to buy a Gladiator around my coordinates and have not thought about this.

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[SaiintNick]

I have a silver with black hardtop. I'm kicking myself for passing up on buying someone's silver hardtop last year. Oh well at least I was smart enough to get the windows ceramic tinted.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

Oh yeah!!!! Black out in the desert wheeling in 120* heat is an experience!!! Keep the towels on ice for your neck and have to throw the phone in there every hour or so just to keep it out of limp mode. Both of my jeeps have been black on black. I feel your pain.

 

[VladtheGlad]

True enough. My bright white Gladiator with color matching Freedom Tops with Fat Mat and headliner plus tinted windows is the coolest vehicle I have ever owned. White is always a winner down here.

 

[jelkenoverland]

Have a white on white overland with the panel insulation here in missouri, ive commented to my wife that its the coolest vehicle in the summer ive ever had. And my dad gave me heck about the color

 

[White Eagle]

Yeah it makes a difference

 

[BourbonRunner]

White with a black roof. Bought it without Hot Heads, it was 90+ in Orlando when I picked it up and HOT. AC struggled. Now with Hot Heads installed it is not only fast to cool down but so much quieter.

 

[azmojave]

Head liners make all the difference! I used to cook in my JK until I added them. One of the first mods on the JT. Hothead Headliners. I was afraid the heat would make them fall down but they’re solid. Never an issue.

 

[CKayaks]

There is a reason all the mine company trucks running around NV are white. And nearly all the local rancher's trucks. We always noticed that when offroading and geocaching across the state. Funny though, I grew up in AZ and have family there. Do not recall the same.

 

[cuteangel1007]

Hi, I live near/on the north west side of the Central Valley in California, we have temperatures in the low triple digits during the summer. I find that one of the folding-foil/metallic windshield shades helps with the interior temps, as well as cracking the rear windows open while the vehicle is sitting in the sun (as mine do all summer because my garage is full of stuff). Point being the foil/metallic shades help (not the flimsy collapsible cloth type ones) to keep the heat at bay so much so that one of my friends whom had never used a shade before, went out and bought one after we went out shopping and driving around one day. She felt the difference. Her car had a split dashboard due to the interior temps of her vehicle sitting in the sun.
That being said, yes, exterior color has a lot to do with interior temps as well, white with light seat materials being the best, black with black leather seats the worst.
My opinion doesn’t mean a whole lot, just thought I’d offer anyway.

 

[Mr Miami]

I would like a lighter color on my top too, even though it is the factory insulated one. I have a white JTR with the black roof and live in South Florida. If I remember to, I put down the windows a couple of inches when I park it. That does help but sometimes I do forget and we get our afternoon thunderstorms and it does get wet sometimes. But in the desert or dryer climate, that would not be an issue. I would just leave the windows partially open all the time.

Speaking of color, I don't understand why people in hot climates buy black Jeeps, or anything else for that matter. Maybe some think it looks good but getting into any black vehicle that has been sitting in the sun for any length of time is no fun. I can't imagine getting into a closed vehicle wearing shorts (that's all we ever wear here) that has god-forbid leather seats. It must be an experience!

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

Speaking of color, I don't understand why people in hot climates buy black Jeeps, or anything else for that matter. Maybe some think it looks good but getting into any black vehicle that has been sitting in the sun for any length of time is no fun. I can't imagine getting into a closed vehicle wearing shorts (that's all we ever wear here) that has god-forbid leather seats. It must be an experience!

I’m guilty of doing this. And it really wasn’t even intentional. I didn’t go looking specifically for a black Jeep. It’s just what I ended up with. TWICE!!!

 

[BourbonRunner]

I’m guilty of doing this. And it really wasn’t even intentional. I didn’t go looking specifically for a black Jeep. It’s just what I ended up with. TWICE!!!

Glutton meet punishment! LOL

 

[rharr]

yeap, as much as a my wife gave me a hard time about ordering a all white for Tucson, I am glad I did. I really wanted Gobi but stuck to my guns after living with a black XJ in tucson for 10 years...

OP, another thing that helps a lot, is getting your front windshield tinted with clear ceramic heat reflective tint and using a good quality/fitting sun screen.

https://a.co/d/0eDCyiF9

 

[Tim. Y.]

After owning a Black Xterra in Vegas for quite a few years, there was a reason I went with the Hydro Blue truck this time around. It also came with the headliners installed, which most certainly helped too.
I also really don't get folks in desert/hot climates who buy black leather interiors. Even more so if they're convertibles...

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