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Feedom Panels vs Traditional Sun-Roof

joeym7

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Hellow Friends,

Little question about the Hard-Top Freedom panels which I will be ordering on my 2022 Mojave...I have no experience with these or "T-tops" in general, but I always buy cars with sun roofs and sometimes think they are the "best" part of the car. Sun roofs offer ease of opening, flip up or wide open and a sun-shade (which I always have open). If hot, one can open it with a switch, cold, shut it, do it all day with "impunity" ;-). Hey, I'm 65 we go from hot to cold pretty quicly sometimes - LOL!

The freedom panel obviously are different and require a little more effort. I may grow to love them after I have the Truck, but for now I am wondering how most people handle the scenario of taking them off (while on the road) after you left the house with them on. Say, it was raining when you left home, everything cleared up, sun is out and you want some....Find a safe place to pull off the road, pull the freedom panels off...

I know they come with a storage bag, but I wouldn't think many people use that when pulling the panels off while on the Road...So where is a good place to temporary store the panels in the Gladiator till you get home? Behind the front seats? The Bed maybe? Something else? And how/what do you use do/to you protect them from scratches (I'm getting the Body color top)?

Thanks,
-Joe
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JTBurns

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You'll want to bring the storage bag with you in that scenario, put them in the bag in and then in the bed. They could probably be stored in the backseat without it, but are bulky and wouldn't be secure. In the bag will keep them from getting scratched.

A sunrider is a great would best fit your needs. Easy open and close in seconds whenever you want.
 

GrubbyBaja

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I keep my storage bag under the rear seat specifically for the purpose of removing/storing the panels when I'm away from home. They will fit behind front seats (in the bag), standing up in the floor, but I normally put them in the bag and lay them in the bed. I have a rubber bed liner (Smartliner) and the tops don't move around at all in the bed. Typically I just leave them in the bag in my shed at home when I'm staying local.
 
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MCATDT

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Sunrider is absolutely the way to go if you want the ability to open and close on a whim. Just unlatch and lift open. The best convenience mod I have done by far. Its pricey especially if you go for the twill option. For me this was absolutely a must as I planned to have it on most of the time and the heat and sun in Florida would surely make the lower material option fade and wear sooner. If you look at my avatar you can see my girls looking out the open sunder while on the trails.
 

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Unless I know the weather is good, and Iā€™m not going far, I never take the freedom panels off. Itā€™s very easy to do, but still requires just enough effort for the off/on/off/on routine that you tend to just skip it all together. Iā€™ll be getting a sunrider as soon as this New England winter starts and ends. It does exactly what I need because I feel like I want it open and closed on a whim for no reason in particular.
 

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rr11

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The freedom panels are a little more trouble than a sun roof, however with the removable hard top a sun roof could cause problems. I normally place them in the back seat, I use a towel or a jacket to separate them to prevent scratches. I am 68 and it is not too much trouble after you have done it a time or two.
 

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+ 1,000,000 on the Sunrider top!!!!!

BesTop makes it. Take out your panels, follow the directions to install the Sunrider top. When you want it open, unlatch it at the front and push it back and, it's open like you removed the panels. Get to your destination and want to close it, just close and latch. Starts raining? Pull over, pull it over and latch the top. Voila, you're dry and can continue on your way without having to re-install the panels (if you even brought them with you :CWL: :CWL: :CWL: ).

I keep mine in for late Spring, all Summer, and early Autumn. Hangs nicely in the garage over the winter. My panels, stay in their bag, hanging on the garage wall during the warm months.
 

The Bean

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Hellow Friends,

Little question about the Hard-Top Freedom panels which I will be ordering on my 2022 Mojave...I have no experience with these or "T-tops" in general, but I always buy cars with sun roofs and sometimes think they are the "best" part of the car. Sun roofs offer ease of opening, flip up or wide open and a sun-shade (which I always have open). If hot, one can open it with a switch, cold, shut it, do it all day with "impunity" ;-). Hey, I'm 65 we go from hot to cold pretty quicly sometimes - LOL!

The freedom panel obviously are different and require a little more effort. I may grow to love them after I have the Truck, but for now I am wondering how most people handle the scenario of taking them off (while on the road) after you left the house with them on. Say, it was raining when you left home, everything cleared up, sun is out and you want some....Find a safe place to pull off the road, pull the freedom panels off...

I know they come with a storage bag, but I wouldn't think many people use that when pulling the panels off while on the Road...So where is a good place to temporary store the panels in the Gladiator till you get home? Behind the front seats? The Bed maybe? Something else? And how/what do you use do/to you protect them from scratches (I'm getting the Body color top)?

Thanks,
-Joe
Since youā€™re going to be ordering your Mojave directly through a dealer, you can get the Sunrider as a factory option on your build sheet. That will probably be the way to go, as itā€™s already included in the cost of the vehicle and it will be covered under the vehicleā€™s factory warranty.
 
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MPMB

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As mentioned - get the Sunrider. The caveat is as long as you don't have shoulder issues. I get kinda lazy and just pull it closed from a seated position, which will probably piss my shoulder off one day.

Having a convertible truck is what sold my wife on the JT over the Tacoma.

We have the Sunrider for the "warmer" months. It takes 5-10 minutes to swap from the freedom panels. Depends on how fast you can find your Torx bit and extension.

Last week or so I swapped the Sunrider for the panels. I keep a couple bungee cords under the rear seat. The panels go in the bag, in the bed, then bungee corded to prevent lots of movement. I have a soft tonneau cover so you can't see what's in the bed without a little work.

It's a bigger hassle for my wife to remove the panels. She's 5'2" and has a balance disorder. So I run around outside, she stays inside and lifts the panels up so I just grab and bag (I'm also in the not-tall-club at 5'6").

If we have to be in a questionable area, I'll stick the loaded bag inside in the back.
 

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jeepers29

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I just got my 2021 and then saw the sunrider as a 2022 option. Wish it had been there for 2021. I love the one on our 2014 JKUR.
 

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I leave the storage bag in the bed and store the tops in there when they are off. I also have a hard tonneau cover so I'm not worried about leaving the bag in there all the time.
 

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My wife wanted a tonneau, I was meh - but it's made storing the panels far simpler.

I picked up a moving blanket at Harbor Freight. When we go on trips, it's a minute or two to remove/replace the panels depending on weather. The bag is cumbersome and unneeded.

The addition of a JTops mesh complicated things slightly and I'll remove it for the Winter.

Hellow Friends,

Little question about the Hard-Top Freedom panels which I will be ordering on my 2022 Mojave...I have no experience with these or "T-tops" in general, but I always buy cars with sun roofs and sometimes think they are the "best" part of the car. Sun roofs offer ease of opening, flip up or wide open and a sun-shade (which I always have open). If hot, one can open it with a switch, cold, shut it, do it all day with "impunity" ;-). Hey, I'm 65 we go from hot to cold pretty quicly sometimes - LOL!

The freedom panel obviously are different and require a little more effort. I may grow to love them after I have the Truck, but for now I am wondering how most people handle the scenario of taking them off (while on the road) after you left the house with them on. Say, it was raining when you left home, everything cleared up, sun is out and you want some....Find a safe place to pull off the road, pull the freedom panels off...

I know they come with a storage bag, but I wouldn't think many people use that when pulling the panels off while on the Road...So where is a good place to temporary store the panels in the Gladiator till you get home? Behind the front seats? The Bed maybe? Something else? And how/what do you use do/to you protect them from scratches (I'm getting the Body color top)?

Thanks,
-Joe
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