Sponsored

Rain caught me with my freedom panels down...

jhale1800

Well-Known Member
First Name
James
Joined
Mar 14, 2019
Threads
18
Messages
351
Reaction score
556
Location
Huntsville, AL
Vehicle(s)
Gladiator Overland, 2000 Ford Crown Victoria, 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe, 2017 Mazda3
I wanted to take the freedom panels off for the weekend; however, the weekend forecast on Friday called for rain. The updated forecast on Saturday morning looked much better, and it appeared it would be a beautiful day until at least mid to late afternoon, so I pulled off the panels and went about my day. Ended up going to an 11:00 movie, parked the truck without the panels in the parking lot, and when I came out of the theater it was POURING. The parking lot had puddles ankle deep as I was running to my Gladiator. Here's a few things I learned, and some pictures of the aftermath.
-This was the 5th time removing and reinstalling the freedom panels. I've always been careful unbagging and reinstalling the panels to make sure I'm putting them in the correct placement on the correct side. It probably took me around 5 minutes the first 4 times. This time, I was able to get them unbagged and reinstalled in 2 minutes tops.
-The cupholders were half way filled with water. Interestingly, later that night I noticed the cupholders have lights in the bottom. Glad they still work.
-The only dry area in the front appeared to be directly under the sensors for the adaptive cruise and automatic braking.
-The touchscreen was useless when wet, or when trying to use it with wet hands. I kept trying to get to the climate screen to activate defrost to get rid of foggy windows, and to turn on the heated seats. I was half way home when I realized all those functions had physical buttons underneath the screen.
-While driving, the horn would spontaneously go off. This would anger and confuse people driving around me, but a quick push of the horn on the steering wheel made it stop sometimes...

When I got home I parked it in the garage, dried it off with a stack of towels, and removed the drain plugs. I almost removed the carpet, but it looked like it would be a pain to reinstall so I patted it dry and left all the windows and doors open so it would air out.

IMG_20190803_132156.jpg
IMG_20190803_132153.jpg
IMG_20190803_132205.jpg
IMG_20190803_132159.jpg
IMG_20190803_133607.jpg
IMG_20190803_132222.jpg
Sponsored

 
Last edited:

chrcal14

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2018
Threads
2
Messages
656
Reaction score
914
Location
Western PA
Vehicle(s)
2020 JT Rubicon
Got a Rutger Hauer thing going on there....

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
 

Jeepdude413

Well-Known Member
First Name
Ron
Joined
Jun 4, 2019
Threads
10
Messages
264
Reaction score
358
Location
FL panhandle
Vehicle(s)
2020 JT Gladiator
Occupation
Job.... always got a job...
I wanted to take the freedom panels off for the weekend; however, the weekend forecast on Friday called for rain. The updated forecast on Saturday morning looked much better, and it appeared it would be a beautiful day until at least mid to late afternoon, so I pulled off the panels and went about my day. Ended up going to an 11:00 movie, parked the truck without the panels in the parking lot, and when I came out of the theater it was POURING. The parking lot had puddles ankle deep as I was running to my Gladiator. Here's a few things I learned, and some pictures of the aftermath.
-This was the 5th time removing and reinstalling the freedom panels. I've always been careful unbagging and reinstalling the panels to make sure I'm putting them in the correct placement on the correct side. It probably took me around 5 minutes the first 4 times. This time, I was able to get them unbagged and reinstalled in 2 minutes tops.
-The cupholders were half way filled with water. Interestingly, later that night I noticed the cupholders have lights in the bottom. Glad they still work.
-The only dry area in the front appeared to be directly under the sensors for the adaptive cruise and automatic braking.
-The touchscreen was useless when wet, or when trying to use it with wet hands. I kept trying to get to the climate screen to activate defrost to get rid of foggy windows, and to turn on the heated seats. I was half way home when I realized all those functions had physical buttons underneath the screen.
-While driving, the horn would spontaneously go off. This would anger and confuse people driving around me, but a quick push of the horn on the steering wheel made it stop sometimes...

When I got home I parked it in the garage, dried it off with a stack of towels, and removed the drain plugs. I almost removed the carpet, but it looked like it would be a pain to reinstall so I patted it dry and left all the windows and doors open so it would air out.

IMG_20190803_132156.jpg
IMG_20190803_132153.jpg
IMG_20190803_132205.jpg
IMG_20190803_132159.jpg
IMG_20190803_133607.jpg
IMG_20190803_132222.jpg
U mist live in Fl. If u don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes and it will change. I have felt ur pain... way before the freedom panels or sunrider tops. Thinking most of us have with seat time in a Jeep. Hope it all works when dry.
 

Sponsored

Tortooga Custom Works

Well-Known Member
First Name
Ralph
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Threads
80
Messages
1,704
Reaction score
1,619
Location
Central NJ
Vehicle(s)
2020 Jeep Gladator Launch Edition | 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited
technically all should be fine... the Jeep was engineered for this:


Electronics that still work when wet
At this point, we've established that the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator are loaded with electronics, but things that run off electricity don't play nice with water, so how are the Wrangler's and Gladiator's complex electronics engineered to hold up as they ride in vehicles that are capable of fording 30 inches of water?

"So we have a 30-inch water-fording depth, which means we strike a line right down the vehicle," Wrangler's Lees says. "Anything, any electronic device that is housed below that line has to be completely submersible. Anything above does not have to be, but it has to be water-resistant."

But don't think electronic components above the fording line have it any easier, for they have to undergo a 16-hour mist test. "At our tech center in Auburn Hills, [Michigan], we have a booth that we put the Jeep in," Lees says. "We take the top off, we take the windshield, fold it down, windows down, and then for 16 hours, it's just got a fine mist that is raining down on it."

Lees says the mist test is meant to simulate the Wrangler's and Gladiator's water resistance in the event the vehicles are left exposed in a thunderstorm while camping.

"We have to make sure that [...] when you walk in and you see water puddled everywhere in the foot wells [...] we don't strand the driver," he says. The misting may last 16 hours, but the vehicle is periodically checked over the next several months to make sure everything, from the USB ports to the radio, still operates.

"What we found when we run these tests [is that] water gets into places that we had no thought that it would be and just starts dripping down. So we may have to be really strategic and put some type of awning or umbrella over the top of a certain electrical component because water can drip down on it."
Source: https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/jeep-wrangler-gladiator-tech/
 

Kjm18

Well-Known Member
First Name
Kyle
Joined
Jun 7, 2019
Threads
9
Messages
435
Reaction score
374
Location
MD
Vehicle(s)
Sting Gray JT Rubicon - Delivered 7/23
Occupation
Attorney
Yet another reason to be happy that I went soft top only. I just flip it closed every time I park. It takes all of 15 seconds and I get sun protection and rain protection.
 

3-pedal-Rub

Well-Known Member
First Name
Joe
Joined
Nov 3, 2019
Threads
7
Messages
127
Reaction score
116
Location
Salem, Oregon
Vehicle(s)
Harley Night Train, Buell Lightning, TL, 4runner, JTR
Yet another reason to be happy that I went soft top only. I just flip it closed every time I park. It takes all of 15 seconds and I get sun protection and rain protection.
Sure, Convenience is nice. But at the cost of looks? No way, man. That bunched up-skirt look with the soft top folded up kills me.
 
 



Top